Apparatus for driving a bone fixation pin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850372-B2
Application number	US-201916290444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2019
Priority date	Mar 1, 2019
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A bone fixation pin is inserted into a bone with an apparatus comprising a housing having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion having an inner surface and an opening configured to receive the bone fixation pin; a drive shaft having a proximal end configured to engage a handle and a distal end; and a body having an axis and a peripheral edge. The body comprises a bore along the axis, the bore being configured to slidably engage the distal end of the drive shaft; and a plurality of evenly spaced slots in the peripheral edge of the body. A plurality of chuck arms move radially along the evenly spaced slots in the peripheral edge of the body, each chuck arm having an inner surface and an outer surface. The distal end of the drive shaft and the body are within the proximal portion of the housing, the body being biased toward the distal end of the housing; and the inner surface of each chuck arm is configured to engage the bone fixation pin. The outer surface of each chuck arm slidably engages the inner surface of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for inserting a bone fixation pin having a head and a cylindrical body having a body diameter, said apparatus comprising:
a housing having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion having a stepped inner surface and an opening configured to receive the bone fixation pin;
a drive shaft having a proximal end configured to engage a handle and a distal end;
a body having an axis and a peripheral edge, said body comprising:
a bore along the axis, said bore being configured to slidably engage the distal end of the drive shaft; and
a plurality of spaced slots in the peripheral edge of the body; and

a plurality of chuck arms, each chuck arm being configured to move radially along one of the spaced slots in the peripheral edge of the body, each chuck arm having an inner surface and a lower tip;
wherein:
the distal end of the drive shaft and the body are within the proximal portion of the housing, said body being biased toward the distal end of the housing;
wherein the inner surface of each chuck arm is configured to engage the bone fixation pin, and the lower tip of each chuck arm slidably engages a first step on the stepped inner surface of the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the drive shaft has a conical or frustoconical opening configured to receive the conical or frustoconical head of the bone fixation pin.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a bone fixation pin through the opening in the housing until the head of the pin engages the opening in the distal end of the drive shaft;
wherein contact between the conical or frustoconical head of the bone fixation pin and the sloped lower surfaces of the chuck arms pushes the chuck arms toward the proximal end of the housing; and
wherein the lower tip of each chuck arm is configured to disengage from the first step on the stepped inner surface of the housing and engage a second step on the stepped inner surface as the chuck arms move toward the proximal end of the housing;
wherein the chuck arms are configured to engage the cylindrical body of the bone fixation pin when the lower tip of each chuck arm engages the second step on the stepped inner surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the chuck arm comprises a sloped lower surface configured to engage the conical or frustoconical head of the bone fixation pin; and an upper surface parallel to the axis of the body;
said the upper surface being configured to engage the cylindrical body of the bone fixation pin.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the stepped inner surface of the housing comprises a second step and a third step, said second step and said third step being configured to be sequentially engaged by the lower tip of each chuck arm as the chuck arms move toward the proximal end of the housing;
wherein the chuck arms are configured to engage the cylindrical body of a bone fixation pin having a first body diameter when the lower tip of each chuck arm engages the second step on the stepped inner surface; and
wherein the chuck arms are configured to engage the cylindrical body of a bone fixation pin having a second body diameter when the lower tip of each chuck arm engages the third step on the stepped inner surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body is biased toward the distal end of the housing by a spring.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each chuck arm has a planar inner surface;
wherein the bone fixation pin has an axis, and a plurality of planar surfaces on the head of the bone fixation pin, extending in a direction parallel to the axis of the bone fixation pin, and
wherein each planar surface on the head of the bone fixation pin engages the planar inner surface on one of the chuck arms.

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Loftus-Vergari Jeffrey
• Krevitski Steven
• Smith Kory
• Darrow Jeffrey

Classifications

• B23B31/1215 Primary

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• B23B31/005

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• Y10T279/17615

  Obliquely guided reciprocating jaws · CPC title

• B25B23/0035 Primary

  Connection means between socket or screwdriver bit and tool · CPC title

• B23B51/12

  Adapters for drills or chucks; Tapered sleeves · CPC title