Surgical Electric Tri-Roll Thread Impact Tool

Abstract

A surgical impact tool and method of use are disclosed. The surgical impact tool may include a roller assembly, an impact structure, and a tool holder. The roller assembly includes a plurality of rollers connected to a motor and supported by respective roller arms. The impact structure may define a spring and an impact cavity including a front impact face and a rear impact face. The impact structure may include a wall with a plurality of thread elements connected to the wall and engageable with the roller assembly. Each of the thread elements may include a pair of helical end faces and a pair of axially extending faces that engage the plurality of rollers. In use, rotation of the roller assembly relative to the helical ends of the thread elements may axially move the impact structure to load the springs and generate an impact force.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 144,285, filed February 1, 2021, entitled “Cordless Powered Tri-Roll Sled Impact Tool,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to surgical instruments and their uses. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a powered surgical roll sled impact tool and its method of use. [Background technology]

[0003] Orthopaedic surgeons typically use tools for cutting or scraping bone that require a hammer or mallet to transfer the impaction force to the tool. One example is a broach tool used to prepare the proximal end of the femur to receive the stem of a hip prosthesis. Such broaches can be used with a hammer or pneumatic "jackhammer"-like tool used by the surgeon. However, striking the broach tool with a hammer can be cumbersome and can create significant stress on the surgeon's own joints, such as the shoulder joint. Additionally, pneumatic impact tools must be connected to an air hose, which can be inconvenient and limit the surgeon's ability to orient the tool as desired. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following non-limiting examples detail particular configurations of the disclosed subject matter for specifically solving the problems and providing the advantages discussed herein.

[0005] Example 1 includes a motor, a roller assembly operatively connected to the motor and including a plurality of rollers, each of the plurality of rollers supported by a respective one of a plurality of roller arms, an impact structure forming an impact cavity including a spring and front and rear impact faces disposed at opposite ends of the impact cavity, the impact structure including a wall with a plurality of thread elements connected to the wall and engageable with the roller assembly, each of the thread elements including a pair of helical end faces and a pair of axially extending faces that engage the plurality of rollers, and a tool holder including an impact flange disposed within the impact cavity between the front and rear impact faces. In use, rotation of the roller assembly relative to the helical end faces of the thread elements can move the impact structure axially to load the spring, and engagement of the roller assembly relative to the axially extending faces of the pair of thread elements can unload the spring and engage the impact structure with the impact flange.

[0006] In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 optionally includes, in a forward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a rear end of the impact cavity as the tool implement is pressed against the workpiece, and in a rear impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a front end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is pulled away from the workpiece.

[0007] In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 2 optionally includes, wherein the forward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a first direction relative to a first helical end of the sled element, and the rearward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to a second helical end of the sled element.

[0008] In Example 4, any one or more of the contents of Examples 1-3 optionally include, wherein the spring is integrally formed with the wall.

[0009] In Example 5, any one or more of Examples 1-4 optionally include, wherein the spring comprises at least three coil springs.

[0010] In Example 6, any one or more of Examples 1-5 optionally include, the threaded element is connected to the wall by a screw.

[0011] In Example 7, any one or more of the subject matter of Examples 1-6 optionally includes a gearbox connected to the motor.

[0012] In Example 8, the subject matter of Example 7 optionally includes that the gearbox and the motor are disposed within the spring of the impact structure.

[0013] In Example 9, the content of any one or more of Examples 1-8 optionally includes a housing supporting the impact structure and the tool holder, the housing including a handle and a base, a trigger disposed in the handle, and a battery connected to the base.

[0014] In Example 10, the subject matter of Example 9 optionally includes a microphone disposed within the housing and a controller operative to control actuation of the impact tool via voice commands.

[0015] Example 11 is a surgical impact tool comprising: a motor; a roller assembly operatively connected to the motor and comprising a first roller supported by a first roller arm, a second roller supported by a second roller arm, and a third roller supported by a third roller arm; an impact structure forming a spring and comprising front and rear impact faces, the impact structure defining an impact cavity with the front and rear impact faces disposed at opposite ends of the impact cavity, the impact structure comprising a wall comprising first, second and third thread elements connected to the wall and engageable with the roller assembly, each of the first, second and third thread elements including a pair of helical end faces and a pair of axially extending faces that engage the first, second and third rollers, respectively; and a tool holder including an impact flange disposed within the impact cavity between the front and rear impact faces. In use, rotation of the roller assembly against the helical end surface of the threaded element causes axial movement of the impact structure to apply a load against the spring, and engagement of the roller assembly against the axially extending surfaces of the pair of threaded elements can remove the spring load and engage the impact structure to the impact flange.

