Pneumatic impulse tool
AssigneeBiomet, Inc.
InventorLarry L. Hood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pneumatic inertia tool for applying a cyclic percussive force to an orthopedic article via a reciprocating shuttle comprising a passageway extending between a first port and a second port. The shuttle travels within the passageway and strikes an anvil, imparting its momentum to the orthopedic article. The mass of the shuttle and its velocity at impact are selected to fix a bone relative to the orthopedic article via the existing inertia of the bone. The shuttle reciprocates within the passageway by alternating pressure and vacuum forces applied at the first port and at the second port.
Claims7
A method of implanting an orthopedic prosthesis into or extracting an orthopedic prosthesis from a host bone, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a reciprocating mass hammer comprising a shuttle movably disposed within an elongated bore, said hammer further comprising an anvil positioned at a distal end of said bore and connected to an engagement head of said hammer;
- positioning an orthopedic prothesis in a medullary canal of a host bone such that a frictional force opposes movement of the prosthesis relative to the host bone;
- coupling said engagement head of said reciprocating hammer to a proximal end of said prosthesis;
- accelerating said shuttle through said elongated bore;
- striking said anvil with said shuttle to produce an impulse force sufficient to overcome said frictional force opposing movement of said prosthesis;
- and
- imparting a peak level of said impulse force from the shuttle to the anvil over a rise time period equal to or less than about 100 .mu.sec.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.