Torque-limiting devices, systems, and methods
AssigneePro-Dex, Inc.
InventorsAlexander M. Pfotenhauer, Manouchehr Goharlaee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various torque-limiting surgical driver devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. The surgical driver can include a body, a motor that is configured to rotate a drill bit engaged with the surgical driver, and a processor configured to control operation of the surgical driver. The surgical driver can have torque-limiting functionality, such as by monitoring the amount of torque applied to a drill bit and reducing or stopping rotation of the drill bit when certain torque-limiting criteria are met.
Claims17
A torque-limiting surgical device comprising:
- a body comprising a handle that is configured to be grasped by a user;
- a motor positioned in the body;
- a drive head configured to be rotated by the motor and to drive a screw or drill bit;
- and
- a processor positioned in the body;
- wherein, under the control of the processor, the torque-limiting surgical device is configured to:
- apply torque to the screw or drill bit to drill into a bone;
- monitor current or voltage supplied to the motor;
- determine, from the current or voltage supplied to the motor, torque values applied to the screw or drill bit as the screw or drill bit drills through the bone;
- determine that a torque-limiting condition is satisfied, wherein the determining that the torque-limiting condition is satisfied comprises:
- determining that the screw or drill bit has drilled in or through a first cortical layer of the bone;
- and
- determining that the screw or drill bit has drilled through and exited a second cortical layer of the bone;
- and
- in response to determining that the torque-limiting condition is satisfied, stopping the application of torque to the screw or drill bit.
A method of controlling a torque-limiting device to limit the amount of torque applied to a screw or drill bit after breaching a bone, the torque-limiting device comprising a body with a handle, a motor positioned in the body, a drive head that is configured to drill a screw or drill bit and to be rotated by the motor so as to enable the screw or drill bit to drill into the bone, and a processor, wherein under the control of the processor the method comprises:
- driving the screw or drill bit into the bone, wherein the bone comprises a first cortical layer, a second cortical layer, and a cancellous layer in between the first and second cortical layers;
- detecting torque values when the screw or drill bit is drilling into the bone;
- determining whether the screw or drill bit has drilled in the first cortical layer of the bone;
- determining whether the screw or drill bit has drilled through and exited the second cortical layer of the bone;
- and
- in response to determining that the screw or drill bit has drilled through and exited the second cortical layer of the bone, stopping the driving of the screw or drill bit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.