Drill guide for installing a bone plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9750512-B2
Application number	US-201314058601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An adjustable apparatus for guiding medical instruments used in attaching bone plates. The apparatus has a handle assembly, guide member, a spacer, and an actuation member. The actuation member extends from the handle assembly and actuates the spacer between a position adjacent the guide member and a position spaced from the guide member. The spacer has a through hole that may axially align with a lumen extending through the guide member when in the first position and which is moved out of axial alignment with the lumen in the second position. The spacer may function as a depth stop to control the maximum depth a drill bit can extend from the guide member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for guiding medical instruments used in attaching a bone plate, the apparatus comprising:
a handle assembly including an inner shaft and an outer sleeve concentric about the inner shaft;
a guide member extending from the handle assembly, wherein the guide member has a first end, a second end, and a lumen therethrough from the first end to the second end;
a spacer coupled to the inner shaft and adjustably positionable at the first end of the guide member, the spacer being actuatable between a first position and a second position; and
an actuation member operably coupled to the outer sleeve, wherein actuation of the actuation member causes longitudinal movement of the outer sleeve relative to the inner sleeve, thereby allowing adjustment of the spacer between the first position and the second position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
longitudinal movement of the outer sleeve in a first direction adjusts the spacer toward the first position adjacent the first end of the guide member; and
longitudinal movement of the outer sleeve in a second direction adjusts the spacer toward the second position spaced from the first end of the guide member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is pivotably connected to the inner shaft of the handle assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the spacer extends through an opening in the outer sleeve of the handle assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spacer has a through hole extending therethrough for receiving a drill bit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the through hole is in axial alignment with a central longitudinal axis of the lumen extending through the guide member when the spacer is in the first position.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the through hole extending through the spacer is at least partially defined by a perimeter portion of the spacer having a first end and a second end separated from the first end, thereby allowing a drill bit to pass out of the through hole of the spacer in a transverse direction when the spacer is actuated to the second position while the drill bit is maintained in the lumen of the guide member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking mechanism configured to lock the actuation member in at least one of the first position and the second position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the locking mechanism is a ball detent locking mechanism, the ball detent locking mechanism including a spherical member biased by a biasing member towards the inner shaft, the inner shaft including at least one detent for receiving the spherical member.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the inner shaft includes a first indentation and a second indentation; and
the locking mechanism engages the first indentation when the actuation member is in a first position corresponding to the first position of the spacer and the locking mechanism engages the second indentation when the actuation member is in a second position corresponding to the second position of the spacer.

11. An apparatus for guiding medical instruments used in attaching an occipital bone plate, the apparatus comprising:
a handle assembly including an actuation member, a first elongate member, and a second elongate member, the actuation member operatively coupled with the first elongate member and configured to control movement of the first elongate member relative to the second elongate member;
a guide member extending from the handle assembly, wherein the guide member has a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending therethrough from the first end to the second end;
a spacer operatively coupled with the second elongate member of the handle assembly and adjustably positionable at the first end of the guide member, wherein the spacer is pivotable between a first position and a second position; and
a locking mechanism configured to lock the spacer in either the first position or the second position;
wherein actuation of the actuation member actuates the spacer between the first position and the second position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the spacer includes a through hole at least partially defined by a perimeter portion of the spacer having a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end, the spaced apart first and second ends configured to allow a drill bit to pass out of the through hole of the spacer in a transverse direction when the spacer is actuated to the second position while the drill bit is maintained in the lumen of the guide member.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first elongate member comprises an outer sleeve and the second elongate member comprises an inner shaft positioned through the outer sleeve, the outer sleeve being longitudinally actuatable relative to the inner shaft.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
the inner shaft includes a first indentation and a second indentation;
the locking mechanism engages the first indentation to lock the spacer in the first position; and
the locking mechanism engages the second indentation to lock the spacer in the second position.

15. A method of adjusting a drill depth, the method comprising:
positioning a guide member with a handle assembly extending therefrom adjacent a bone, wherein the guide member has a lumen extending therethrough from a first end of the guide member to second end of the guide member;
positioning a spacer operatively coupled to the guide member in a first position adjacent the first end of the guide member, the spacer including a hole therethrough in alignment with the lumen through the guide member; and
actuating the spacer to a second position while the spacer remains operatively coupled to the guide member, wherein the opening of the spacer is not aligned with the lumen through the guide member in the second position.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
inserting a drill bit in a distal direction through the hole of the spacer and the lumen of the guide member with the spacer in the first position such that the drill bit extends a first distance from the distal end of the guide member;
withdrawing the drill bit proximally while maintaining the drill bit in the lumen of the guide member;
actuating the spacer to the second position while maintaining the drill bit in the lumen of the guide member; and
inserting the drill bit in a distal direction through the lumen of the guide member with the spacer in the second position such that the drill bit extends a second distance from the distal end of the guide member greater than the first distance.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the spacer is pivotable between the first position and the second position.

Assignees

• Zimmer Spine Inc

Inventors

• Jerke Eric P
• Schulte Peter G
• Castleman David W
• Olson Andrew
• Dant Jack A
• Lundequam Eric J
• Hestad Hugh D

Classifications

• A61B17/1728 Primary

  for holes for bone plates or plate screws · CPC title