[0016] In Example 12, the subject matter of Example 11 optionally includes, in the forward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a rear end of the impact cavity as the tool instrument is pressed against the workpiece, and in the rearward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a front end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is pulled away from the workpiece.

[0017] In Example 13, the subject matter of Example 12 optionally includes, wherein the forward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a first direction relative to a first helical end of the sled element, and the rearward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to a second helical end of the sled element.

[0018] In Example 14, any one or more of Examples 11-13 optionally include, wherein the spring is integrally formed with the wall.

[0019] In Example 15, any one or more of Examples 11-14 optionally include, wherein the spring comprises at least three coil springs.

[0020] In Example 16, any one or more of Examples 11-15 optionally include, the threaded element is connected to the wall by a screw.

[0021] In Example 17, any one or more of Examples 11-16 optionally includes a gearbox connected to the motor.

[0022] In Example 18, the subject matter of Example 17 optionally includes, wherein the gearbox and the motor are disposed within the spring of the impact structure.

[0023] In Example 19, the content of any one or more of Examples 11-18 optionally includes a housing supporting the impact structure and the tool holder, the housing including a handle and a base, a trigger disposed in the handle, and a battery connected to the base.

[0024] In Example 20, the subject matter of Example 19 optionally includes a microphone disposed within the housing and a controller operative to control actuation of the impact tool via voice commands.

[0025] In Example 21, the surgical impact tools, systems and / or methods of any one of Examples 1-20 or any combination thereof can be configured such that any of the elements or options mentioned are available or selectable, as desired. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] In the drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, like numerals may indicate like components in different drawings. Like numerals with different suffixes may represent different instances of like components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example and not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in this document.

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a powered tri-roll surgical sled impact tool in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top cutaway view of a powered tri-roll surgical sled impact tool in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a spring element subassembly of a powered tri-roll surgical impact tool in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of a spring element subassembly of a powered tri-roll surgical impact tool in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a core element of a spring element subassembly of a powered tri-roll surgical sled impact tool in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a tri-roll subassembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a tri-roll subassembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flow chart of logic that can be used to control a powered tri-roll surgical sled impact tool in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a controller in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The illustrations set forth herein illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and such illustrations should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] As an alternative to pneumatic piston drive systems, an electric drive system is disclosed herein. Specifically, the surgical power impact tool disclosed herein can include a motor operatively connected to a roller assembly. The roller assembly can include a plurality of rollers, each of the plurality of rollers can be supported by a respective one of the plurality of roller arms. The impact structure can define a spring and an impact cavity that can include front and rear impact faces disposed at opposite ends of the impact cavity. The impact structure can include a wall with a plurality of thread elements connected to the wall and engageable with the roller assembly. Each of the thread elements can include a pair of helical end faces and a pair of axially extending faces that engage the plurality of rollers. An impact flange of the tool holder element can be positioned within the impact cavity between the front impact face and the rear impact face.

[0030] In use, rotation of the roller assembly against the helical end of the threaded element can move the impact structure axially to load the spring, and in use, engagement of the roller assembly against the axially extending surface of the threaded element can remove the load from the spring and engage the impact structure with the impact flange.

[0031] As disclosed herein, in the forward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward the rear end of the impact cavity as the tool instrument is pressed against the workpiece (e.g., bone), and in the rearward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward the front end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is pulled away from the workpiece. The forward impact mode can include rotating the roller assembly in a first direction relative to a first helical end of the thread element, and the rearward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to a second helical end of the thread element.

[0032] The surgical impact tool can include a housing supporting the impact structure and the tool holder. The housing can include a handle and a base. The trigger can be located in the handle and the battery can be connected to the base. A microphone and a controller can be located in the housing. The controller can be operable to control actuation of the impact tool by voice commands.

