Coated Blade Assembly

Abstract

To provide a sheathed blade assembly with a clearance amount between an exterior sheath and an interior blade to minimize wear.SOLUTION: The assembly includes an exterior sheath having a first portion (110) and a second portion (112) with an inner lumen (132) therebetween, an interior blade (108) movable within the inner lumen of the exterior sheath, a first pocket within a first surface (152) of the interior blade, and a first ball bearing (148) within the first pocket. The first ball bearing creates a clearance amount between the first surface of the interior blade and the first portion of the exterior sheath. The assembly may also include a second pocket within a second surface of the interior blade for a second ball bearing (148). The second ball bearing creates a clearance amount between the second surface of the interior blade and the second portion of the exterior sheath. The second pocket is in a staggered configuration relative to the first pocket.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a division of "Sheathed Surgical This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 639,040, entitled "Sheathed Surgical Saw Blade with Bearings and Universal Saw Handpiece for Sheathed and Standard Blades," filed August 30, 2018, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 724,914, entitled "Sheathed Surgical Saw Blade with Bearings and Universal Saw Handpiece for Sheathed and Standard Blades," filed August 30, 2018, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to surgical blade assemblies, and more particularly to coated blade assemblies having an amount of clearance between the outer sheath and inner blade to minimize wear. [Background technology]

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art A surgical coated blade is composed of a movable inner member (blade) and an outer stationary member (sheath). During use, contact between the movable and stationary members is inevitable because a cantilever force is applied to the assembly, causing the movable and stationary parts to contact. Due to the high linear velocity of the blade, the assembly can become very hot and wear when the blade contacts the stationary sheath. Heating of the sheath and blade can cause bone necrosis and injury to the patient or user. Furthermore, wear created by the blade contacting the sheath can generate metal particles that can shed into the surgical site.

[0004] By design, coated blade assemblies and uncoated (standard) blades require different mechanisms to interact with the surgical saw handpiece, thus requiring different handpieces to actuate one blade or the other. The need for two different saw handpieces, one to drive the coated blade assembly and one to drive the uncoated blade assembly, adds cost to the surgical facility and / or requires the selection of one blade option (coated or uncoated).

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a single surgical saw handpiece for driving both coated blade assemblies and uncoated (standard) blades, and for coated blade assemblies that prevent or minimize potential contact between the inner moving blade and the sheath.

[0006] Related Art Section Disclaimer Explanation: To the extent that specific patents / publications / products are discussed in this Related Art Section description or elsewhere in this disclosure, these discussions should not be taken as an admission that the discussed patents / publications / products are prior art for purposes of patent law. For example, some or all of the discussed patents / publications / products may not be sufficiently early, may not reflect subject matter developed early enough, and / or may not be sufficiently available to constitute prior art for purposes of patent law. To the extent that a specific patent / publication / product is discussed above in this Related Art Section description and / or throughout the application, that description / disclosure is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention relates to a single surgical saw that drives both coated blade assemblies and uncoated (standard) blades, and to a coated blade that prevents potential contact between a movable inner blade and an outer sheath. According to one aspect, the coated blade assembly includes an outer sheath having a top portion and a bottom portion with an inner lumen therebetween, an inner blade movable within the inner lumen of the outer sheath, and at least one ball bearing within the inner lumen of the outer sheath. The ball bearing creates a clearance between the inner blade and at least one of the top and bottom portions of the outer sheath.

[0008] According to another aspect, a coated blade assembly includes an outer sheath having a first portion and a second portion with an inner lumen therebetween, an inner blade movable within the inner lumen of the outer sheath, a first pocket in a first surface of the inner blade, and a first ball bearing in the first pocket, the first ball bearing creating a clearance amount between the first surface of the inner blade and the first portion of the outer sheath.

[0009] According to another aspect, the present invention is a surgical saw. The surgical saw includes a saw head including a collet having an opening configured to receive a movable blade. The blade is removably connected within the collet. A handpiece is connected to the saw head, the handpiece having a drive mechanism for moving the blade.

[0010] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] One or more aspects of the invention are particularly pointed out and particularly claimed as examples in the claims at the conclusion of this specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic top perspective view of a coated blade assembly, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a coated blade assembly, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic distal view of a coated blade assembly, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a coated blade assembly according to an alternative embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic top perspective view of a coated blade assembly according to an alternative embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a coated blade assembly according to an alternative embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic side perspective view of a general purpose saw head, according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic side perspective view of a coated blade assembly connected to a universal saw head, according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic side perspective view of an uncoated blade connected to a general-purpose saw head according to an alternative embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic exploded view of a coated blade assembly connected to the universal saw head of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Aspects of the present invention and specific features, advantages, and details thereof are more fully described below with reference to non-limiting examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Descriptions of well-known structures are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the details of the invention. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific non-limiting examples, while illustrating aspects of the present invention, are given by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation. Within the spirit and / or scope of the concepts underlying the invention. Various substitutions, modifications, additions and / or arrangements in the above will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0014] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, Figure 1 shows a schematic top perspective view of a coated braid assembly 100, according to one embodiment. The coated braid assembly 100 extends from a proximal end 102 to a distal end 104. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the coated braid assembly 100 includes a stationary outer sheath 106 having a movable inner blade 108 extending therethrough.

