Surgical instruments for cutting elongated elements and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070908-B2
Application number	US-201414301065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2014
Priority date	Oct 13, 2010
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A surgical instrument for cutting an elongated element. The surgical instrument may have a compact size for use in-situ during a surgical procedure. The surgical instrument is also configured to provide the necessary mechanical advantage to cut the elongated element. The surgical instrument may include first and second arms that are pivotally connected together at a pivot. The arms include blades positioned at or towards distal ends of the arms that act together to cut the elongated element. A force mechanism is positioned between the arms to pivot the arms between an open orientation and a closed cutting orientation. The force mechanism may be positioned directly between the arms to reduce the overall size of the instrument.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument for cutting an elongated element comprising:
first and second arms each with an elongated shape, a distal section, a proximal section, and a cutting element positioned at the distal section;
the first arm further including a first aperture that extends longitudinally through at least a portion of the distal section and includes an inlet and an outlet spaced away from the inlet;
the distal section of the second arm further including a pair of spaced apart walls that form a longitudinal channel;
the distal section of the first arm being positioned in the channel of the second arm such that the distal section of the first arm overlaps the walls of the second arm;
a pivot member positioned in overlapping portions of the first and second arms, the pivot member being fixedly attached to the first arm and movable relative to the second arm, the pivot member including a second aperture that aligns with the first aperture;
a passage formed by the first aperture in the first arm and the second aperture in the pivot member, the passage extending through the pivot member to receive a portion of the elongated element; and
a force mechanism attached to the proximal sections of the first and second arms to pivot the first and second arms about the pivot member between an open orientation with the cutting elements spaced apart and a closed orientation with the cutting elements positioned in proximity to each other.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first arm is seated in the channel of the second arm and the cutting element of the first arm is positioned closer to the pivot member than the cutting element of the second arm with the cutting element of the first arm positioned behind the cutting element of the second arm when the first and second arms are in the closed orientation.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the pivot member has a cylindrical shape with a first end positioned in a first one of the walls of the second arm and a second end positioned in a second one of the walls and the second aperture extending through the pivot member between the first and second ends.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the first arm is positioned inward from a distal end of the second arm.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the passage is straight and an axis of the pivot member is perpendicular to an axis of the passage.

6. A surgical instrument for cutting an elongated element, the surgical instrument comprising:
first and second arms each comprising a cutting element, the first arm including a first aperture, the second arm including a pair of spaced apart walls that form a channel, a section of the first arm being positioned in the channel such that the section of the first arm overlaps the walls;
a pivot member positioned in overlapping portions of the first and second arms, the pivot member including a second aperture that aligns with the first aperture; and
a force mechanism attached to the arms to pivot the arms about the pivot member between an open orientation with the cutting elements spaced apart and a closed orientation with the cutting elements positioned in proximity to each other.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the first aperture remains aligned with the second aperture as the arms move between the open and closed orientations.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the pivot member is fixedly attached to the first arm and is movable relative to the second arm.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , further comprising a passage formed by the apertures, the passage extending through the pivot member to receive a portion of the elongated element.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , further comprising the elongated element, the apertures each having a cross-sectional size configured to receive the elongated element.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the cutting elements each include a sharpened surface.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , further comprising the elongated element, the cutting elements each including a blade, the blades each having a radius that matches a diameter of the elongated element.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein only the cutting element of the first arm includes a sharpened surface and the cutting element of the second arm provides a base for holding the elongated element.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , further comprising a biasing member configured to bias the arms to the open orientation.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the force mechanism includes a first set of links that are attached to first lateral sides of the arms, a second set of links that are attached to second lateral sides of the arms, and a threaded element that is positioned between the first and second sets of links.

16. A surgical system comprising:
an elongated element comprising a threaded portion and a non-threaded portion: and
a surgical instrument comprising:
first and second arms each comprising a cutting element, the first arm including a first aperture, the second arm including a pair of spaced apart walls that form a channel, a section of the first arm being positioned in the channel such that the section of the first arm overlaps the walls;
a pivot member positioned in overlapping portions of the first and second arms, the pivot member including a second aperture that aligns with the first aperture; and
a force mechanism attached to the arms to pivot the arms about the pivot member between an open orientation with the cutting elements spaced apart and a closed orientation with the cutting elements positioned in proximity to each other such that the cutting elements cut the elongated element, the first aperture remaining aligned with the second aperture as the arms move between the open and closed orientations such a cut portion of the elongated element is positioned in the apertures after the cutting elements cut the elongated element.

17. The surgical system of claim 16 , further comprising a biasing member configured to bias the arms to the open orientation.

18. The surgical system of claim 16 , wherein the force mechanism includes a first set of links that are attached to first lateral sides of the arms, a second set of links that are attached to second lateral sides of the arms, and a threaded element that is positioned between the first and second sets of links.

19. The surgical system of claim 16 , wherein the apertures each have a cross-sectional size configured to receive the elongated element.

20. The surgical system of claim 6 , wherein the pivot member is fixedly attached to the first arm and is movable relative to the second arm, the surgical instrument comprising a passage formed by the apertures, the passage extending through the pivot member to receive a portion of the elongated element.

Assignees

• Warsaw Orthopedic Inc
• Warsaw Orthopedic Inc

Inventors

• Steele Bradley

Classifications

• A61B17/8863 Primary

  Apparatus for shaping or cutting osteosynthesis equipment by medical personnel · CPC title

• B23D29/023

  for cutting wires · CPC title