[0033] The above discussion is intended to provide an overview of the contents of this patent application. The discussion is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive description of the invention. The following discussion is included to provide further information regarding this patent application.

[0034] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a powered tri-roll surgical sled impact tool 100 in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. As disclosed herein, the powered tri-roll surgical sled impact tool 100 (which may be cordless) may include a replaceable rechargeable battery pack 102 attached to a base 104 and may provide power to control electronics such as a controller 900, described below in connection with FIG. 9. The handle 106 may house wires connected to a motor and / or sensors inside a main housing 108. A trigger 118 allows for manual on-off control, and a speaker / microphone 124 allows a user to vocalize commands and hear prompts from a system controller as disclosed herein. In other words, the speaker / microphone 124 allows the powered tri-roll surgical sled impact tool 100 to be controlled by voice commands. The handle system 120 may be attached to the main housing 108 by a structure 122. The main housing 108 may include a distal portion 114, an intermediate portion 112, and a proximal portion 110. An orthopedic or other tool may be held in a tool holder 116.

[0035] 2 is a top cross-sectional view of a powered surgical tri-roll sled impact roll 100. The impact tool 100 can include a machined two-way (e.g., tension or compression) spring structure 248 with spring coils 252 shown in a neutral position in FIG. 2, and a tri-lobed sled 244 actuated by a tri-roller 208 that can be mounted directly to the output shaft of a gearbox 124. A motor 204 can be attached to the gearbox 124. For example, the gearbox 124 can be a ball bearing mini-motor gear head with a 62:1 ratio and can be used to provide 4 Joules of impact energy.

[0036] The motor 204 can have a power / position sensor data cable 202 that can run through a slot 262 in the distal outer housing section 114 to the backside. An internal snap ring 260 can act as a structure against which a nut 258 can push when pushing the motor housing structure 256 forward. A step 206 in the motor housing structure 256 can push against a mating step 250 in the machined spring structure 254, thereby pushing against the transition step between the outer housing sections 114 and 112. The faces of these steps 206 and 250 can all be machined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis such that their radial misalignment at the proximal end can be less than 0.1 mm. An axial / diameter dimension ratio of approximately 5:1 creates a squareness requirement that is easily achievable with precision lathe machined parts.

[0037] To generate a forward impact, the user can push the impact tool 100 forward so that the distal surface of the flange 224 of the tool holder 116 presses against the proximal surface 226 of the structure 110. A front portion 246 of the machined spring structure 248 can hold a three-lobed threaded element (3) 244 that can engage with a tri-roller (three rollers) 208 that can be attached to the output shaft of the gearbox 124. When the shaft of the gearbox 124 rotates in one direction, the engagement of the rollers 208 and the threaded 244 compresses the machined spring 248, pulling it backwards and storing energy. A base 256 of the spring 248 is fixed and cannot rotate as it is tightly preloaded to the structure 108 by a nut 258.

[0038] When the spring 248 compresses, the proximal end 236 of the machined spring structure 248 can move in a distal direction. The proximal end 236 of the spring structure 248 can include a snap ring 242 that can hold in place a flanged sliding contact bushing bearing 240 (e.g., a Rulon bearing). The bushing bearing 240 can have an inner diameter of, for example, about 10 mm and can slide on the shaft of the tool holder element 210. The proximal end of the tool holder element 210 can be guided by a flanged bushing bearing 216 that can be held in place by a snap ring 218. The sliding seal 220 can prevent the entry of foreign matter. When the striker flange 238 of the spring structure 248 reaches its fully distal retracted position, the tri-roller 208 is released by reaching the end of travel and the turn point of the tri-thread 244, and can rapidly accelerate to impact the proximal face of 238 against the distal face of the flange 212 of the tool holder 210. As the user continues to activate the motor 204 of the impact tool 100 while pushing the impact tool 100 forward, the process can be repeated to advance the tool instrument further into the workpiece (e.g., the broach cuts into the femur).

