Actuation assembly for reciprocating surgical tool
AssigneeArthrex, Inc.
InventorsAndrew P. Muser, Giuseppe Lombardo, Joseph A. Fritz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuation assembly for a reciprocating surgical tool includes a reciprocating shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and a rotating body operably connected to the reciprocating shaft. The rotating body forms opposing guide profiles defining an extension profile and a retraction profile of the reciprocating shaft. A rotation of the rotating body relative to the reciprocating shaft causes the opposing guide profiles to operably engage the reciprocating shaft causing the reciprocating shaft to extend responsive to the extension profile and retract responsive to the retraction profile along the longitudinal axis.
Claims20
An actuation assembly for a reciprocating surgical tool comprising:
- a reciprocating shaft extending along a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a rotating body operably coupled to the reciprocating shaft, the rotating body forming opposing guide profiles defining an extension profile and a retraction profile of the reciprocating shaft, wherein a rotation of the rotating body relative to the reciprocating shaft causes the opposing guide profiles to operably engage the reciprocating shaft causing the reciprocating shaft to extend responsive to the extension profile and retract responsive to the retraction profile along the longitudinal axis.
A method for converting a rotational drive motion of a surgical tool to a reciprocating motion:
- receiving a rotating drive in a rotational direction about a drive axis at an output shaft of the surgical tool;
- rotating a circumferential surface of a rotary drive converter about the drive axis in response to the rotating drive;
- in response to the rotation of the circumferential surface, causing a reciprocating bearing to traverse an oscillating passage formed in the circumferential surface;
- and
- extending and retracting a drive shaft operably coupled to the reciprocating bearing along a longitudinal axis parallel to the drive axis in response to the traversal of the reciprocating bearing through the oscillating passage.
An actuation assembly for a reciprocating surgical tool comprising:
- a reciprocating shaft extending along a longitudinal axis;
- a rotating body configured to receive a rotational coupling of a drive shaft of the surgical tool and operably coupled to the reciprocating shaft, the rotating body comprising a circumferential guide surface laterally offset about the longitudinal axis and a trough extending along the circumferential guide surface, where in the trough forms a wave profile;
- and
- at least one bearing ball that traverses the trough in response to a rotation of the rotating body driven by the rotational coupling, wherein the bearing ball is operably coupled to the reciprocating shaft, and the traversal of the bearing ball causes the reciprocating shaft to extend and retract along the longitudinal axis responsive to an amplitude of the wave profile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.