Marker for surgical procedures

A marker for surgical procedures comprising

• a tubular guide cannula,
• an introduction tube having a proximal end and a distal end and arranged so as to be insertable within the cannula,
• a flexible bar extending along and being displaceable within the tube, and a marking pin which is attached to a proximal end of the flexible bar and extends beyond the proximal end of the tube;
• wherein the bar protrudes at the distal end of the introduction tube, the introduction tube together with the bar and the marking pin being arranged so as to be inserted into the guide cannula from a distal end of the cannula to place the proximal end of the introduction tube in the region of a proximal end of the guide cannula with the marking pin extending out of the proximal end of the guide cannula,
• a handle at the distal end of the introduction tube enabling the introduction tube to be guided and turned around its longitudinal axis,
• a spacer located between the tube handle and the distal end of the cannula to limit the maximum depth of penetration of the introduction tube into the guide cannula to prevent protrusion of the marking pin out of the proximal end of the guide cannula.

A marker for surgical procedures, comprising

• a tubular guide cannula,
• an introduction tube having a proximal end and a distal end and arranged so as to be insertable within the cannula,
• a flexible bar extending along and being displaceable within the tube, and a marking pin which is attached to a proximal end of the flexible bar and extends beyond the proximal end of the tube;
• wherein the bar protrudes at the distal end of the introduction tube, the introduction tube together with the bar and the marking pin being arranged so as to be inserted into the guide cannula from a distal end of the cannula to place the proximal end of the introduction tube in the region of a proximal end of the guide cannula with the marking pin extending out of the proximal end of the guide cannula,
• wherein the marking pin is provided on a distal end thereof with a flattened region which has an opening passing therethrough, and the bar comprises a double implantation wire helix which is held securely in the opening, and
• the introduction tube is provided on said proximal end thereof with at least two radial recesses which are open on an edge for receiving the flattened region of the marking pin.

A marker for surgical procedures, comprising

• a tubular guide cannula,
• an introduction tube having a proximal end and a distal end and arranged so as to be insertable within the cannula,
• a flexible bar extending along and being displaceable within the tube, and a marking pin which is attached to a proximal end of the flexible bar and extends beyond the proximal end of the tube;
• wherein the bar protrudes at the distal end of the introduction tube, the introduction tube together with the bar and the marking pin being arranged so as to be inserted into the guide cannula from a distal end of the cannula to place the proximal end of the introduction tube in the region of a proximal end of the guide cannula with the marking pin extending out of the proximal end of the guide cannula,
• a handle at the distal end of the introduction tube enabling the introduction tube to be guided and turned around its longitudinal axis, and
• the handle surrounds the distal end of the introduction tube and has a depression which is open on an edge and leads radially away from the introduction tube, the depression serving to receive the distal end of the bar.

A marker of a site on skeletal structure for a surgical procedure on a patient comprising:

• a pin, and a driver constituting means for attaching the pin to the skeletal structure of the patient from outside of the patient through skin and flesh of the patient, the driver being engageable with the pin to provide an assembly, there being a distal end portion of the pin,
• wherein a proximal end of the pin is configured for attachment with the skeletal structure of the patient;
• interface means between the pin and the driver for engaging the driver with the pin for transmission of motion from the driver to the pin for attaching the pin to the skeletal structure, the driver having a portion comprising means for being moved from the outside of the skin of the patient for initiating said motion of said driver for said transmission of the motion from the driver to said pin for said attachment;
• and
• the driver being disengagable from the pin by withdrawal of said driver in a condition of said attachment of the pin to the skeletal structure at the site of the surgical procedure, the driver being withdrawable from the skin and flesh of the patient, a distal end portion of the pin constituting means for extending to outside the patient through the skin and flesh of the patient, so as to serve as a marker subsequent to disengagement of the driver from the pin and withdrawal of said driver from the skin and flesh of the patient.

A method for marking a surgical site on a bone of a surgical procedure comprising the steps of:

• providing:
• X-rays, a cannula, a needle, an introduction tube, a marking pin with an elongated marker, and the elongated marker inserted into the introduction tube to provide with the marking pin and tube a tubular assembly with the pin operatively engaging the tube and extending beyond an end of the tube;
• under observation with the X-rays, inserting the cannula through a patient's skin and flesh to adjacent the surgical site at the bone and inserting the needle through the cannula to the bone to impact upon the bone and create a score in the bone at the site;
• retracting the needle from the cannula;
• inserting the tubular assembly into the cannula and advancing the tubular assembly toward the bone to bring the pin in contact with the score on the bone with the elongated marker extending out of the cannula and skin;
• operating the introduction tube for operating the tubular assembly to affix the pin to the bone;
• and
• retracting the cannula and the tube from the elongated marker and from the skin and flesh to leave the affixed pin in the bone and the elongated marker extending out of the skin as a marker of the site of the surgical procedure.

A method of marking a surgical site of a surgical procedure upon a patient comprising the steps of:

• providing a pin and a tube;
• placing the pin in contact with an end of the tube to create a tubular assembly wherein a distal end portion of the pin extends into the tube and therebeyond and a proximal end of the pin is configured for engagement with skeletal structure of the patient, and wherein an interface between the pin and the tube is adapted for transmission of motion from the tube to the pin along an axis of the tube;
• inserting the tubular assembly through the patient's skin and flesh to bring the proximal end of the pin in contact with the skeletal structure at the surgical site with the distal end portion of the pin extending out of the skin;
• operating the tubular assembly to affix the pin to the skeletal structure;
• and
• retracting the tube from the pin and from the skin and flesh of the patient to leave the pin affixed to the skeletal structure and the distal end portion of the pin extending out of the skin as a marker of the site of the surgical procedure.