[0039] To allow for assembly and retraction of the tool, the machined spring structure 248 can hold the collar 234 together with the bearing 230, both of which are held in place by the snap ring 242. The snap ring 214 on the tool holder element 210 can move when the user pulls back on the impact tool 100 until it contacts the surface 222 and the flange 212 can approach the distal surface of the collar 234. The motor 204 can then be operated in the reverse direction, and the tri-roller 208 can engage the reverse thread surface of the tri-sled 244, stretching the machined spring 252 and moving the proximal structure 236 forward such that the collar 234 moves in a proximal direction away from the collar 212. At the end of the thread engagement between the tri-roller 208 and the tri-sled 244, the spring 248 can rebound to provide a reverse blow between the distal surface of the collar 234 and the proximal surface of the flange 212. As the user continues to pull back on the impact tool 100, the motor rotation can repeat this process.

[0040] 3 and 4 show a triple spring sled / spring subassembly including a spring structure 248, a try sled 244, and bearings 240 and 230 held in place by snap rings 242 and 228, respectively. An impact cavity 77 (sometimes referred to as the impact chamber) is bounded at its distal end by a striker flange 238 and at its proximal end by a collar 234, and the flange 212 of the toolholder element 210 can move back and forth within the impact cavity 77.

[0041] The spring coils 252 can be machined into the spring structure 248 so that they are monolithic, and three coils 252 can be used to give the system greater lateral stability. The spring structure 248 can be made from high strength steels such as high strength stainless steels or maraging steels (e.g. Aeromet 340). The tri-threads 244 can be made as inserts 506, 402 and 404 so that they can be precision manufactured, hardened and precision ground. The tri-threads 244 can then be attached by high strength flanged screws 302, 304 and 408 respectively. The oval shape of the tri-thread inserts means that they can resist twisting moments when held against the inner surface of the cylindrical structure 246, but they can also be glued in place in addition to being bolted down by the screws 302, 304 and 408 as insurance against loosening in an impact environment.

[0042] One manufacturing method that can be used to create the machined spring coil 252 integral with the spring structure 248 is to machine everything except the spring coil 252 using a machining operation such as on a lathe. A close-fitting solid cylindrical mandrel can then be inserted inside, which is temporarily attached using a low melt alloy such as one that contains gallium as the base metal. This allows the spring coil 252 to be machined without risk of damage during the machining process.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows the tri-sled 244 without the spring structure 248 to which the tri-sled is attached. In the figure, the tri-roller 208 can be seen with its three threaded rollers 504, 618 and 520 on a central tri-arm structure 514 that can typically have D-shaped holes to allow for high torque transmission, but can be keyed to the gear motor output shaft. The rollers 504, 618 and 520 can be ball bearings or needle roller bearings for very high loads and can be held in place by snap rings. Each tri-sled element such as 404 can be sized with a helical proximal force contact surface 502 and a helical distal force contact surface 522 for contacting the respective threaded roller 520. For example, looking distally, when the motor gearbox 124 rotates the tri-roller 208 counterclockwise, a roller such as 520 can contact surface 516 and compress the spring 252 until roller 520 reaches the radius end 512. Having an axially straight surface 510 means that as the tri-roller continues to rotate counterclockwise, the spring can propel the proximal ends 246 and 236 together with the impact chamber 410 in the proximal direction to contact the helical thread surface 508, and this process can continue to deliver multiple sudden strikes. If the tri-roller 208 rotates clockwise, it can engage a corresponding opposing element, such as the distal helical thread 526, stretching the spring 252 so that when the roller 520 reaches the end of the thread and rotates, for example, around end 524, the spring 252 can repel the proximal ends 246 and 236 in the distal direction to create a rearward impact to cause the collar 234 to strike the flange 212 of the tool holder element 210 and extract the tool instrument.

[0044] The circumferential space between the helical thread surface and the corresponding axially straight surface can be the diameter of the roller plus the distance traveled in the time it takes for the spring to return as the motor continues to rotate, which can be only a few millimeters and can be measured based on the moving mass spring constant and spring compression.

[0045] 5, 6 and 7 show the tri-roller subassembly 208 with rollers 504, 618 and 520 attached to arms 614, 616 and 606 that can protrude from a central body 602 with a D-shaped hole 604. Snap rings 612, 620 and 608 can hold the respective bearings in place. Set screws can be threaded into threaded openings 702 to axially secure the tri-roller subassembly 208 to the shaft of the motor gearbox 124 that has a recess on the shaft flat. The arms and body of the tri-roller subassembly 208 can be machined or printed or molded in one piece (solid) when forming the tri-arm body 610 for maximum strength.

