# US 11,896,240 B2 · Cartilage and bone harvest and delivery system and methods

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,896,240 B2
- Document ID: US11896240B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/073,166
- Filed: 2022-12-01
- Published: 2023-12-21
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-20
- Assignees: University of Utah Research Foundation
- Applicants: University of Utah Research Foundation
- Inventors: Zackery Evans; T. Wade Fallin; Travis G. Maak; Charles L. Saltzman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896240B2

## CPC

- A61B 17/1635: {for grafts, harvesting or transplants}
- A61B 17/1637: {Hollow drills or saws producing a curved cut, e.g. cylindrical (A61B10/025, A61B17/1695 take precedence)}
- A61F 2/30756: {Cartilage endoprostheses (A61F2/3603 takes precedence)}
- A61F 2/4601: {for introducing bone substitute, for implanting bone graft implants or for compacting them in the bone cavity}
- A61F 2/4644: {Preparation of bone graft, bone plugs or bone dowels, e.g. grinding or milling bone material (bone material A61F2/28; disintegrating or milling devices B02C)}
- A61F 2/4684: {Trial or dummy prostheses}
- A61B 17/17: Guides {or aligning means} for drills {, mills, pins or wires}
- A61B 17/1764: {for the knee}
- A61B 17/8897: {Guide wires or guide pins}
- A61B 2090/062: {penetration depth}
- A61B 2090/067: {for measuring angles}
- A61F 2002/2839: {Bone plugs or bone graft dowels}
- A61F 2002/30751: {for attaching cartilage scaffolds to underlying bone}
- A61F 2002/30766: {Scaffolds for cartilage ingrowth and regeneration}
- A61F 2002/30971: {Laminates, i.e. layered products}
- A61F 2002/4627: {with linear motion along or rotating motion about the instrument axis or the implantation direction, e.g. telescopic, along a guiding rod, screwing inside the instrument}
- A61F 2002/4662: {for measuring penetration depth}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

A system for harvesting bone material from a bone may include a rotary cutter defining a rotary cutter longitudinal axis extending between a rotary cutter proximal end and a rotary cutter distal end. The rotary cutter may have a drive shaft configured to receive input torque, and an osteochondral cutter configured to cut the tissue and receive the tissue material in response to rotation of the osteochondral cutter under pressure against the tissue. The system may further include a bone port defining a bone port longitudinal axis extending between a bone port proximal end and a bone port distal end. The bone port may have a bone port cannulation sized to closely fit over the osteochondral cutter. At least one of the bone port proximal end and the bone port distal end may be securable to the tissue. A stratiform tissue graft may be delivered through the bone port.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for harvesting tissue material comprising bone and cartilage tissue from a body, the system comprising:
a rotary cutter defining a rotary cutter longitudinal axis extending between a rotary cutter proximal end and a rotary cutter distal end, the rotary cutter comprising:
a drive shaft configured to receive input torque; and
an osteochondral cutter configured to cut tissue and receive the tissue material in response to rotation of the osteochondral cutter under pressure against the tissue; and
a bone port defining a bone port longitudinal axis extending between a bone port proximal end and a bone port distal end, the bone port comprising a bone port cannulation sized to closely fit over the osteochondral cutter;
wherein:
the bone port distal end comprises an attachment feature that is configured to penetrate a bone to fixedly secure the distal end to the bone while the osteochondral cutter cuts the tissue;
the system is further configured to harvest the cartilage from a cartilage surface adjacent to a joint, and to harvest the bone from underneath the cartilage; and
the attachment feature is configured to secure the bone port distal end to a bone surface on an opposite side of the bone from a cartilage surface, such that the system is configured to harvest the bone and tissue via a retrograde approach.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of additional rotary cutters, each of which comprises an osteochondral cutter having an outer diameter different from an outer diameter of the rotary cutter; and
a plurality of additional bone ports, each of which comprises a bone port cannulation sized to closely fit over the osteochondral cutter of one of the plurality of additional rotary cutters.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the bone port distal end is configured to be insertable into and retained in the bone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a bone pin comprising a distal end insertable into the bone;
wherein the bone port proximal end comprises a pin aperture sized to receive the bone pin to secure the bone port proximal end to the bone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a delivery tube defining a delivery tube longitudinal axis extending between a delivery tube proximal end and a delivery tube distal end;
wherein the delivery tube distal end is securable to the bone port proximal end such that the delivery tube longitudinal axis is coaxial with the bone port longitudinal axis.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, further comprising a funnel comprising:
a funnel proximal end having a flared shape; and
a funnel distal end securable to the bone port and/or the delivery tube.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, further comprising a cap securable to the bone port proximal end, the cap comprising a cap port configured to allow instruments to pass through the cap port while maintaining a leak resistant seal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a trial comprising:
a trial shaft comprising:
a trial shaft proximal end comprising a handle; and
a trial shaft distal end insertable into the bone port cannulation; and
a trial tip configured to approximate a topography of a cartilage surface;
wherein the bone port cannulation is sized to closely fit over the trial tip.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, further comprising:
a plurality of additional rotary cutters, each of which comprises an osteochondral cutter having an outer diameter different from an outer diameter of the osteochondral cutter;
a plurality of additional trial shafts, each of which comprises a trial shaft distal end;
a plurality of additional bone ports, each of which comprises a bone port cannulation sized to closely fit over the osteochondral cutter of one of the plurality of additional rotary cutters and to closely fit over the trial shaft distal end of one of the plurality of additional trial shafts; and
a plurality of additional trial tips, each of which is attachable to the trial shaft distal end.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of additional trial tips comprises at least:
a first trial tip comprising a first trial tip distal surface having a first shape;
a second trial tip comprising a second trial tip distal surface having a second shape different from the first shape; and
a third trial tip comprising a third trial tip distal surface having a third shape different from the first shape and the second shape.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein:
the rotary cutter, the plurality of additional rotary cutters, the bone port, and the plurality of additional bone ports are all configured to be reusable; and
the trial shaft, the plurality of additional trial shafts, the trial tip and the plurality of additional trial tips are all configured to be single-use.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a trial comprising:
a trial shaft comprising:
a trial shaft proximal end comprising a handle; and
a trial shaft distal end insertable into the bone port cannulation; and
a trial tip attachable to the trial shaft distal end and configured to approximate a topography of a cartilage surface;
wherein:
the bone port comprises orientation markings; and
at least one of the trial shaft and the trial tip comprises a trial timing mark that can be aligned with the orientation markings to orient a tissue graft at a predetermined orientation relative to a graft site in which the tissue graft is to be placed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment feature extends from a rim of the distal end of the bone port.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment feature comprises a plurality of teeth extending from the distal end.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment feature is configured to penetrate a surface of the bone to secure the distal end to the surface with the bone port offset from perpendicularity with the surface.

