Screw delivery system
AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
InventorPhilip Watt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A screw delivery system is provided. Such a system may include a carrier including a carrier body, a driver, and a nose. The carrier may define a bore that extends at least partially through the carrier body. The driver may be configured to be at least partially disposed in the bore. The driver may include a head that is configured to mate with a head of a fastener. At least a first guide member may be carried by the carrier body. The nose may be operably aligned with the bore, and may include at least a second guide member that is configured to engage the first guide member. The system may be configured such that insertion of the driver from the bore into the nose causes the first and second guide members to engage so as to cause the nose to rotate relative to the carrier body.
Claims30
A method of delivering a fastener supported by a carrier body, the method comprising the steps of:
- translating a head of a driver in a bore of the carrier body in a first direction and bringing the head into engagement with the fastener as the head travels in the first direction;
- causing the head to push the fastener out the carrier body and into a nose that extends out with respect to the carrier body along the first direction;
- further pushing the head of the driver into the nose so as to cause the nose and fastener to simultaneously rotate relative to the driver until the head of the driver is aligned with a head of the fastener such that the head of the driver mates with the head of the fastener.
A method of delivering a fastener, the method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a cartridge in a receptacle defined by a carrier body, the cartridge defining at least a first bore and a second bore that retain a first fastener and a second fastener, respectively;
- aligning the first bore with a bore that extends through the carrier body along a first direction;
- translating a driver through both the bore of the carrier body and the first bore along the first direction such that the driver engages the first fastener and delivers the first fastener to an anatomical structure;
- and
- after the first fastener has been delivered to the anatomical structure, rotating the cartridge relative to the carrier body about an axis that is perpendicular to the first direction until the second bore is aligned with the bore of the carrier body.
A method of delivering a fastener, the method comprising the steps of:
- aligning the fastener with a bore that extends along a first direction at least partially through a carrier body;
- translating a driver within the bore along the first direction such that a head of the driver engages the fastener and pushes the fastener along the first direction, the driver including a driving portion and an outer housing that defines a helical track;
- pushing the fastener with the driver such that the head of the driver rotates relative to the fastener until the head of the driver aligns with and mates with a head of the fastener as the driver is being translated within the bore so as to cause a pin of the driving portion to move through the helical track as the outer housing collapses onto the driving portion to thereby rotate the driving portion relative to the outer housing;
- and
- delivering the fastener to an anatomical structure.
A method of delivering a fastener, the method comprising the steps of:
- aligning the fastener with a bore that extends along a first direction at least partially through a carrier body;
- translating a driver within the bore along the first direction such that a head of the driver engages the fastener and pushes the fastener along the first direction, the driver including a driving portion and an outer housing that defines external threads;
- pushing the fastener with the driver such that the head of the driver rotates relative to the fastener until the head of the driver aligns with and mates with a head of the fastener as the driver is being translated within the bore so as to cause the external threads to mate with internal threads defined by the carrier body such that as the driver is advanced through the bore the threaded engagement between the outer housing and the carrier body rotates the driving portion relative to the carrier body;
- and
- delivering the fastener to an anatomical structure.
A method of delivering a screw, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving a fastener from a cartridge and into a carriage of a carrier body;
- moving the carriage from a first position whereby the carriage is aligned with the cartridge to a second position whereby the carriage is aligned with a bore that extends within the carrier body along a first direction;
- translating a driver within the bore and through the carriage along the first direction so as to move the fastener from the carriage and into the bore;
- and
- delivering the fastener from the bore and to an anatomical structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.