Implant dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9918755-B2
Application number	US-201514754139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing a plurality of implants including a barrel, a magazine, and a driver. The barrel has a longitudinal passage and a lateral passage intersecting the longitudinal passage adjacent a distal end of the barrel. The magazine has a housing defining a chamber for holding a plurality of implants. The housing is slidably connected to the barrel and movable between a retracted position and an extended position wherein a slot of the housing is aligned with the lateral passage of the barrel. A pusher member connected to the housing is caused to push one of the implants through the slot and the lateral passage and into the longitudinal passage. The driver is disposed in the longitudinal passage to be axially and rotatably movable to apply a rotational force to the implant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing a plurality of implants, the apparatus comprising:
a barrel having a sidewall, a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal passage extending through the barrel from the proximal end to the distal end, the barrel further having a lateral passage extending through the sidewall of the barrel and intersecting the longitudinal passage adjacent the distal end;
a magazine having a housing defining a chamber for holding the plurality of implants, the housing connected to the barrel and the chamber of the housing configured to hold the plurality of implants in a stack oriented in a substantially parallel relationship to the longitudinal passage of the barrel, the housing having a slot alignable with the lateral passage of the barrel so that the implants are moveable from the chamber of the housing into the longitudinal passage of the barrel; and
a driver having a proximal end and a distal end engageable with the implants, the driver slidably and rotatably disposed in the longitudinal passage of the barrel such that the driver is moveable between a retracted position wherein the driver is positioned to permit the implants to be pushed into the longitudinal passage through the lateral passage, an engaging position wherein the distal end of the driver is positioned to engage the implant positioned within the longitudinal passage of the barrel, and an extended position wherein the driver is positioned to transport the implant to the distal end of the barrel where the driver is rotatable to apply a rotational force to the implant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a drive mechanism connected to the proximal end of the driver to rotate the driver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a drive mechanism connected to the proximal end of the driver to rotate the driver and connected to the proximal end of the barrel in a way that the drive mechanism and the driver are movable longitudinally relative to the barrel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a retaining member disposed in the longitudinal passage of the barrel distally of the lateral passage to support the implant positioned in the longitudinal passage when the driver is in the retracted position and the engaging position while permitting passage of the implant to the distal end of the barrel when the driver is moved to the extended position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the retaining member is elastic to permit passage of the implant to the distal end of the barrel when the driver is moved to the extended position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the barrel is configured to engage a rod receiving head to permit a rotational force to be applied to the rod receiving head that is counter to the rotational force applied to the implant by the driver when the distal end of the barrel is engaged with the rod receiving head.

7. An apparatus for dispensing a plurality of implants, the apparatus comprising:
a barrel having a sidewall, a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal passage extending through the barrel from the proximal end to the distal end, the barrel further having a lateral passage extending through the sidewall of the barrel and intersecting the longitudinal passage adjacent the distal end; and
a magazine having a housing defining a chamber for holding the plurality of implants, the housing connected to the barrel and the chamber of the housing configured to hold the plurality of implants in a stack oriented in a substantially parallel relationship to the longitudinal passage of the barrel, the housing having a slot alignable with the lateral passage of the barrel so that the implants are moveable from the chamber of the housing into the longitudinal passage of the barrel in a way to be matingly engageable with a driver insertable in the longitudinal passage of the barrel where the driver is rotatable to apply a rotational force to one of the implants,
wherein the housing is slidably connected to the sidewall of the barrel in a way that the housing is movable between a retracted position wherein the housing is positioned away from the lateral passage of the barrel and an extended position wherein the housing is positioned so that the slot of the housing is aligned with the lateral passage of the barrel.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a driver having a proximal end and a distal end engageable with the implants, the driver slidably and rotatably disposed in the longitudinal passage of the barrel such that the driver is moveable between a retracted position wherein the driver is positioned to permit the implants to be pushed into the longitudinal passage through the lateral passage, an engaging position wherein the distal end of the driver is positioned to engage the implant positioned within the longitudinal passage of the barrel, and an extended position wherein the driver is positioned to transport the implant to the distal end of the barrel where the driver is rotatable to apply a rotational force to the implant.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a drive mechanism connected to the proximal end of the driver to rotate the driver.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a drive mechanism connected to the proximal end of the driver to rotate the driver and connected to the proximal end of the barrel in a way that the drive mechanism and the driver are movable longitudinally relative to the barrel.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a retaining member disposed in the longitudinal passage of the barrel distally of the lateral passage to support the implant positioned in the longitudinal passage when the driver is in the retracted position and the engaging position while permitting passage of the implant to the distal end of the barrel when the driver is moved to the extended position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the retaining member is elastic to permit passage of the implant to the distal end of the barrel when the driver is moved to the extended position.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the distal end of the barrel is configured to engage a rod receiving head to permit a rotational force to be applied to the rod receiving head that is counter to the rotational force applied to the implant by the driver when the distal end of the barrel is engaged with the rod receiving head.

14. An apparatus for dispensing a plurality of implants, the apparatus comprising:
a barrel having sidewall, a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal passage extending through the barrel from the proximal end to the distal end, the barrel further having a lateral passage extending through the sidewall of the barrel and intersecting the longitudinal passage adjacent the distal end; and
a magazine having a housing defining a chamber for holding the plurality of implants, the housing connected to the barrel and the chamber of the housing configured to hold the plurality of implants in a stack oriented in a substantially parallel relationship to the longitudinal passage of the barrel, the housing having a slot alignable with the lateral passage of the barrel so that the implants are moveable from the chamber of the housing into the longitudinal passage of the barrel in a way to be matingly engageable with a driver insertable in the longitudinal passage of the barrel where the driver is rotatable to apply a rotational force to one of the implants,
wherein the magazine has a pusher member having a distal end and being movably connected to the housing, the housing being slidably connected to the sidewall of the barrel in a

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Bootwala Zoher
• Saidha Sean

Classifications

• A61B17/7044

  also having plates, staples or washers bearing on the vertebrae · CPC title

• A61B17/708

  with tubular extensions coaxially mounted on the bone anchors · CPC title

• A61B17/7074

  Tools specially adapted for spinal fixation operations other than for bone removal or filler handling (A61B17/7062, A61B17/808, A61B17/8858 take precedence; for spinal image producing devices A61B90/36, A61B34/20; markers A61B90/39) · CPC title

• A61B17/7091 Primary

  for applying, tightening or removing longitudinal element-to-bone anchor locking elements, e.g. caps, set screws, nuts or wedges · CPC title

• A61B17/7082

  for driving, i.e. rotating, screws or screw parts specially adapted for spinal fixation, e.g. for driving polyaxial or tulip-headed screws · CPC title