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US 6,328,746 B1Granted
Surgical screw and driver system
OwnerMichael A. Gambaleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved screw and apparatus for placing screws in a wire mesh and/or bone plate during an operation. In the preferred embodiment, the screw is self-tapping and the apparatus includes color-coded screw cartridges that mount directly onto the tip of a screwdriver and are held in place until installed in the proper location as dictated by the surgeon. The cartridge fits into a magazine that can feed the screw cartridges automatically into a screw gun that drives the screw into the proper location in the bone and the wire mesh or plate, or alternatively can be used with a manual screwdriver.
Claims15
Combination apparatus for improved bone fixation, comprising:
- improved bone fixation screws each having a head and thread, the improvement comprising:
- a split point tip adapted to prevent said screw from moving laterally during use;
- and
- two cutting flutes running substantially the entire length of said threads,
- wherein said screws are self-tapping;
- and
- tubular cartridges each having a hollow interior and each placeable around one of said screws, each cartridge having a proximal end and distal end, said proximal end being openable and adapted to accommodate a surgical screwdriver and said distal end being adapted to loosely retain one of said screws;
- each of said cartridges further comprising a first annular rim formed in said interior of said cartridge at said distal end of said cartridge, said annular rim adapted to receive and gently retain said head of said screw;
- each of said cartridges further comprising a second annular rim formed in said interior of said cartridge at said proximal end of said cartridge, said second annular rim adapted to rest against a screwdriver shaft inserted into said proximal end.
6 more elements
A combination apparatus for improved bone fixation and fixing surgical screws into bone, the improvement comprising an improved screwdriver for driving surgical screws into bone, said screwdriver comprising:
- a screwdriver housing having a pistol grip;
- a trigger handle, having a proximal end and a distal end, pivotally mounted on said housing with said proximal end being spring biased away from said pistol grip;
- a drive shaft pivotally connected to said distal end of said handle at a first end of said drive shaft and having a screwdriver head at a second end of said drive shaft;
- and
- rotating means for rotating said drive shaft when said handle is squeezed toward said pistol grip, said rotating means comprising:
- a groove formed in said drive shaft, said groove having a straight section and a spiraled section, said straight section being straight along the longitudinal axis of said drive shaft and formed at said first end of said drive shaft, and said spiraled section spiraling around said drive shaft from said straight portion along said drive shaft towards said second end;
- and
- a rider, fixed to said housing, having a bore through which said drive shaft is disposed and having bearings disposed in said bore which ride in said groove.
5 more elements
Combination apparatus for improved bone fixation, comprising:
- improved bone fixation screws each having a head and thread, the improvement comprising:
- a split point tip adapted to prevent said screw from moving laterally during use;
- and
- two cutting flutes running substantially the entire length of said threads;
- wherein said screws are self-tapping;
- tubular cartridges each having a hollow interior and each placeable around one of said screws, each cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end being openable and adapted to accommodate a surgical screwdriver and said distal end being adapted to loosely retain one of said screws;
- a magazine having a magazine housing with a hollow interior and a hole disposed in said magazine housing, said magazine housing being adapted to retain a plurality of said cartridges, said hole being dimensioned to allow egress of one cartridge at a time;
- a spring disposed in said interior of said magazine housing and adapted to provide a spring biasing force to said cartridges disposed in said magazine, wherein said spring biases said cartridges toward said hole in said magazine housing;
- said magazine further comprising a storage compartment for receiving and retaining said cartridges after said screw has been used from said cartridge;
- and
- an improved screwdriver for driving said screws into bone, said screwdriver comprising:
- a screwdriver housing having a pistol grip,
- a trigger handle, having a proximal end and a distal end, pivotally mounted on said housing with said proximal end being spring biased away from said pistol grip,
- a drive shaft pivotally connected to said distal end of said handle at a first end of said drive shaft and having a screwdriver head at a second end of said drive shaft;
- and
- rotating means for rotating said drive shaft when said handle is squeezed toward said pistol grip.
13 more elements
Combination apparatus for improved bone fixation, comprising:
- improved bone fixation screws each having a head and thread, the improvement comprising:
- a split point tip adapted to prevent said screw from moving laterally during use;
- and
- two cutting flutes running substantially the entire length of said threads;
- wherein said screws are self-tapping;
- and
- an improved screwdriver for driving said screws into bone, said screwdriver comprising:
- a housing having a pistol grip;
- a trigger handle, having a proximal end and a distal end, pivotally mounted on said housing with said proximal end being spring biased away from said pistol grip;
- a drive shaft pivotally connected to said distal end of said handle at a first end of said drive shaft and having a screwdriver head at a second end of said drive shaft;
- and
- rotating means for rotating said drive shaft when said handle is squeezed toward said pistol grip, said rotating means comprising:
- a groove formed in said drive shaft, said groove having a straight section and a spiraled section, said straight section being straight along the longitudinal axis of said drive shaft and formed at said first end of said drive shaft, and said spiraled section spiraling around said drive shaft from said straight portion along said drive shaft towards said second end;
- and
- a rider, fixed to said housing, having a bore through which said drive shaft is disposed and having bearings disposed in said bore which ride in said groove.
12 more elements
Combination apparatus for improved bone fixation, comprising:
- improved bone fixation screws each having a head and thread, the improvement comprising:
- a split point tip adapted to prevent said screw from moving laterally during use;
- and
- two cutting flutes running substantially the entire length of said threads;
- wherein said screws are self-tapping;
- tubular cartridges each having a hollow interior and each placeable around one of said screws, each cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end being openable and adapted to accommodate a surgical screwdriver and said distal end being adapted to loosely retain one of said screws;
- and
- an improved screwdriver for driving said screws into bone, said screwdriver comprising:
- a housing having a pistol grip;
- a trigger handle, having a proximal end and a distal end, pivotally mounted on said housing with said proximal end being spring biased away from said pistol grip;
- a drive shaft pivotally connected to said distal end of said handle at a first end of said drive shaft and having a screwdriver head at a second end of said drive shaft;
- and
- rotating means for rotating said drive shaft when said handle is squeezed toward said pistol grip, said rotating means comprising:
- a groove formed in said drive shaft, said groove having a straight section and a spiraled section, said straight section being straight along the longitudinal axis of said drive shaft and formed at said first end of said drive shaft, and said spiraled section spiraling around said drive shaft from said straight portion along said drive shaft toward said second end;
- and
- a rider, fixed to said housing, having a bore through which said drive shaft is disposed and having bearings disposed in said bore which ride in said groove.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.