[0046] The three arms and rollers 504, 618 and 520 and corresponding threads 506, 402 and 404 can provide radial stability while transmitting torque from the motor gearbox 124 without creating radial loads on the output shaft of the gearbox 124. Additionally, the contact force can be less than or equal to the torque from the gearbox 124 divided by three times the radial distance from the center of the rollers to the center of the rotating shaft. The rolling contact between the rollers 504, 618 and 520 and the thread elements 506, 402 and 404 can reduce contact stresses and wear, such as at the transition regions of the rounded ends between the helical thread surfaces 508 and 516 and the axial return regions 510 and 518.

[0047] The roller assembly 208 includes hardened and polished tapered rollers that roll in sealed, life-lubricated ball bearings. This life-cycle, combined with the use of dry lubricated surfaces in the thread grooves, allows for nearly maintenance-free operation. This is a screw thread with a constant transmission ratio, i.e., it responds linearly until reversed, rather than a cam system with variable gain as a function of position.

[0048] The present disclosure combines the concept of a roll nut with a reversing screwdriver that can be reversed to allow the motor to reverse direction with opposing contact surfaces instead of crossing threads. However, continuous motor rotation in either direction can create constant vibrations that can result in proximal or distal vibration bias. Instead of a threaded nut that rotates around a screw shaft, the present disclosure uses female threads to create a female sleeve that is prevented from rotating but allows axial movement.

[0049] An inside-out tri-roller roll nut engages the threads to mount the tri-roller structure to the gear motor output shaft. The end of each arm of the tri-roller 208 can be a ball bearing (specially manufactured or sleeve shrunk or bonded to the bearing outer ring) with a convex (curved) profile outer race. By using three rollers 504, 618 and 520 to engage the three internal threads 506, 402 and 404 of the coupler 248, the coupler 248 can be centered on the gear motor rotation axis and has no net radial load against the gearbox shaft. Because the tri-roller 208 is subject to axial loads, the gear motor output shaft can have a snap ring groove to prevent the tri-roller 208 from coming off the shaft.

[0050] The tri-threads 506, 402 and 404 can be individual inserts cut from one piece or manufactured in bulk using powder metallurgy methods. The surfaces where the rollers 504, 618 and 520 contact can be contact finish ground after hardening. When cut at the center of an end mill tracing the spiral, the contact surfaces will not be aligned with the longitudinal axis of the spiral. Furthermore, the outer rings of the bearings at the tri-roller arm ends 612, 620 and 608 will not be perfectly aligned with the longitudinal axis either. Thus, a slight taper may be required on the surfaces (or the end mill or grinding tool used to cut it), such as a 1 degree taper. Furthermore, it is conceivable that at the turn zone at the end of the travel, there may be a further possible mismatch between the rollers and the thread turn surface, which can be adjusted to ensure line contact. Radius differences may mean slippage, so crowned rollers can be used here as well.

[0051] The spring structure 248 can be machined from an annular structure and a triple start thread 252 can be used to maximize lateral stability. The machined spring thread can be bi-directional and therefore reloadable. Thus, only one spring 248 is required to store and release energy in forward or reverse motion to drive or withdraw the tool, respectively.

[0052] 8 illustrates a method of controlling a powered surgical tri-roll sled impact tool, such as the impact tool 100, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. During and / or prior to a surgical procedure, a surgeon can input an estimate of bone quality into the controller (802) and begin the procedure (804). For example, the bone quality score can range from 1 (low bone quality) to 5 (high bone quality). Depending on the bone quality, the tool can be set to provide a preset impact force. For example, for low bone quality, a low impact force can be set. For high bone quality, a high impact force can be set.

[0053] During surgery, the tool / displacement sensor can be used to update the bone quality based on how quickly the tool moves into the bone for the first few broaches (806). For example, if the broach advances faster than expected due to weak cancellous bone (e.g., osteoporosis), the bone quality can be updated. The purpose of the initial bone quality assessment is to adjust the starting force (initial impact) and subsequent impact volume adjustments as the tool progresses into the bone (808). By monitoring the energy, for example while maintaining the tool impact as the broach size is increased, the energy remains unchanged when there is "maximum" broach travel into the femoral canal (measured by the position sensor), for example.

