Cannulated disposable torque limiting device with plastic shaft
AssigneeECA Medical Instruments
InventorsDavid Ivinson, John Nino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A torque-limiting device may include a shaft extending axially through upper and lower shanks, a spring, and a nut to an end opening of a handle. The upper and lower shanks may be under a force from the spring and further configured to selectively engage within a predetermined torque limit and disengage at above the predetermined torque limit. Accordingly, the shaft may receive torque up to the predetermined limit as provided by a user operating a handle of the torque-limiting device. The torque-limiting device may be disposable, reusable, economical, and have high torque capabilities. The shaft may be of a plastic material and include a lumen extending there through, and through which a variety of devices and materials may be delivered to a workpiece.
Claims29
A torque-limiting driver comprising:
- a body having a handle comprising a first lumen;
- an upper cylindrical shank;
- a lower cylindrical shank having a square drive socket;
- a nut;
- a spring between the upper cylindrical shank and the nut, wherein the spring is configured to apply a force across the upper cylindrical shank and the lower cylindrical shank;
- a shaft having a workpiece-engaging tip and a square drive connection engaged within the square drive socket of the lower cylindrical shank, the shaft extending axially through the lower cylindrical shank, the upper cylindrical shank, the spring, and the handle with an end portion of the shaft disposed within the first lumen, the shaft having a plurality of thread rests on a portion of the shaft, the thread rests cut and engaged by a threading in the nut, the shaft having a second lumen extending across an axial length of the shaft, and the shaft comprising a plastic material or a composite including plastic;
- and,
- wherein the upper cylindrical shank and the lower cylindrical shank engage for relative rotation, and wherein the upper cylindrical shank and the lower cylindrical shank disengage when a predetermined torque limit is exceeded;
- wherein the second lumen extends along the entire length of the shaft, with the second lumen having a lumen tip opening disposed at the workpiece-engaging tip and a second lumen end opening disposed at the opposite end of the shaft at the end portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.