Tip for an ultrasonic surgical tool with case hardened cutting edges and method of making same
AssigneeStryker European Holdings I, LLC
InventorsNeels Pretorius, Kevin Manley, Gerard Nunan, Lorena Monzon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tip is formed for use with an ultrasonic handpiece. The handpiece, when actuated, is capable of causing the tip to go into ultrasonic vibrations. The tip has a shaft from which a head extends. Teeth extend from the head. At least the teeth have a case hardened outer layer. The case hardened outer layer reduces the wearing of the teeth when the teeth are vibrated against hard tissue.
Claims23
A method of forming a tip for use with an ultrasonic handpiece that includes at least one driver that, when actuated, induces vibrations in the tip attached to the handpiece, said method including the steps of:
- at least partially shaping a tip to form at least a portion of a shaft of the tip, a head at a distal end of the shaft and at least one tooth that projects outwardly from the head;
- determining a characteristic wavelength of the tip;
- and
- diffusing a hardening agent into a distal portion of the tip wherein the hardening agent is at least diffused into the at least one tooth so that at least the at least one tooth has a case hardened outer layer and wherein, in said step of diffusing a hardening agent into the tip, the hardening agent is diffused along a length of the tip that, extends proximally from the at least one tooth and is a maximum distance of one-eighth of the length of the characteristic wavelength of the tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.