[0054] Bone renewal can be a continuous process. For example, when the position sensor indicates that the broach or implant is not advancing much (medium advancement), this may indicate the end of the stroke. Continuing to impact the bone with more force may damage the bone, so the tool can automatically adjust to reduce the force at a specific rate (e.g., a larger reduction for weaker bone and a smaller reduction for stronger bone).

[0055] 9 is a schematic diagram of a controller 900 in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, the controller 900 can include a processor 902 and a memory 904. The memory unit 904 can include a software module 906 and bone data 908. When executing on the processor 902, the software module 906 can perform processes such as receiving displacement data, measuring bone quality, adjusting tool impact force, etc., including one or more stages included in the methods described herein.

[0056] As disclosed herein, bone data 1208 may include formulas, lookup tables, records, patient data, etc. that can be used to measure bone quality as disclosed herein. Bone data 1208 may also include data for correlating desired impact forces to given bone qualities and for determining various sizes of tools, such as files and / or broaches. Controller 900 may also include a user interface 910, a communication port 912, and input / output (I / O) devices 914.

[0057] The user interface 910 can include any number of devices that allow a user to interact with the controller 900. Non-limiting examples of the user interface 910 can include a keypad, such as buttons located on the housing of the powered linear hammer surgical impact tool, a microphone, a display (such as a touch screen connected to the controller via a wired or wireless connection), and the like.

[0058] As an example, the practitioner can speak "less force", "more force", "faster", "slower", etc. while observing the impact, knowing that the user can use their voice to control the impact tool 100 to suit their needs and style of use. The controller 900 can learn to respond to a particular user.

[0059] To allow the controller 900 to produce a smaller force, the controller can control the current to the coil structure to vary the distance and force of acceleration, and therefore the acceleration of the impact element. The impact force can be proportional to the energy, which is half the mass of the impact element times the square of its velocity. When the user says "faster," the controller 900 can make the impact element go back and forth faster. The controller 900 can operate in a current control mode to generate the desired force, and the voltage follows depending on the velocity as the impact element accelerates.

[0060] The communications port 912 allows the controller 900 to communicate with a variety of information sources and devices, including, but not limited to, a remote computing device, such as a server or other remote computer. For example, the remote computing device can store data, such as patient scan data, that can be retrieved by the controller 900 using the communications port 912. Non-limiting examples of the communications port 912 can include an Ethernet card (wireless or hardwired), a Bluetooth transceiver, a near field communication module, etc.

[0061] The I / O device 914 allows the controller 900 to receive and output information. Non-limiting examples of the I / O device 914 can include sensors such as Hall effect sensors, cameras (still or video), microphones, etc. For example, the I / O device 914 can allow the controller 900 to receive patient data directly from a CT scan machine, an x-ray machine, etc. As another example, the I / O device 914 can include a Hall effect sensor that sends one or more signals that are received by the processor 902. The processor 902 can then measure the impact force generated by the tri-roller based on the position of the tri-roller element and / or the position of the tri-roller.

[0062] [Note] The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as "examples." These examples may include other elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the inventors also contemplate examples in which only the elements shown or described are presented. Moreover, the inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of the elements shown or described (or one or more forms thereof) with respect to a particular example (or one or more forms thereof) or with respect to any other example (or one or more forms thereof) shown or described herein.

[0063] In the event of a conflicting usage between this document and a document incorporated by reference, the usage of this document will control.

