All in one plate holder and spring loaded awl

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11793558-B2
Application number	US-202017003243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a system that includes a plate holder and an awl. The plate holder has a first end and a second end with an engagement feature at the second end that is engageable with a bone plate. The awl is releasably engaged to the plate holder and includes a locking mechanism adjustable from a first setting to a second setting and a tip. When the locking mechanism is in the first setting, the awl is fixed relative to the plate holder and the tip is disposed within the plate holder. When the locking mechanism is in the second setting, the awl is axially translatable relative to the plate holder such that the tip of the awl extends out of the second end of the plate holder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for placing a bone plate onto a bone comprising:
a plate holder extending from a first end to a second end opposite the first end, the plate holder including an engagement feature at the second end, the engagement feature engageable with the bone plate; and
an awl releasably engaged to the plate holder, the awl having a length extending to a tip and including a locking mechanism adjustable from a first setting to a second setting,
wherein when the locking mechanism is in the first setting, the awl is fixed relative to the plate holder and the tip of the awl is disposed entirely within the plate holder such that the second end of the plate holder is further from the first end of the plate holder than the tip,
wherein when the locking mechanism is in the second setting, the awl is axially translatable relative to the plate holder such that the tip of the awl is extendable out of the second end of the plate holder, and
wherein the adjustment of the locking mechanism between the first setting and the second setting is independent of the axial translation of the awl.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the releasable engagement between the awl and the plate holder is provided by a first engagement feature on the awl and a second engagement feature on the plate holder, the first and second engagement features being engageable with one another and disengageable from one another.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism is on a housing of the awl and includes a pin that is biased in a first position when the locking mechanism is in the first setting and is placed under load and displaced relative to the first position when the locking mechanism is in the second setting.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a spring at one end of the pin to keep the locking mechanism in the first setting unless load is applied to displace the locking mechanism.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the awl includes a shaft with a slot oriented along a length of the shaft and the pin is disposed in the slot such that when the locking mechanism is in the first setting, a ridge protruding from the pin prevents axial movement of the awl.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism is a button and a shaft of the awl passes through an opening through the button.

7. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a compression spring disposed in between the housing of the awl and a shaft of the awl disposed in the housing, the compression spring centered along a longitudinal axis of the shaft such that the compression spring changes in length when the shaft moves axially relative to the plate holder.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the awl includes a shaft that extends from a first end to a second end opposite the first end, a cap being attached to the shaft at the first end, the cap sized for impaction by an impaction instrument, and the tip of the awl being at the second end of the shaft.

9. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plate holder further comprises a handle with an interior surface that defines a lumen of the handle, the second engagement feature disposed on the interior surface.

10. A system comprising:
a plate holder having a body extending from a proximal end to a distal end, two arms extending distally from the distal end and a first engagement feature; and
an awl device including a housing having a second engagement feature engaged with the first engagement feature and a shaft including a sharp tip, the shaft partially disposed within the housing and passing through proximal and distal ends of the housing such that an entirety of the housing is in between opposite ends of an elongate dimension of the shaft,
wherein when the second engagement feature is engaged to the first engagement feature, the awl device is partially disposed within the plate holder body, the shaft is axially translatable relative to the plate holder body to control exposure of the sharp tip while the housing and the plate holder remain immovably engaged, and the two arms of the plate holder are engageable with a bone plate, and
wherein the awl device is disengageable from and reengagable with the plate holder.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first engagement feature is a protrusion on a surface of a cannulated handle surrounding the body of the plate holder and the second engagement feature is knurling on the housing of the awl.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein when the first engagement feature is engaged with the second engagement feature, at least a portion of the housing is external to the plate holder.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the body of the plate holder includes slits that separate the body into two parts at the distal end, each part including one of the two arms, and each of the two arms including protrusions at respective free ends of the two arms, the protrusions facing each other.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plate holder includes a sleeve surrounding a portion of the body, the sleeve being translatable along a length of the body to control a distance between the two arms.

15. A kit comprising:
a plate holder having a first engagement feature and a second engagement feature;
an awl including a housing and a shaft disposed through the housing, the housing having a third engagement feature engageable with the first engagement feature; and
a bone plate with a fourth engagement feature engageable with the second engagement feature,
wherein the awl includes a locked setting and an unlocked setting, the locked setting fixing the shaft of the awl relative to the plate holder along a longitudinal axis of the awl and the unlocked setting allowing movement of the shaft of the awl relative to the plate holder along the longitudinal axis of the awl when the awl is subject to an impaction force, and
wherein the awl includes a first surface configured to be movable when the awl moves between the unlocked setting and the locked setting, the first surface remaining at a first distance from a proximal end of the housing in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis while the shaft of the awl moves axially along the longitudinal axis.

16. The kit of claim 15 , wherein the third engagement feature of the awl is on an outer surface of the housing of the awl, the housing being cannulated such that the shaft of the awl passes entirely therethrough and extends out of the housing from opposite sides of the housing.

17. The kit of claim 16 , wherein the housing of the awl includes a button with an outer surface including the first surface, the button adjustable to toggle the awl between the locked and unlocked settings, the shaft of the awl passing through an opening in the button.

18. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the shaft includes a slot having a length along a longitudinal axis of the shaft, a portion of the button passing through the slot such that the length of the slot defines a range of axial translation of the shaft of the awl relative to the housing of the awl.

19. The kit of claim 15 , further comprising a screw insertion tool including a driver sized to pass through a cannulation of the plate holder.

20. The system of claim 10 , wherein the shaft includes an unenclosed proximal end face actuatable to cause linear translation of the shaft relative to the housing.

Assignees

• K2M Inc

Inventors

• Artaki Alexander Horia
• Meyer Joseph Michael
• Hutton Pauline Patricia
• Rubin Joshua David
• Harrod Chambliss
• Tolhurst Stephen

Classifications

• A61B17/8042

  the additional component being a cover over the screw head · CPC title

• A61B17/1604

  Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps · CPC title

• A61B17/808 Primary

  Instruments for holding or positioning bone plates, or for adjusting screw-to-plate locking mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B17/7059

  Cortical plates (A61B17/7007, A61B17/7058 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/92

  Impactors or extractors, e.g. for removing intramedullary devices {(insertion or extraction of artificial joints A61F2/4603)} · CPC title