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US RE42,757 E1Granted
Expandable reamer
AssigneeSpineology Inc.
InventorsStephen D. Kuslich, Francis Peterson, Todd Bjork, Joseph E. Gleason, Rodney Rogstad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable reamer for forming a space within a vertebral disc includes a pair of opposing blades which have a expanded state and a retracted state. The blades being pivotally positioned at the distal end of a shaft assembly. A shaft housing being substantially disposed about the shaft assembly. The proximal end of the shaft assembly being operatively engaged by a control device which when rotated allows the blades to be fully retracted for insertion into a pre-bored hole and then to be expanded incrementally until the cavity is bored as desired.
Claims43
An expandable reamer comprising:
- a) an elongated hollow shaft having a proximal and a distal end, the distal end being closed and having a pair of opposing side openings adjacent the closed end;
- b) a pair of internal blade members within said hollow shaft;
- c) a mechanism for moving said blades from a retracted position within the shaft to a cutting, extended position through said side openings.
An expandable reamer comprising:
- a) an elongated shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, a pair of blade members pivotally engaged to the distal end of the elongated shaft, a pair of elongated blade guides positioned immediately adjacent to the elongate shaft, the elongate blade guides each having a guide slot, at least a portion of each of the pair of blade members being operatively engaged to one of the guide slots;
- b) an elongate hollow tube, the elongate hollow tube being disposed substantially about the elongated shaft and the pair of elongated blade guides, the elongate hollow tube being longitudinally moveable relative to the elongated shaft;
- c) a handle, the handle having a hollow engagement barrel and at least one griping member extending therefrom, the hollow engagement barrel having a first end engaged to the elongate hollow tube, and a second end having a control knob, the control knob being operatively engaged to the elongate hollow tube, whereby when the control knob is rotated the elongate hollow tube is moved longitudinally relative to the elongated shaft causing the pair of blade members to move between a retracted position and an extended position.
An expandable reamer comprising:
- a) an elongated shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, a pair of blade members being pivotally engaged to the distal end of the elongated shaft, the distal end of the elongate shaft having a pair of blade slots constructed and arranged to slidingly and removably receive at least a portion of one of the blade members:
- b) an elongate hollow tube, the elongate hollow tube being disposed substantially about the elongated shaft, the elongated shaft being longitudinally moveable relative to the elongate hollow tube;
- c) a turn wheel, the turn wheel operatively engaged to the proximal end of the elongated shaft and positioned proximal to the elongate hollow tube, whereby when the turn wheel is rotated the elongated shaft is moved longitudinally relative to the elongate hollow tube causing the pair of blade members to move between a retracted position and an extended position.
An expandable reamer for use in bone and related tissue in a mammal comprising:
- an elongated hollow body having a proximal end and a distal end, sized and configured to engage bone and related tissue in the mammal;
- an elongated blade carrier having a proximal end and a distal end, the blade carrier disposed within the body;
- a set of blades pivotally attached proximate the distal end of the blade carriers;
- the set of blades having at least a first retracted position relative to the body, the body having a maximum cross-sectional diameter transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body that is substantially at least as large as a maximum cross-sectional diameter of the blades in the first retracted position, and a second fully expanded position having a diameter greater than the maximum cross-sectional diameter of the body;
- and
- an manually actuated activation mechanism that moves the set of blades from the first retracted position to the second fully expanded position and any expanded position therebetween.
3 more elements
An expandable reamer for use in bone and related tissue in a mammal comprising:
- an elongated hollow body having a proximal end and a distal end including means for engaging bone and related tissue in the mammal,
- an elongated blade carrier having a proximal end and a distal end, the blade carrier disposed within the body;
- a set of blades pivotally attached proximate the distal end of the blade carrier, the set of blades having at least a first retracted position relative to the body, the body having a maximum cross-sectional diameter transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body that is substantially at least as large as a maximum cross-sectional diameter of the blades in the first retracted position, and a second fully expanded position having a diameter greater than the maximum cross-sectional diameter of the body;
- and
- n means for manually moving the set of blades from the first retracted position to the second fully expanded position and any expanded position therebetween.
2 more elements
A method for creating a cavity in bone comprising:
- drilling a bore in bone,
- inserting an expandable reamer into the bore,
- manually actuating an activation mechanism of the reamer that engages a blade carrier within the reamer such that linear motion of the blade carrier drives a blade set pivotally attached to the blade carrier from a first retracted position relative to the body, the body having a maximum cross-sectional diameter transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body that is substantially at least as large as a maximum cross-sectional diameter of the blades in the retracted position to a second fully expanded position having a diameter greater than the maximum cross-sectional diameter of the body and any expanded position therebetween;
- contacting the bone with the blade set in the any expanded position;
- and
- rotating the expandable reamer such that the blade set cuts into the bone.
3 more elements
An expandable reamer for use in bone and related tissue in a mammal comprising:
- an elongated hollow body having a proximal end and a distal end sized and configured to engage bone and related tissue in the mammal;
- at least one shaft operably arranged in a coaxial relation with the hollow body along a longitudinal axis and having a proximal and a distal end;
- a set of blades pivotally attached proximate the distal end of the shaft, the set of blades having at least a first retracted position relative to the body, the body having a maximum cross-sectional diameter transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body that is substantially at least as large as a maximum cross-sectional diameter of the blades in the first retracted position, and a second fully expanded position having a diameter greater than the maximum cross-sectional diameter of the body;
- and
- an manually actuated activation mechanism that moves the set of blades from the first retracted position to the second fully expanded position and any expanded position therebetween.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.