Coupling devices for surgical instruments and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10722223-B2
Application number	US-201715609712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	May 31, 2017
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

Coupling devices and related methods are disclosed herein, e.g., for coupling a surgical instrument to a navigation array or other component. The coupling device can reduce or eliminate movement between the instrument and the navigation array, improving navigation precision. The coupling device can be quick and easy to use, reducing or eliminating the need for extra steps or additional tools to attach or detach the instrument from the coupling device. In some embodiments, the single step of inserting an instrument into the coupling device can automatically lock the instrument within the coupling device in a toggle-free manner. The coupling device can include features for consistently attaching instruments thereto at a known or predetermined location and/or orientation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coupling device, comprising:
a housing having proximal and distal ends and a central longitudinal axis A 1 extending therebetween;
a clamp having a plurality of clamping elements and defining an instrument channel, the clamp being rotatable within the housing about the axis A 1 between an unclamped position in which the clamping elements are free to move radially-outward away from the axis A 1 and a clamped position in which the clamping elements are urged radially-inward towards the axis A 1 ; and
a movable trigger that is configured to be displaced relative to the housing in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis A 1 between a first position in which the trigger maintains the clamp in the unclamped position and a second position in which the trigger allows the clamp to move to the clamped position.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger translates relative to the housing along an axis A 2 that is parallel or substantially parallel to the axis A 1 .

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes a rotation stop received within a slot formed in the clamp.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the slot includes an axial portion in which the rotation stop cannot move laterally within the slot and a lateral portion in which the rotation stop is free to move laterally within the slot.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the slot includes:
an axial portion in which the rotation stop cannot move laterally within the slot, the rotation stop being aligned with the axial portion when the trigger is in a resting position;
a first lateral portion in which the rotation stop is free to move laterally within the slot, the rotation stop being aligned with the first lateral portion when the trigger is moved distally relative to the housing from the resting position, and
a second lateral portion in which the rotation stop is free to move laterally within the slot, the rotation stop being aligned with the second lateral portion when the trigger is moved proximally relative to the housing from the resting position.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes an engagement feature that protrudes from one of the proximal and distal ends of the housing.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes a first engagement feature that protrudes from the proximal end of the housing and a second engagement feature that protrudes from the distal end of the housing.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first engagement feature contacts an instrument when the instrument is loaded into the proximal end of the housing and wherein the second engagement feature contacts an instrument when the instrument is loaded into the distal end of the housing.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein loading an instrument into the proximal end of the housing and loading an instrument into a distal end of the housing are both effective to automatically actuate the trigger to release the clamp from the unclamped position.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger is biased to the first position by a trigger spring.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the trigger spring comprises a flexible beam.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein insertion of an instrument into the instrument channel displaces the trigger to the second position.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the clamping elements are urged radially-inward by an interior surface feature of the coupling device.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the surface feature comprises a ramped interior surface of the housing.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of clamping elements include a spherical ball or a wedge.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the clamp is biased towards the clamped position by a clamp spring.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing and the clamp each include handle levers movable towards one another to move the clamp to the unclamped position.

18. The device of claim 17 , further comprising a navigation array attached to one of the handle levers.

19. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a navigation array attached to the housing.

20. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an orientation feature that prevents the trigger from being actuated by an instrument unless the orientation feature is aligned with a corresponding orientation feature of the instrument.

21. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a conical ring-shaped projection extending from the housing and configured to be received within a corresponding recess of an instrument to ensure the device is coupled to the instrument in the correct orientation.

22. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an instrument configured to be selectively attached to the coupling, the instrument including a groove that is engaged by the clamping elements when the instrument is received within the instrument channel.

23. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an instrument configured to be selectively attached to the coupling, the instrument including a bearing surface that contacts the trigger and moves the trigger to the second position when the instrument is received within the instrument channel.

24. The device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger is not coupled to the clamp.

25. The device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger is formed integrally with the housing.

26. The device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger is disposed external to an outer surface of the clamp.

27. A coupling device, comprising:
a housing having an instrument channel, a clamp, and a trigger;
wherein insertion of an instrument into the instrument channel actuates the trigger to release the clamp, causing the clamp to rotate within the housing to clamp onto the instrument.

Assignees

• Medos Int Sarl

Inventors

• Wehrli Daniela
• Lindenmann Philippe

Classifications

• A61B34/20 Primary

  Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis · CPC title

• A61B2090/034

  abutting on parts of the device itself · CPC title

• A61B2090/3983

  Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery · CPC title

• A61B2017/00455

  Orientation indicators, e.g. recess on the handle · CPC title

• A61B2034/2055

  Optical tracking systems · CPC title