Articulating tool and methods of using
First Claim
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1. A method of fixing a rib bone, the method comprising:
- inserting an articulating tool into a thoracic cavity enclosed by a chest wall, the chest wall including a rib cage;
positioning a head of the articulating tool within the thoracic cavity and with respect to the rib bone of the rib cage under thoracoscopic guidance, the head being connected to a fastener; and
affixing an osteosynthetic implant to an inner side of the rib bone by driving the fastener into the rib bone from the thoracic cavity with the articulating tool.
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Abstract
Disclosed are embodiments of an articulating tool having a head that articulates and is capable of maintaining an angle for drilling or placing a fastener into a bone. The articulating tool includes a housing, an articulating head, a rotatable drive shaft, and a driver tip connected to the distal shaft portion. The articulating tool may be constructed and arranged to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position and the second position the articulating head and the rotatable drive shaft are at different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of fixing a rib bone, the method comprising:
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inserting an articulating tool into a thoracic cavity enclosed by a chest wall, the chest wall including a rib cage; positioning a head of the articulating tool within the thoracic cavity and with respect to the rib bone of the rib cage under thoracoscopic guidance, the head being connected to a fastener; and affixing an osteosynthetic implant to an inner side of the rib bone by driving the fastener into the rib bone from the thoracic cavity with the articulating tool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of fixing a rib bone, the method comprising:
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inserting an articulating tool into a thoracic cavity enclosed by a chest wall, the chest wall including a rib cage, the articulating tool including a housing and a head that is discrete from the housing and pivotally connected to the housing at a pivotable joint for pivotal motion of the head away from a longitudinal axis of the articulating tool, the head being connected to a fastener; operating a user interface to adjust a first torque applied to the head such that the head pivots to orient the fastener in the thoracic cavity, while a spring of the articulating tool applies a second torque to the head that opposes the first torque; and affixing an osteosynthetic implant to an inner side of the rib bone by driving the fastener into the rib bone of the rib cage from the thoracic cavity with the articulating tool. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of fixing a rib bone, the method comprising:
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inserting an articulating tool into a thoracic cavity enclosed by a chest wall, the chest wall including a rib cage, the articulating tool including a housing and a head that is discrete from the housing, the housing and the head being connected to each other by a pivotable joint defining a transverse pivot axis, the articulating tool also including a drive shaft operatively connected to a fastener at the head and extending from the housing to the head on a path offset from the pivot axis; changing a relative longitudinal position of the housing and the drive shaft with respect to each other to cause the head to pivot about the pivot axis, to orient the fastener within the thoracic cavity; and affixing an osteosynthetic implant to an inner side of the rib bone by driving the fastener into the rib bone of the rib cage from the thoracic cavity with the articulating tool. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification