Alignment guide for reamer shaft
AssigneeAvalign Technologies, Inc.
InventorWarren Scott Gareiss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An alignment guide is provided for aligning a cannulated intramedullary reamer shaft with a guidewire. The alignment guide includes a tray, a guidewire alignment flange extending from a rear portion of the tray, and a reamer shaft alignment flange extending from a front portion of the tray. The guidewire alignment flange includes a sidewall curved to form a first recess within the sidewall. The reamer shaft alignment flange includes at least one tab having a curved portion to form a second recess within the at least one tab. The first and second recesses are aligned along a longitudinal axis to position the reamer shaft and guidewire along the longitudinal axis.
Claims20
An alignment guide comprising:
- (a) a guidewire alignment flange comprising a sidewall curved to form a first recess within the sidewall;
- and
- (b) a reamer shaft alignment flange comprising a front tab and a rear tab, wherein the front tab comprises a curved portion to form a second recess within the front tab, wherein the rear tab comprises a curved portion to form a third recess within the rear tab, wherein the front tab and the rear tab are oriented in opposite directions;
- wherein the first, second, and third recesses are aligned along a longitudinal axis.
An alignment guide comprising:
- (a) a tray;
- (b) a guidewire alignment flange extending from a rear portion of the tray, wherein the guidewire alignment flange comprises a sidewall curved to form a first recess within the sidewall;
- (c) a reamer shaft alignment flange extending from a front portion of the tray, wherein the reamer shaft alignment flange comprises at least one tab, wherein the at least one tab comprises a curved portion to form a second recess within the at least one tab, wherein the first and second recesses are aligned along a longitudinal axis.
A method of operating an alignment guide comprising the steps of:
- (a) inserting a guidewire into a guidewire alignment flange of the alignment guide such that the guidewire alignment flange guides the position of the guidewire along a longitudinal axis;
- (b) inserting a reamer shaft into a reamer shaft alignment flange of the alignment guide such that the reamer shaft alignment flange guides the position of the reamer shaft along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- (c) translating the reamer shaft toward the guidewire to insert a tip of the reamer shaft over a tip of the guidewire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.