Elongated drive tool for prosthesis in body cavity

Surgical instrument apparatus for insertion in a body cavity comprising an elongated housing having a top wall, bottom wall, opposing side walls, a proximal end and a distal end defining an enclosed elongated chamber,

• a handle supported to the proximal end of said elongated housing and extending axially and angularly upward relative to said top wall,
• a control knob, means extending from said bottom wall for supporting said control knob in said elongated housing adjacent the proximal end for rotatable motion and adapted to be engagable by the thumb and finger of the same hand of the operator holding said handle,
• said means including a first shaft supported in said elongated housing and transversely extending through said chamber relative to the longitudinal axis of said elongated housing,
• a drive gear fixed to said first shaft disposed in said chamber and rotatable therewith,
• a chuck disposed adjacent to said bottom wall, means including a second shaft extending transversely through said elongated housing for rotatably supporting said chuck to said housing,
• a driven gear disposed in said chamber attached to said second shaft for rotating said chuck,
• at least one idler gear including a stub shaft to support said idler gear in said chamber and meshing with said driven gear and said drive gear for transmitting rotary motion,
• a tool supported in a central bore formed in said chuck and adapted to be removed, said tool having a larger diameter portion disposed in said central bore and a narrower working portion extending through a smaller diameter formed at the end of said chuck such that the tool is only inserted through an upper end of said chuck means,
• a latch, a pin extending upwardly from said top wall and extending through an elongated slot in said latch for supporting said latch on the top wall of said elongated housing, said latch for sliding over said tool to secure said tool in the central bore of said chuck,
• whereby said tool can not fall out the upper end of said chuck when held in any attitude, and when said distal end of said housing and said tool are positioned in the body cavity, said tool is rotated in said chuck as a function of said control knob to perform a procedure due to the meshing of said drive gear, idler gear and driven gear to a prosthesis assembly.