Penetration limiting stop elements for a drill bit used for bone tissue

A combination of a set of drill bits for creating a bore in living bone and a drill stop for use with each drill bit of said set, said set of drill bits including drill bits having various flute diameters, said drill stop being generally tubular and including a structure for affixing said drill stop relative to each of said drill bits, said drill stop having an extending portion with an internal wall defining an opening into which said selected one of said drill bits is inserted, said opening being of a size to receive each drill bit of said set having said various flute diameters, said internal wall terminating at a lower end of said extending portion for defining an insertion depth of a selected one of said drill bits, wherein said extending portion includes a plurality of grooves for severing said extending portion to reduce a length of said extending portion, each of said plurality of grooves being aligned with an insertion depth marking on said selected one of said drill bits, a part of said extending portion adjacent to a selected one of said plurality of grooves being said lower end for defining said insertion depth in response to said extending portion being severed at said selected one of said plurality of grooves.

A combination of a set of drill bits for creating a bore in living bone and a drill stop for use with each of said set of drill bits, said set of drill bits including drill bits having flutes of various lengths, said drill stop being generally tubular and including a structure for affixing said drill stop relative to each of said drill bits, said drill stop having an internal wall defining an opening into which said selected one of said drill bits is inserted, said internal wall terminating at a lower end for defining an insertion depth of a selected one of said drill bits.

A kit for limiting the penetration depth of a tool that assists in creating a bore in living bone, said kit comprising:

• at least one stop element for use with said tool, said stop element being generally tubular and including a structure for affixing said stop element relative to said tool, said stop element having an internal wall defining an opening into which said tool is inserted and an exterior wall terminating in a lower end, said exterior wall including a plurality of indicia representing known distances from said lower end;
• and
• a cutting block for holding said stop element steady while said stop element is manually cut at one of said plurality of indicia.

A set of stop elements for use with a set of tools that creates bores in living bone, said set of tools including tools having working portions with different dimensions, each of said set of stop elements for use with a particular tool from said set of tools, said tools include a marker on said working portion indicting a distance from a lowermost end, each of said set of stop elements, comprising:

• a plastic body for surrounding said tool, said body including a structure for affixing said stop element relative to said tool and an extending portion for fitting over said working portion of said tool, said extending portion including a stop surface positioned at a known position along said working portion of said tool, said stop surface of said stop element being aligned with said marker on said tool;
• and
• wherein said plastic body includes a color marking indicating said particular tool with which said stop element is to be used and an alphanumeric marking indicating a resulting length of said working portion of said particular tool when said stop element is attached thereto.

A stop element for use with a tool having a working portion that assists in creating a bore in living bone, comprising:

• a generally tubular main body for surrounding said tool, said main body including a connecting portion with a structure for affixing said stop element relative to said tool, wherein said connecting portion includes a plurality of distinct sections, adjacent ones of said plurality of distinct sections are separated by slots for providing flexibility to said connecting portion, said main body further having an extending portion for fitting over said working portion of said tool, said extending portion being positioned at a known position along said working portion of said tool and including a plurality of grooves for severing said extending portion at predetermined lengths.

The stop element of claim, wherein said stop element is made of plastic.