Self-retaining screwdriver tip and mating drive feature
AssigneeSymmetry Medical Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorReese Myers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical self-retaining screwdriver for the temporary securing of a bone fastener, wherein the tip of the screwdriver includes at least one deflection member which provides a frictional fit when the fastener is coupled to the screwdriver. A bone fastener is also provided which includes an undercut that is capable of temporarily retaining the at least one deflection member of the screwdriver. The invention provides a reliable means for securely holding a fastener to a screwdriver during insertion or extraction, and for easy removal of the screwdriver from the fastener after insertion.
Claims19
A surgical screwdriver comprising:
- a shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a fastener-engaging tip attached to the distal end of the shaft;
- the fastener-engaging tip including:
- a driving portion with a proximal end, a distal end, at least one driving face, and a cross-sectional geometry;
- and
- a retaining portion attached to the distal end of the driving portion, the retaining portion including at least one deflection member, the at least one deflection member including a protrusion, the protrusion of the at least one deflection member capable of movement toward the longitudinal axis, the retaining portion having a cross-sectional diameter which is larger than a cross-sectional diameter of the driving portion.
A bone fastener comprising:
- a shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a head with an instrument-receiving portion attached to the proximal end of the shaft;
- the instrument-receiving portion including:
- a female opening in the head with a cross-sectional geometry and an inner surface for receivable engagement of a fastener-engaging tip of a surgical screwdriver;
- and
- an undercut extending at least partially circumferentially around the inner surface of the instrument-receiving portion.
A method of temporarily securing a bone fastener to a surgical screwdriver, the method comprising:
- providing a surgical screwdriver including:
- a shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a fastener-engaging tip attached to the distal end of the shaft;
- the fastener-engaging tip including:
- a driving portion with a proximal end, a distal end, at least one driving face, and a cross-sectional geometry;
- and
- a retaining portion attached to the distal end of the driving portion, the retaining portion including at least one deflection member, the at least one deflection member including a protrusion, the protrusion of the at least one deflection member capable of movement toward the longitudinal axis, the retaining portion having a cross-sectional diameter which is larger than a cross-sectional diameter of the driving portion;
- providing a bone fastener including:
- a shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a head with an instrument-receiving portion attached to the proximal end of the shaft, the instrument-receiving portion including a female opening with a cross-sectional geometry and an inner surface, the inner surface including an undercut extending at least partially circumferentially for the receivable engagement of the fastener-engaging tip of the surgical screwdriver;
- and
- placing the bone fastener onto the surgical screwdriver where it is temporarily held as a result of the protrusion of the at least one deflection member residing within the undercut.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.