Cannulated guide tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9125707-B2
Application number	US-98600411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2011
Priority date	Jan 6, 2011
Publication date	Sep 8, 2015
Grant date	Sep 8, 2015

Abstract

According to a first configuration, a hand tool is configured to include a shaft, a handle disposed at a proximal end of the shaft, and a tubular tip disposed on a hinge at a distal end of the shaft. The tubular tip pivots about the hinge, providing a way to steer a resource to a specific location in a medical site. In accordance with a second configuration, a hand tool includes a flexible section of tube, a flexible sheathing, and a link. The flexible sheathing encases the flexible section of tube. At least a portion of the link resides between an outer surface of the flexible section of tube and an inner surface of the flexible sheathing. One end of the link is affixed to a distal tip of the flexible section of tube. Pulling on the link causes the flexible section of tube to arc.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hand tool comprising:
a shaft;
a handle disposed at a proximal end of the shaft, the proximal end of the shaft including an opening in which to pass a wire inserted by a user operating the hand tool through the shaft; and
a tubular tip disposed on a hinge at a distal end of the shaft, the tubular tip receiving the wire passing through the shaft, an angular orientation of the tubular tip adjustable on the hinge to steer the wire to a medical site;
a slidable link extending between the handle and the tubular tip, squeezing of the handle causing the slidable link to move axially along the shaft to control the angular orientation of the tubular tip with respect to an axis of the shaft;
wherein the medical site is a hole in a bone;
wherein an end of the wire disposed at the proximal and of the shaft is pushed into the hole by the user; and
wherein the tubular tip includes a lug channel in which to receive a lug disposed on a distal end of the slidable link, a length of the lug being curved, the length of the lug sliding within the lug channel to adjust the angular orientation of the tubular tip with respect to the shaft.

2. The hand tool as in claim 1 , wherein
the tubular tip including a first axial end and a second axial end, the first axial end disposed on the tubular tip nearer the hinge than the second axial end, the second axial end being located at a distal end of the hand tool; and
wherein the first axial end receives the wire, the wire extending through the tubular tip and extending outward beyond the second axial end of the tubular tip, the angular orientation of the tubular tip steering the wire to the medical site.

3. The hand tool as in claim 1 , wherein the opening at the proximal end of the shaft is a first opening;
wherein the shaft includes a second opening at the distal end of the shaft; and
wherein the shaft is rigid and includes a tubular guide therein, the tubular guide extending through the shaft from the proximal end of the shaft to the distal end of the shaft, the tubular guide receiving and passing the wire to the tubular tip, the wire extending from the first opening through the tubular guide and through the tubular tip to the medical site, the tubular tip on the hinge extending beyond the distal end of the shaft.

4. The hand tool as in claim 2 , wherein the handle is a scissors handle including a first lever and a second lever;
wherein the first lever of the scissors handle is fixedly attached to the shaft; and
wherein the second lever of the scissors handle pivots about the first lever of the scissors handle, the second lever of the scissors handle in communication with the slidable link, the slidable link configured to slide axially along a length of the shaft and adjust the angular orientation of the tubular tip based on pivoting the second lever with respect to the first lever of the handle.

5. The hand tool as in claim 4 , wherein the angular orientation of the tubular tip varies depending on an angular orientation of the first lever with respect to the second lever; and
wherein the angular orientation of the tubular tip steers an end of the wire out of the tubular tip into the hole in the bone.

6. The hand tool as in claim 3 further comprising:
a spacing between a tubular portion of the tubular tip and the distal end of the shaft.

7. The hand tool as in claim 6 , wherein the spacing exposes a portion of the wire disposed between the tubular tip and the distal end of the shaft.

8. The hand tool as in claim 3 , wherein a first adjustment setting of the tubular tip on the hinge aligns a tubular section of the tubular tip and the tubular guide along a common axis; and
wherein a second adjustment setting of the tubular tip on the hinge angularly offsets the tubular section of the tubular tip with respect to the tubular guide.

9. The hand tool as in claim 8 , wherein the tubular section in the tubular tip through which the wire passes is straight; and
wherein the tubular guide in the shaft through which the wire passes is straight.

10. The hand tool as in claim 9 further comprising:
a spacing between the tubular section of the tubular tip and the distal end of the shaft, the spacing exposing a portion of the wire between the tubular tip and the distal end of the shaft.

11. The hand tool as in claim 10 , wherein a size of the spacing between the tubular section of the tubular tip and the distal end of the shaft is smaller at the first adjustment setting than at the second adjacent setting of the tubular tip on the hinge.

12. The hand tool as in claim 1 , wherein the tubular tip includes a hollow spacing between projections disposed at a location of the tubular tip that hinges the tubular tip to the distal end of the shaft, the location of the tubular tip compressed to insert the projections into receiving dimples disposed at a distal end of the shaft to provide the hinge.

13. The hand tool as in claim 1 , wherein the tubular tip includes a hollow spacing between projections disposed at a location of the tubular tip that hinges the tubular tip to the distal end of the shaft, the projections extending outward from the tubular tip in an orthogonal orientation with respect to an axial length of the shaft, the location of the tubular tip compressed to insert the projections into receiving dimples disposed at a distal end of the shaft to provide the hinge.

14. The hand tool as in claim 1 , wherein a tubular section in the tubular tip through which the wire passes is straight; and
wherein a tubular guide in the shaft through which the wire passes is straight.

15. The hand tool as in claim 14 , wherein the handle is a scissors handle including a first lever and a second lever;
wherein the first lever of the scissors handle is fixedly attached to the shaft; and
wherein the second lever of the scissors handle pivots about the first lever of the scissors handle, the second lever of the scissors handle in communication with the slidable link, the slidable link configured to slide axially along a length of the shaft and adjust the angular orientation of the tubular tip based on pivoting of the second lever with respect to the first lever of the handle; and
wherein the angular orientation of the tubular tip varies depending on an angular orientation of the first lever with respect to the second lever.

16. The hand tool as in claim 1 , wherein the wire extends through the tubular tip and out of an axial end of the tubular tip, the axial end of the tubular tip steering the wire radially outward from the axial end of the tubular tip to the medical site.

17. The hand tool as in claim 1 , wherein the tubular tip includes a first opening disposed at a first axial end of the tubular tip;
wherein the tubular tip includes a second opening at a second axial end of the tubular tip, the first axial end disposed opposite the second axial end, the first opening disposed nearer the hinge than the second opening;
wherein the tubular tip includes a tubular section between the first opening and the second opening; and
wherein the wire extends from the distal end of the shaft through the tubular section of the tubular tip out the second opening to the medical site.

18. A hand tool comprising:
a shaft;
a handle disposed at a proximal end of the shaft, the proximal end of the shaft including an opening in which to pass a wire inserted by a user operating the hand tool through the shaft; and
a tubular tip disposed on a hinge at a distal end of the shaft, the tubular tip receiving the wire passing through the

Assignees

• Fan wei li
• Ferragamo Michael Charles
• Sullivan James Joseph
• Smith & Nephew Inc

Inventors

• Fan wei li
• Ferragamo Michael Charles
• Sullivan James Joseph

Classifications

• A61B2017/0046

  with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable · CPC title

• A61B17/00234

  for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/0469

  Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery · CPC title

• A61B17/29

  Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery · CPC title

• A61B2017/2927

  the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft · CPC title