Automatic screw driver with screw cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279008-B2
Application number	US-201916502424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2019
Priority date	Jul 5, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

An implant magazine for use with a driver includes a plurality of implants, an implant carrier defining a plurality of apertures, each implant of the plurality of implants being disposed within an aperture of the plurality of apertures, wherein an implant is disengaged from the implant carrier upon application of a predetermined force applied to the implant, and a base defining a cavity in which the implant carrier and the plurality of implants are disposed. A cartridge for use with a driver includes the implant magazine, a housing in which the implant magazine is disposed, and a blade having a longitudinal axis and being at least partially and rotatably disposed within the housing. A kit includes a driver, a motor, and the cartridge configured for cooperation with the driver to be operated by the motor. A method of using the driver includes inserting an implant into a medium.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An implant magazine for use with a driver, the implant magazine comprising:
a plurality of implants;
an implant carrier defining a plurality of apertures, each implant of the plurality of implants being disposed within an aperture of the plurality of apertures, wherein an implant is disengaged from the implant carrier upon application of a predetermined force applied to the implant;
a base defining a cavity in which the implant carrier and the plurality of implants are disposed; and
an indexing spring to rotate the implant carrier within the base, wherein the indexing spring is loaded to rotate the implant carrier about one complete revolution of the implant carrier so that each implant of the plurality of implants is disposed at different times adjacent an aperture in the base through which an implant can be passed.

2. The implant magazine of claim 1 , wherein each aperture in the implant carrier is defined by one or more deformable fins configured to contact the implant.

3. The implant magazine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of implants is a plurality of screws.

4. A cartridge for use with a driver, the cartridge comprising:
an implant magazine comprising:
a plurality of implants;
an implant carrier defining a plurality of apertures, each implant of the plurality of implants being disposed within an aperture of the plurality of apertures, wherein an implant is disengaged from the implant carrier upon application of a predetermined force applied to the implant;
a base defining a cavity in which the implant carrier and the plurality of implants are disposed; and
an indexing spring to rotate the implant carrier within the base, wherein the indexing spring is loaded to rotate the implant carrier about one complete revolution of the implant carrier so that each implant of the plurality of implants is disposed at different times adjacent an aperture in the base through which an implant can be passed,

a housing in which the implant magazine is disposed; and
a blade having a longitudinal axis and being at least partially and rotatably disposed within the housing;
wherein the blade has a working configuration and a loading configuration, wherein in the working configuration, rotation of the blade causes rotation of an implant of the plurality of implants and does not move the housing along the longitudinal axis of the blade, and wherein in the loading configuration, rotation of the blade moves the housing and the implant magazine along the longitudinal axis of the blade.

5. The cartridge of claim 4 , wherein a proximal end of the housing has an aperture, the cartridge further comprising an extension screw having a head and a shaft disposed within the aperture of the housing, wherein the extension screw defines a lumen through the head and the shaft, and the blade is at least partially disposed within the lumen of the extension screw.

6. The cartridge of claim 5 , wherein the aperture of the housing is internally threaded and the shaft of the extension screw is threaded and threadably connected to the aperture of the housing, and wherein the lumen of the extension screw has a noncircular cross-section in the head of the extension screw and the blade has a noncircular collar configured to engage the noncircular cross-section of the lumen.

7. The cartridge of claim 6 , further comprising a blade lock having a flange and a longitudinal body extending distally from the flange, the flange defining a key-hole shaped aperture through which the blade is disposed, wherein the key-hole shaped aperture in the flange has a first portion with a first diameter and a second portion with a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

8. The cartridge of claim 7 , wherein the second diameter of the key-hole shaped aperture in the flange is smaller than an outer diameter of the collar of the blade, and the first diameter of the key-hole shaped aperture in the flange is larger than the outer diameter of the collar of the blade.

9. The cartridge of claim 7 , wherein the proximal end of the housing has a non-circular aperture, and wherein the longitudinal body of the blade lock has a non-circular cross-section along at least a portion of its length that is substantially matched to the non-circular aperture.

10. The cartridge of claim 9 , wherein the non-circular cross section of the body of the blade lock is defined by a circumferential arc and a V-shaped notch.

11. The cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the base of the implant magazine includes external ribs for engagement with recesses inside the outer housing of the cartridge.

12. The cartridge of claim 4 , wherein a wedge of the blade is configured to engage a similarly configured recess in the head of the implant to temporarily hold the implant to the blade.

13. A kit comprising:
a driver;
a motor; and
the cartridge of claim 4 configured for cooperation with the driver to be operated by the motor.

14. The kit of claim 13 , wherein the cartridge further comprises a magnet and the driver includes an analog hall sensor that communicates with the magnet to detect the location of the housing with respect to a cavity of the driver.

15. A method of using a driver, the method comprising:
loading an implant magazine having a plurality of implants into a housing of a cartridge, the implant magazine including an implant carrier defining a plurality of apertures, each implant of the plurality of implants being disposed within an aperture of the plurality of apertures;
operating a driver to control the cartridge such that a distal end of a blade of the cartridge is advanced distally relative to the housing of the cartridge and into engagement with a first implant of the plurality of implants located in a first aperture of the plurality of apertures;
inserting the first implant into a medium; and
withdrawing the distal end of the blade proximally relative to the housing and through the first aperture to allow the implant carrier to rotate about a central axis thereof until a next adjacent aperture of the plurality of apertures is located distally in front of the blade,
wherein the step of withdrawing further includes allowing the implant carrier to rotate under the force of an indexing spring.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of operating further includes deforming one or more fins defining the first aperture of the implant carrier by applying a predetermined force to the first implant from the distal end of the blade.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
repeating, until a last of the plurality of implants is inserted into a medium, a sequence of:
operating the driver to control the cartridge such that the distal end of the blade is advanced distally relative to the housing of the cartridge and into engagement with a next adjacent implant of the plurality of implants located in the next adjacent aperture of the plurality of apertures;
inserting the next adjacent implant into a medium; and
withdrawing the distal end of the blade proximally relative to the housing and through the next adjacent aperture to allow the implant carrier to rotate about the central axis thereof until a next adjacent aperture of the plurality of apertures is located distally in front of the blade,

wherein the force of the indexing spring permits rotation of the implant carrier about substantially one complete revolution of the implant carrier.

18. A method of using a driver, the method comprising:
loading an implant magazine having a plurality of implants into a housing of a cartridge,

Assignees

• Stryker European Operations Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Bethoux Nicolas F
• Brougher Rebekah
• Herron Michael
• Yardley Kristen

Classifications

• A61B17/8875

  Screwdrivers, spanners or wrenches · CPC title

• F16B27/00

  Bolts, screws, or nuts formed in integral series but easily separable, particularly for use in automatic machines {(arrangements for feeding screws or nuts in spanners, wrenches or screw-drivers with built-in magazines B25B23/06)} · CPC title

• B25B23/06

  using built-in magazine (B25B23/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/7091

  for applying, tightening or removing longitudinal element-to-bone anchor locking elements, e.g. caps, set screws, nuts or wedges · CPC title

• B25B21/002

  for special purposes · CPC title