[0015] Referring now to FIG. 2 , a schematic exploded perspective view of a coated braid assembly 100 is shown, according to one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the coated braid assembly 100 includes an outer sheath 106 having two parts, a top portion 110 and a bottom portion 112. The top portion 110 and the bottom portion 112 are constructed of a metal, such as stainless steel. As shown in FIG. 2 , the top portion 110 is an elongated rectangular plate. In the illustrated embodiment, the top portion 110 has a straight proximal edge 114 and a curved distal edge 116. The bottom portion 112 is also an elongated rectangular plate having a straight proximal edge 118 and a curved distal edge 120. The bottom portion 112 also includes a distal end 122 that includes a circular opening 124. In the illustrated embodiment, the distal end 122 of the bottom portion 112 includes a pair of arms 126 (or prongs) extending therefrom. The arms 126 extend toward each other but do not meet, forming a gap 128 therebetween. The gap 128 extends into the circular opening 124 as shown.

[0016] 2 , the outer sheath 106 further includes a track 130 extending along the bottom portion 112 between the straight proximal edge 118 and the curved distal edge 120. The track 130 defines an inner lumen 132 within the coated braid assembly 100 between the top portion 110 and the bottom portion 112 of the outer sheath 106. The inner lumen 132 is sized and configured to fit the inner braid 108.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 , the inner blade 108 includes a proximal cutting end 134 and a distal connecting end 136 (also referred to as a “hub” 164). In the illustrated embodiment, the inner blade 108 is elongated and tapered, narrowing toward the proximal cutting end 134. The proximal cutting end 134 of the inner blade 108 includes a head 138 having a plurality of cutting teeth 140. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the head 138 of the proximal cutting end 134 is trapezoidal in shape, increasing in width in the proximal direction. The distal connecting end 136 includes a circular disk 142 having a plurality of slots 144 and an opening 146 extending therethrough. The disk 142 is sized and configured to fit within the opening 124 in the distal end 122 of the bottom portion 112. Furthermore, the opening 146 in the disk 142 is positioned to align with the gap 128 in the distal end 122 of the bottom portion 112. The purpose of the distal connecting end 136 of the inner blade 108 and the distal end 122 of the bottom portion 112 is to facilitate connection of the coated blade assembly 100 to a saw head 160 (FIG. 7).

[0018] 2, the coated braid assembly 100 further includes one or more ball bearings 148 between the top portion 110 of the outer sheath 106 and the inner blade 108, and between the bottom portion 112 of the outer sheath 106 and the inner blade 108. The ball bearings 148 are seated or positioned on either side of the inner blade 108 and rotate relative to the inner blade 108 and the top and bottom portions 110 and 112 of the outer sheath 106. Thus, the ball bearings 148 allow movement of the inner blade 108 and minimize contact between the inner blade 108 and the outer sheath 106. The ball bearings 148 may be embedded in blind holes or slots (not shown) in the inner blade 108 or the top and bottom portions 110 and 112 of the outer sheath 106. The ball bearings 148 may protrude beyond the surface of the inner blade 108 or the outer sheath 106 to maintain a gap between the inner blade 108 and the outer sheath 106. do.

[0019] 3-4, schematic distal and side views of a coated braid assembly 100 are shown, according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 shows the proximal end 102 of the coated braid assembly 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner braid 108 is shown positioned within the inner lumen 132 of the outer sheath 106 (between the top portion 110 and the bottom portion 112). As also shown in FIG. 3, a ball bearing 148 is positioned within a pocket 150 in the top surface 152 of the inner braid 108.

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the coated blade assembly 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner blade 108 is positioned within the inner lumen 132 of the outer sheath 106. The inner blade 108 shown in FIG. 4 has two pockets 150A, 150B, one pocket 150A on the top surface 152 of the inner blade 108 and one pocket 150B on the bottom surface 154 of the inner blade 108, and ball bearings 148 are positioned within the pockets 150A, 150B. In the illustrated embodiment, the two pockets 150A, 150B are offset such that one pocket 150A is distal to the proximal cutting end 134 of the inner blade 108 compared to the other pocket 150B. While the ball bearings 148 may be sized and configured to fit within the pockets 150A, 150B, the coated blade assembly 100 does not require the pockets 150A, 150B. The ball bearings 148 may be constrained by the size of the outer sheath 106 and the width of the inner blade 108 within the outer sheath 106. The staggered configuration of the ball bearings 148 provides clearance between the inner blade 108 and the outer sheath 106, significantly reducing friction within the assembly, thereby reducing heat, wear, and metal particle generation. The clearance also allows fluid to lubricate the moving parts of the coated blade assembly 100.