[0064] In this document, the singular article is used to include one or more, as is common in patent documents, apart from other instances or uses of "at least one" or "one or more." In this document, "or" is used to imply non-exclusion or "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B," unless otherwise indicated. In this document, "including" and "in which" are used as the plain English equivalents of "comprising" and "in which," respectively. Also, in the following claims, "including" and "comprising" are used without limitation, i.e., systems, apparatus, items, compositions, formulas, or processes that include elements other than those listed after this term in the claim are also considered to be within the scope of the claim. Moreover, in the following claims, "first," "second," and "third" are used as mere designators and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0065] The above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (or one or more aspects thereof) can be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used by those skilled in the art upon reading the above description. The Abstract is submitted in accordance with 37 CFR §1.72(b) to enable the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. The Abstract is provided with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to simplify the disclosure. This should not be construed as intending that unclaimed disclosed features are essential to the claims. Rather, the subject matter may include less than all of the features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description as examples or embodiments, and each claim stands on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which the claims are entitled. According to aspect (1), there is provided a surgical impact tool, comprising: A motor, a roller assembly operatively connected to the motor and including a plurality of rollers, each of the plurality of rollers supported by a respective one of a plurality of roller arms; an impact structure defining a spring and an impact cavity including front and rear impact faces disposed at opposite ends of the impact cavity, said impact structure comprising a wall having a plurality of thread elements connected to the wall and engageable with said roller assembly, each of said thread elements including a pair of helical end faces and a pair of axially extending faces that engage the plurality of rollers; a tool holder including an impact flange disposed within the impact cavity between the front impact face and the rear impact face; Equipped with When using, rotation of the roller assembly against the helical end surface of the threaded element axially moves the impact structure to apply a load against the spring; engagement of the roller assembly against the pair of axially extending surfaces of the sled element can relieve the spring load and cause the impact structure to engage the impact flange. A surgical impact tool. According to aspect (2), in a forward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a rear end of the impact cavity as the tool implement is pressed against a workpiece, and in a rear impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a front end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is pulled away from the workpiece. According to aspect (3), the forward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a first direction relative to a first helical end of the sled element, and the rear impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to a second helical end of the sled element. According to aspect (4), the spring is integrally formed with the wall. According to aspect (5), the spring includes at least three coil springs. According to aspect (6), the thread element is connected to the wall by a screw. According to aspect (7), the device further includes a gearbox connected to the motor. According to aspect (8), the gearbox and the motor are disposed within the spring of the impact structure. According to aspect (9), further, a housing supporting the impact structure and the tool holder, the housing comprising a handle and a base; a trigger disposed within the handle; a battery connected to the base; Equipped with. According to aspect (10), further, a microphone disposed within the housing; a controller operative to control operation of the impact tool via voice commands; Equipped with. According to an eleventh aspect, there is provided a surgical impact tool, comprising: A motor, operatively connected to the motor; a first roller supported by a first roller arm; a second roller supported by a second roller arm; a third roller supported by a third roller arm; a roller assembly comprising: an impact structure forming a spring and having front and rear impact faces, said impact assembly defining an impact cavity with said front and rear impact faces disposed at opposite ends of the impact cavity, said impact assembly comprising a wall having first, second and third thread elements connected to the wall and engageable with said roller assembly, each of said first, second and third thread elements including a pair of helical end surfaces and a pair of axially extending surfaces which engage with said first, second and third rollers, respectively; a tool holder comprising an impact flange disposed within the impact cavity between the front impact face and the rear impact face; Equipped with When using, rotation of the roller assembly against the helical end surface of the sled element axially moves the impact structure to apply a load against the spring; engagement of the roller assembly against the pair of axially extending surfaces of the sled element can relieve the spring load and cause the impact structure to engage the impact flange. A surgical impact tool. According to aspect (12), in a forward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a rear end of the impact cavity as a tool implement is pressed against a workpiece, and in a rearward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a front end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is retracted from the workpiece. According to aspect (13), the forward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a first direction relative to a first helical end face of the thread element, and the rear impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to a second helical end face of the thread element. According to aspect (14), the spring is integrally formed with the wall. According to aspect (15), the spring includes at least three coil springs. According to aspect (16), the thread element is connected to the wall by a screw. According to aspect (17), the device further includes a gearbox connected to the motor. According to aspect (18), the gearbox and the motor are disposed within the spring of the impact structure. According to aspect (19), further, a housing supporting the impact structure and the tool holder, the housing comprising a handle and a base; a trigger disposed within the handle; a battery connected to the base; Equipped with. According to aspect (20), further, a microphone disposed within the housing; a controller operative to control operation of the impact tool via voice commands; Prepare.

