Multiple member interconnect for surgical instrument and absorbable screw fastener

• US 7,670,362 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Zergiebel, Earl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene; Pedro
• Application Number:
  US10/560,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 606/73, 606/312, 606/104, 606/916, 606/304, 606/308, 623/17.11
• US Class Current: 606/311
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/861 specially shaped for gripping driver
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/862 at the periphery of the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8625 Shanks, i.e. parts contacting bone tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8635 Tips of screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/864 hollow, e.g. with socket or cannulated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/866 Material or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/869 characterised by an open form, e.g. wire helix
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8883 the driver bit acting on the periphery of the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8891 at its periphery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable or resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0441 the shaft being a rigid coil or spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0648 threaded, e.g. tacks with a screw thread
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/06 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L31/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/148 : Materials at least partially resorbable by the body
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/481 : for operating in areas having limited access
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 17/00 : Hand-driven gear-operated wrenches or screwdrivers ratchet-operated B25B13/46 B25B13/467, B25B15/04; for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/005
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/065 : the magazine being coaxial with the tool axis
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/101 : for hand-driven screw-drivers B25B23/105 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/04 : Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/916 : Tool for installing or removing orthopedic fastener

Abstract

An absorbable screw fastener and a method of firing with an applicator capable of applying a surgical fastener to tissue in order to form tissue connection to secure objects to tissue, the fastener including a body portion having a helical thread, a head portion disposed at the proximal end of the body portion. The head portion includes a driver receiving configuration on its outer surface. The screw fastener further includes a cannulated center lumen with an opening extending from the head portion through the longitudinal length of the body portion.

Claims

1. An instrument for inserting an absorbable screw fastener, the instrument comprising:

a distal portion having an elongated outer tube;

a proximal portion having a trigger mechanism; and

a driver/torque subassembly disposed within the outer tube and being movable relative to the outer tube including at least a pair of resilient force transmitting arms extending distally therefrom, wherein the arms provide at least a partial passage for a fastener therethrough, to selectively retain a head of an absorbable screw therebetween, and to transmit both an axial and a rotational force to the absorbable screw.

2. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the outer tube defines a crenellated tip.

3. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism comprises a ratchet mechanism.

4. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the outer tube is biased to a distally advanced position.

5. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising a pilot disposed within the outer tube, the pilot having a tapered surface on its distal end.

6. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising a fastener retainer dimensioned to receive fasteners.

7. An absorbable screw fastener and instrument for inserting the absorbable screw fastener, comprising:

an instrument having an outer tube on a distal end and a trigger mechanism on its proximal end;

a driver/torque subassembly disposed within the outer tube, the driver/torque subassembly including at least a pair of resilient force transmitting arms extending distally therefrom; and

an absorbable screw fastener having a body portion and a head portion disposed at the proximal end of the body portion, the fastener being inserted on the distal end of the instrument, the head of the absorbable screw fastener having a driver receiving configuration formed in an outer radial side surface of the outer diameter for selective engagement with at least the pair of resilient force transmitting arms of the drive/torque subassembly, wherein the resilient force transmitting arms allow at least a partial passage for the fastener therethrough, wherein the resilient force transmitting arms transmit both linear and rotational motion to the driver receiving configuration of the absorbable screw fastener.

8. The absorbable screw fastener and instrument of claim 7, wherein the driver receiving configuration further defines a slot formed in the surface of the outer diameter of the head portion, wherein the slot of the screw fastener extends the entire length thereof.

9. The absorbable screw fastener and instrument of claim 8, wherein the absorbable screw fastener is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of L1, L4, PGA, and PGB.

10. The absorbable screw fastener and instrument of claim 7, wherein the distal end of the body portion defines a distal surface which is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis.

11. The absorbable screw fastener and instrument of claim 10, wherein the distal surface of the distal end of the body portion is angled at about 5°

to about 15°

with respect to an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

12. The absorbable screw fastener and instrument of claim 7, wherein the head portion defines a distal surface which is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis.

13. The absorbable screw fastener and instrument of claim 12, wherein the distal surface of the head portion is angled at about 5°

to about 15°

with respect to an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

14. The absorbable screw fastener and instrument and instrument of claim 13, wherein the distal surface of the distal end of the body portion is angled at about 5°

to about 15°

with respect to an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

15. The absorbable screw fastener and instrument of claim 14, wherein each slot formed in each thread includes at least one of a radiused leading edge and a radiused trailing edge.