Angled instrument assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016331385-A1
Application number	US-201615155592-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An angled instrument assembly includes an angled sleeve, a driver shaft, and a tool bit. The angled sleeve includes a straight passage segment that meets an angled passage segment at a junction. The junction includes an inner elbow and an outer elbow. Material is removed from the inner surface of the inner elbow in order to improve the ease with which the driver shaft can be moved in and out of the angled sleeve. The assembly can also include drafted female or male engagement bodies for facilitating the engagement and disengagement of the tool bit with a tool bit engagement assembly located at the distal end of the driver shaft.

First claim

1 . A method of rotating a tool bit at a target site inaccessible via a straight passage, the method comprising:
providing an angled sleeve having a hollow passage extending therethrough, the angled sleeve comprising:
a straight passage segment having a first axis and an interior surface;
an angled passage segment having a second axis and an interior surface; and
a junction region where the straight passage segment meets the angled passage segment, the junction region including an inner elbow and an outer elbow;
wherein the first axis and the second axis form a first angle that is in the range of from 1° o to 45°; and
wherein an interior surface of the inner elbow is a surface that forms a second angle with the first axis, the second angle being greater than 1° but less than the first angle;
inserting a tool bit into the angled sleeve such that at least a portion of the tool bit extends out of a distal end of the angled passage segment; inserting a driver shaft into the hollow passage until a tool bit engagement assembly positioned at the end of the drive shaft engages the tool bit; creating a passage to a target site, the passage being configured to receive the angled sleeve; and inserting the angled sleeve, tool bit, and driver shaft into the passage and maneuvering the angled sleeve until a distal end of the angled sleeve is proximate the target site.

2 . The method claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
removing the driver shaft from the hollow passage.

3 . The method claimed in claim 2 , wherein removing the driver shaft from the hollow passage includes disengaging the tool bit from the tool bit engagement assembly.

Assignees

• Zimmer Biomet Spine Inc

Inventors

• Stoll Caleb
• Capote Allison
• Vlad Corneliu

Classifications

• A61B17/1615

  Drill bits, i.e. rotating tools extending from a handpiece to contact the worked material · CPC title

• A61B17/1631 Primary

  Special drive shafts, e.g. flexible shafts (A61B17/1642, A61B17/164 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/8875

  Screwdrivers, spanners or wrenches · CPC title

• A61B17/1633

  Sleeves, i.e. non-rotating parts surrounding the bit shaft, e.g. the sleeve forming a single unit with the bit shaft (A61B17/1644 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/1624

  Drive mechanisms therefor · CPC title