Bone fixation tool
AssigneeZimmer, Inc.
InventorsAntony J. Lozier, Daniel P. Murphy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tool and a method are provided for driving a bone pin into a fractured bone to stabilize the fractured bone by maintaining the fractured bone in a reduced state. The tool may be a handheld device including a cartridge having at least one passageway that receives the bone pin. The tool may also include a pneumatically-powered piston having a needle that is sized for receipt within the passageway of the cartridge, the needle applying sufficient force to the bone pin to drive the bone pin out of the cartridge and into the fractured bone.
Claims22
A handheld tool for stabilizing a fractured bone, the handheld tool having a proximal end and a distal end, the handheld tool including:
- a housing;
- at least one bone pin configured to be driven into the fractured bone to stabilize the fractured bone;
- a cartridge supported by the housing and including at least one passageway that receives the bone pin, the passageway sized to accommodate axial movement of the bone pin through the passageway while limiting radial movement of the bone pin in the passageway;
- and
- a piston that translates axially relative to the housing, the piston including a head arranged toward the proximal end of the handheld tool and a needle arranged toward the distal end of the handheld tool, the needle sized for receipt within the passageway of the cartridge, the needle applying sufficient force to the bone pin to drive the bone pin axially from the cartridge and into the fractured bone.
A handheld tool for stabilizing a fractured bone, the handheld tool having a proximal end and a distal end, the handheld tool including:
- a housing;
- at least one bone pin configured to be driven into the fractured bone to stabilize the fractured bone;
- a cartridge supported by the housing at the distal end of the handheld tool, the cartridge including at least one passageway that receives the bone pin;
- and
- a piston that translates axially relative to the housing, the piston including a head arranged toward the proximal end of the handheld tool and a needle arranged toward the distal end of the handheld tool, the needle sized for receipt within the passageway of the cartridge, the needle applying sufficient force to the bone pin to drive the bone pin axially from the cartridge and into the fractured bone.
A handheld tool for driving a bone pin into a fractured bone to stabilize the fractured bone, the handheld tool having a proximal end and a distal end, the handheld tool including:
- a housing;
- a cartridge supported by the housing and including at least one passageway that is sized to receive the bone pin;
- a piston that translates axially relative to the housing, the piston including a head arranged toward the proximal end of the handheld tool and a needle arranged toward the distal end of the handheld tool, the needle sized for receipt within the passageway of the cartridge, the needle applying sufficient force to the bone pin to drive the bone pin axially from the cartridge and into the fractured bone;
- a pressurized gas source coupled to the housing for supplying a pneumatic force to the head of the piston to axially translate the piston relative to the housing;
- a valve assembly having a normally closed state to close a flow of pressurized gas from the pressurized gas source to the head of the piston and an open state to open the flow of pressurized gas from the pressurized gas source to the head of the piston;
- and
- a trigger assembly coupled to the valve assembly to adjust the valve assembly from the normally closed state to the open state, the valve assembly automatically returning to the normally closed state following the open state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.