### Claim 16

A system for harvesting tissue material comprising bone and cartilage tissue from a body, the system comprising:
a rotary cutter defining a rotary cutter longitudinal axis extending between a rotary cutter proximal end and a rotary cutter distal end, the rotary cutter comprising:
a drive shaft configured to receive input torque; and
an osteochondral cutter configured to cut tissue and receive the tissue material in response to rotation of the osteochondral cutter under pressure against the tissue;
a bone port defining a bone port longitudinal axis extending between a bone port proximal end and a bone port distal end, the bone port comprising a bone port cannulation sized to closely fit over the osteochondral cutter; and
a delivery tube defining a delivery tube longitudinal axis extending between a delivery tube proximal end and a delivery tube distal end;
wherein:
at least one of the bone port proximal end and the bone port distal end is securable to a bone; and
the delivery tube distal end is securable to the bone port proximal end such that the delivery tube longitudinal axis is coaxial with the bone port longitudinal axis.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the bone port distal end is configured to be insertable into and retained in the bone.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, further comprising a funnel comprising:
a funnel proximal end having a flared shape; and
a funnel distal end securable to the bone port and/or the delivery tube.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, further comprising a cap securable to the bone port proximal end, the cap comprising a cap port configured to allow instruments to pass through the cap port while maintaining a leak resistant seal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, further comprising a trial comprising:
a trial shaft comprising:
a trial shaft proximal end comprising a handle; and
a trial shaft distal end insertable into the bone port cannulation; and
a trial tip configured to approximate a topography of a cartilage surface;
wherein the bone port cannulation is sized to closely fit over the trial tip.

### Claim 21

A system for harvesting tissue material comprising bone and cartilage tissue from a body, the system comprising:
a rotary cutter defining a rotary cutter longitudinal axis extending between a rotary cutter proximal end and a rotary cutter distal end, the rotary cutter comprising:
a drive shaft configured to receive input torque; and
an osteochondral cutter configured to cut tissue and receive the tissue material in response to rotation of the osteochondral cutter under pressure against the tissue;
a bone port defining a bone port longitudinal axis extending between a bone port proximal end and a bone port distal end, the bone port comprising a bone port cannulation sized to closely fit over the osteochondral cutter; and
a trial comprising:
a trial shaft comprising:
a trial shaft proximal end comprising a handle; and
a trial shaft distal end insertable into the bone port cannulation; and
a trial tip configured to approximate a topography of a cartilage surface;
wherein:
the bone port cannulation is sized to closely fit over the trial tip; and
at least one of the bone port proximal end and the bone port distal end is securable to a bone.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the bone port distal end is configured to be insertable into and retained in the bone.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, further comprising:
a plurality of additional rotary cutters, each of which comprises an osteochondral cutter having an outer diameter different from an outer diameter of the osteochondral cutter;
a plurality of additional trial shafts, each of which comprises a trial shaft distal end;
a plurality of additional bone ports, each of which comprises a bone port cannulation sized to closely fit over the osteochondral cutter of one of the plurality of additional rotary cutters and to closely fit over the trial shaft distal end of one of the plurality of additional trial shafts; and
a plurality of additional trial tips, each of which is attachable to the trial shaft distal end.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of additional trial tips comprises at least:
a first trial tip comprising a first trial tip distal surface having a first shape;
a second trial tip comprising a second trial tip distal surface having a second shape different from the first shape; and
a third trial tip comprising a third trial tip distal surface having a third shape different from the first shape and the second shape.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein:
the rotary cutter, the plurality of additional rotary cutters, the bone port, and the plurality of additional bone ports are all configured to be reusable; and
the trial shaft, the plurality of additional trial shafts, the trial tip and the plurality of additional trial tips are all configured to be single-use.