Hinged microfracture awls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9808264-B2
Application number	US-201515311558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2015
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

In one embodiment, a hinged microfracture awl includes a handle, and a shaft that extends through and from the handle, the shaft being pivotally mounted to the handle with a hinge, wherein a distal end of the shaft includes a sharp tip adapted to pierce bone and a proximal end of the shaft includes an impact head adapted to be struck by a striking tool.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hinged microfracture awl comprising:
a handle; and
a shaft that extends through and from the handle, the shaft being pivotally mounted to the handle with a hinge, wherein a distal end of the shaft includes a sharp tip adapted to pierce bone and a proximal end of the shaft includes an impact head adapted to be struck by a striking tool.

2. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the shaft can pivot several degrees relative to the handle so as to drive the sharp tip into bone.

3. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the handle is generally cylindrical.

4. The awl of claim 3 , wherein the handle has a contoured grip adapted to receive a user's fingers.

5. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the handle includes a pistol grip portion that extends downward from a remainder of the handle.

6. The awl of claim 5 , wherein the pistol grip portion has a contoured grip adapted to receive a user's fingers.

7. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the handle includes an elongated passage through which the shaft extends, the passage extending from a distal end of the handle to a proximal end of the handle.

8. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the hinge comprises a transverse rod of the shaft and a transverse bore of the handle in which the rod is received and can rotate.

9. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the sharp tip forms an angle of approximately 90° with a longitudinal axis of the shaft.

10. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the sharp tip forms an acute angle with a longitudinal axis of the shaft.

11. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the impact head includes a generally planar top striking surface adapted to be struck by a striking tool.

12. The awl of claim 11 , wherein the top striking surface is generally parallel with a longitudinal axis of the shaft.

13. The awl of claim 12 , wherein the impact head also includes a generally planar end striking surface that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

14. The awl of claim 1 , wherein the handle further comprises an inner biasing element that returns the shaft to an initial orientation in which a longitudinal axis of the shaft is generally coincident with a longitudinal axis of the handle after the impact head has been struck.

15. The awl of claim 1 , further comprising a stop that limits pivoting of the shaft relative to the handle.

16. The awl of claim 15 , wherein the stop fits within the handle.

Assignees

• Uab Res Found
• Southern Res Inst
• Uab Res Found

Inventors

• Estes Reed
• Schexnailder Patrick
• Hergenrother Robert

Classifications

• A61B17/1631

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

• A61B2090/034

  abutting on parts of the device itself · CPC title

• A61B17/1604 Primary

  Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps · CPC title

• A61B17/1657 Primary

  Bone breaking devices · CPC title