Claims

1. 1. A surgical impact tool comprising: A motor, a roller assembly operatively connected to the motor and including a plurality of rollers, each of the plurality of rollers supported by a respective one of a plurality of roller arms; an impact structure defining a spring and an impact cavity including a front impact face and a rear impact face disposed at opposite ends of the impact cavity, the impact structure comprising a wall having a plurality of thread elements connected to the wall and engageable with the roller assembly, each of the thread elements including a pair of helical end faces and a pair of axially extending faces that engage the plurality of rollers; a tool holder including an impact flange disposed within the impact cavity between the front impact face and the rear impact face; Equipped with When using, rotation of the roller assembly against the helical end surface of the threaded element axially moves the impact structure to apply a load against the spring; engagement of the roller assembly with the pair of axially extending surfaces of the sled element removes the load on the spring and allows the rear impact surface to engage and impact the impact flange when the motor rotates in one direction, and removes the load on the spring and allows the front impact surface to engage and impact the impact flange when the motor rotates in the other direction. Surgical impact tool.

2. 2. The surgical impact tool of claim 1, wherein in a forward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a rear end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is pressed into a workpiece, and wherein in a rear impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a front end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is pulled away from the workpiece.

3. 3. The surgical impact tool of claim 2, wherein the forward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a first direction relative to a first helical end of the sled element, and the rearward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to a second helical end of the sled element.

4. The surgical impact tool of claim 1 , wherein the spring is integrally formed with the wall.

5. The surgical impact tool of claim 1 , wherein the spring comprises at least three coil springs.

6. The surgical impact tool of claim 1 , wherein the thread element is connected to the wall by a screw.

7. The surgical impact tool of claim 1 , further comprising a gearbox connected to the motor.

8. The surgical impact tool of claim 7 , wherein the gearbox and the motor are disposed within the spring of the impact structure.

9. Furthermore, a housing supporting the impact structure and the tool holder, the housing comprising a handle and a base; a trigger disposed within the handle; a battery connected to the base; 9. The surgical impact tool of claim 1, comprising:

10. Furthermore, a microphone disposed within the housing; a controller operative to control operation of the impact tool via voice commands; The surgical impact tool of claim 9 , comprising:

11. 1. A surgical impact tool comprising: A motor, operatively connected to the motor; a first roller supported by a first roller arm; a second roller supported by a second roller arm; a third roller supported by a third roller arm; a roller assembly comprising: an impact structure forming a spring and having a front impact face and a rear impact face, said impact assembly defining an impact cavity with said front impact face and said rear impact face disposed at opposite ends of the impact cavity, said impact assembly comprising a wall having first, second and third thread elements connected to the wall and engageable with said roller assembly, each of said first, second and third thread elements including a pair of helical end surfaces and a pair of axially extending surfaces which engage with said first, second and third rollers, respectively; a tool holder comprising an impact flange disposed within the impact cavity between the front impact face and the rear impact face; Equipped with When using, rotation of the roller assembly relative to the helical end surfaces of the first, second and third thread elements axially moves the impact structure to apply a load against the spring; engagement of the roller assembly with the pair of axially extending surfaces of the first, second and third sled elements removes the load on the spring and allows the rear impact surface to engage and impact the impact flange when the motor rotates in one direction, and removes the load on the spring and allows the front impact surface to engage and impact the impact flange when the motor rotates in the other direction. Surgical impact tool.

12. 12. The surgical impact tool of claim 11, wherein in a forward impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a rear end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is pressed into a workpiece, and in a rear impact mode, the impact flange of the tool holder is movable toward a front end of the impact cavity as the impact tool is retracted from the workpiece.

13. 13. The surgical impact tool of claim 12, wherein the forward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a first direction relative to first helical end faces of the first, second and third thread elements, and the rearward impact mode includes rotating the roller assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to second helical ends of the first, second and third thread elements.

14. The surgical impact tool of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the spring is integrally formed with the wall.

15. The surgical impact tool of any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the spring comprises at least three coil springs.

16. The surgical impact tool of claim 11 , wherein the first, second and third thread elements are connected to the wall by screws.

17. The surgical impact tool of any one of claims 11 to 16, further comprising a gearbox connected to the motor.

18. The surgical impact tool of claim 17 , wherein the gearbox and the motor are disposed within the spring of the impact structure.

19. Furthermore, a housing supporting the impact structure and the tool holder, the housing comprising a handle and a base; a trigger disposed within the handle; a battery connected to the base; 19. The surgical impact tool of claim 11, comprising:

20. Furthermore, a microphone disposed within the housing; a controller operative to control operation of the impact tool via voice commands; The surgical impact tool of claim 19 .

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