Method and apparatus for drilling a curved bore in an object

Apparatus for drilling a curved bore, comprising:

• (a) a prime mover for providing drilling energy;
• (b) a pair of flexible drilling energy transfer members each having a proximal end that is operably coupled to the prime mover and a distal end operably coupled to a cutting member;
• (c) a housing through which the transfer members extend, said housing having a distal end;
• (d) a pair of curved guides that are pivotally mounted to swing relative to the housing in arcs that intersect at a location fixed relative to the housing, each curved guide supporting the distal end of one of the transfer members, so that as said pair of curved guides are swung outwardly toward each other from the distal end of the housing, they define a continuous composite path defined by the cutting members as they are swung relative to the housing to bore the curved bore, said cutting members being supported by the curved guides and the transfer members;
• (e) a pair of levers, each lever being pivotally mounted to the housing at a pivot pin and mechanically coupled to a different one of the curved guides to swing that curved guide through the coplanar are when the lever is pivoted about its pivot pin;
• and
• (f) means for controlling movement of said levers so as to advance the cutting members along a common portion of the path at different times, to produce the curved bore without the cutting members contacting each other.

Apparatus for drilling a curved bore in an object, comprising:

• (a) a cartridge having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end being adapted to be positioned adjacent to an object to be drilled, the proximal end being adapted to be detachably coupled with a handle;
• (b) opposed first and second cutting members, each coupled to a corresponding first and second flexible drilling energy transfer member, said first and second cutting members being disposed adjacent to the distal end of the cartridge for receiving drilling energy by way of the first and second transfer members, said first and second transfer members extending through the cartridge and terminating in respective first and second disconnectable couplings adjacent to the proximal end of the cartridge, drilling energy by an externally applied source being transmittable through the couplings and the first and second transfer members to the first and second cutting members;
• (c) a first curved guide and a second curved guide supporting the corresponding first and second transfer members and corresponding first and second cutting members, said first and second curved guides being pivotally mounted adjacent to the distal end of the cartridge for swinging in opposed, intersecting arcs along a path that defines the curved bore in the object;
• and
• (d) first and second pusher bars coupled to the first and second curved guides, independently of the coupling of the first and second transfer members to the first and second cutting members, for controlling outward movement of the first and second curved guides to produce the curved bore by the associated first and second cutting members, the pusher bars being supported in the cartridge for movement independently of each other such that one curved guide can be advanced without equal and corresponding advancement of the other curved guide, the pusher bars having proximate ends adapted to couple to and uncouple from the handle, so that an external force by a motion-inducing mechanism in the handle induces motion of the pusher bars to control movement of the curved guides.

A method for drilling curved bores in an object comprising the steps of:

• (a) coupling a pair of flexible drilling energy transfer members to a source of drilling energy, each transfer member having a proximal end to which the source of drilling energy is coupled and a distal end coupled to a cutting member;
• (b) positioning the cutting members adjacent to the object and supporting the distal ends of the transfer members and the cutting members in curved guides;
• (c) swinging the curved guides to move the cutting members in arcs that intersect;
• and
• (d) advancing the cutting members through an intersecting portion of the arcs at different times, to produced the curved bore in the object without the cutting members contacting each other.

A method for drilling a curved bore in an object comprising the steps of:

• (a) attaching a housing cartridge portion to a handle portion, such cartridge portion having a pair of flexible drilling energy transfer members each having a proximal end for coupling to a source of drilling energy and a distal end coupled to a cutting member;
• (b) providing drilling energy to the transfer members;
• (c) positioning the housing cartridge portion adjacent to the object and supporting the distal ends of the flexible drive transfer members and the cutting members in curved guides;
• (d) moving the cutting members in arcs that intersect, including advancing the cutting members through an intersecting portion of such arcs at different times, to produce the curved bore in the object without the cutting members contacting each other.

A method for drilling a bore in an object comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing drilling energy to separate cutting members, each of such cutting members being mounted in a common housing for movement relatively toward and away from each other;
• (b) moving one of the cutting members along a curved path through the object;
• and
• (c) moving the other cutting member along a path through the object which intersects the curved path, the cutting members being moved along their respective paths in coordinated time fashion such that one of the cutting members moves first to and then in an opposite direction away from a point of intersection of the paths, followed by movement of the other cutting member to the point of intersection to complete the bore, without the cutting members interfering with each other.

Apparatus for drilling a curved bore comprising:

• (a) a drilling energy carrier;
• (b) a curvilinear shaped drill guide for guiding the drilling energy carrier;
• (c) a cutting member;
• (d) means for positioning the cutting member at a distal end of the drill guide;
• and
• (e) means for mounting the curved guide for swinging so as to move the cutting member along a curved path having a first radius of curvature, the curved guide having means adjacent to the distal end for positioning the drilling energy carrier along a curvature less sharply curved at a location just adjacent to the cutting member than the curvature of the curved path.