Adjustable Awl
AssigneeK2M, Inc.
InventorLiam Patrick Barnes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An awl including a shaft, a housing at least partially encompassing the shaft, a spring within the housing, and a slider coupled with the shaft and the housing. The shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a bone engaging tip at the distal end. The housing having a distal end, a proximal end, and a plurality of first engagement members adjacent to the proximal end, wherein the shaft is slidable within the housing. The spring is configured to bias the shaft with respect to the housing. The slider includes a second engagement member in engagement with at least one of the first engagement members. The movement of the slider with respect to the housing causes the second engagement member to engage another of the first engagement members and movement of the shaft with respect to the housing.
Claims20
An awl comprising:
- a shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a bone engaging tip at the distal end;
- a housing at least partially encompassing the shaft, the housing having a distal end, a proximal end, and a plurality of first engagement members adjacent the proximal end, the shaft being slidable within the housing;
- and
- a slider coupled with the shaft and the housing, the slider including a second engagement member configured to be in engagement with one of the first engagement members, the engagement between one of the first engagement members and the second engagement member causes the shaft to be protrudable from the housing a maximum of a first length,
- wherein movement of the slider with respect to the housing causes the second engagement member to engage another of the first engagement members, engagement of another first engagement member causes the shaft to be protrudable from the housing a maximum of a second length.
A method for a surgical procedure utilizing an awl, the method comprising:
- actuating an actuator assembly to permit a slider of an awl to translate along a housing;
- translating the slider to a first position;
- locking the slider in the first position to set a protrusion depth of a portion of a shaft;
- and
- impacting the awl to dispose the portion of a shaft in bone to the protrusion depth.
An awl housing comprising:
- a housing configured to at least partially encompass a shaft, the housing having a distal end, a proximal end, a plurality of first engagement members adjacent the proximal end, an axial bore extending from the proximal end to the distal end, and a cavity along a portion of the axial bore configured to house a spring,
- wherein the plurality of first engagement members are configured to be in engagement with a second engagement member of a slider configured to be coupled with the housing and the shaft, the engagement between one of the first engagement members and the second engagement member causes the shaft to be protrudable from the housing a maximum of a first length,
- wherein engagement between another of the first engagement members with the second engagement member causes the shaft to be protrudable from the housing a maximum of a second length, the second length being different than the first length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.