[0021] 5-6, there are shown schematic top perspective and exploded perspective views of a coated braid assembly 100 according to an alternative embodiment. In the alternative embodiment of the coated braid assembly 100 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outer sheath 106 includes a plurality of cutouts 146 (i.e., apertures or openings). As shown in FIG. 5, the upper portion 110 of the outer sheath 106 includes three trapezoidal or triangular cutouts 156A extending therethrough. However, any number of cutouts 156A of any shape or configuration may be used.

[0022] In FIG. 6 , the bottom portion 112 of the outer sheath 106 further includes a plurality of notches 156B (i.e., apertures or openings) extending therethrough. The bottom portion 112 of the outer sheath 106 also includes three trapezoidal or triangular notches 156B extending therethrough (although any number of notches 156B of any shape or configuration can be used). In the illustrated embodiment, the notches 156B in the bottom portion 112 of the outer sheath 106 are aligned with the notches 156A in the top portion 110 of the outer sheath 106. The notches 156A, 156B reduce the surface area of ​​contact between the inner blade 108 and the outer sheath 106, allowing fluid from the surgical site to lubricate the moving parts. Thus, the notches 156A, 156B reduce friction and wear within the coated blade assembly 100, reducing heat and metal particle generation in the coated blade assembly 100. To further reduce friction, wear, and heat, any surfaces of the inner blade 108 and outer sheath 106 may also include a coating 158, such as a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating, a diamond-like carbon coating, and / or a dry lubricating coating such as tungsten disulfide.

[0023] 7, a schematic side perspective view of a general-purpose saw head 160 is shown, according to one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the saw head 160 includes a collet 162 (opening 164) for accommodating both coated blade assemblies 100 (FIG. 1) and uncoated (standard) blades 200. 1-2 , when using a coated blade 100, the collet 162 holds the outer sheath 106 stationary while securing the outer sheath 106 so that the inner blade 108 is engaged and driven using the hub 164 of the inner blade 108. When using an uncoated (standard) blade 200, the saw head 160 has the same structure as the hub 164 of the coated blade assembly 100 ( FIG. 2 ), so that the hub (not shown) of the uncoated blade assembly 200 is used to engage and drive the uncoated blade assembly 200, while the collet 162 provides sufficient clearance so that the standard blade 200 does not come into contact with any of the mechanisms associated with securing the outer sheath 106. Because the saw head 160 can accommodate both the coated blade assembly 100 ( FIG. 1 ) and the uncoated (standard) blade assembly 200, the need for two different types of saw handpieces is eliminated, reducing purchasing costs and inventory. It also improves logistics for hospitals and surgical centers. As shown in FIG. 7, a single general-purpose saw head 160 also provides the user (eg, a physician) with more flexibility in selecting blade types for various surgical cuts during an orthopaedic surgical procedure.

[0024] 8 and 9, there is shown a schematic side perspective view of a coated blade assembly 100 and an uncoated blade 200, respectively, connected to a general-purpose saw head 160. As shown in both Figures 8 and 9, the general-purpose saw head 160 of Figure 7 can be attached to a handpiece 166. The handpiece 166 can be any handpiece having a drive mechanism, such as a battery-powered handpiece or a pneumatic handpiece.

[0025] In the embodiment in which the coated blade assembly 100 is used in FIG. 8, the collet 162 captures the arms 126 at the distal end 122 (FIG. 2) of the bottom portion 112 of the outer sheath 106. In particular, as shown in FIG. 10, one or more raised areas 172 on the collet 162 clamp (or capture) the outer sheath 106 of the coated blade assembly 100, holding the outer sheath 106 stationary while the inner blade 108 essentially floats within the outer sheath 106. Thus, the collet 162 connects to the stationary outer sheath 106 without contacting the movable inner blade 108, also as shown in FIG. 10.

[0026] As shown in Figure 9, when an uncoated (standard) blade 200 is used, collet 162 is connected to the hub of the uncoated blade 200 (similar to hub 164 (Figure 2) of coated blade assembly 100), but leaves a clearance amount 168 between the blade 200 and collet 162 to prevent contact, heating, and damage. The clearance amount 168 in Figure 9 can be created in collet 162 by a recess 174, such as that shown in Figure 10. The recess 174 provides the clearance amount 168 (Figure 9) between the collet 162 and the uncoated blade 200.

[0027] FIG. 10 also shows various other components of the collet 162 and saw head 160. In the illustrated embodiment, the coated blade assembly 100 is attached to the collet 162 (and saw head 160) via a cap 176 and a conventional connector 178. In the illustrated embodiment, the connector 178 is attached to the cap 176 and extends through the hub 164 of the coated blade assembly 100 and the collet 162. As shown in FIG. 10 , the saw head 160 includes a drive hub 180. The drive hub 180 is the moving component of the saw head 160. When the stationary outer sheath 106 is clamped by the raised region 172 of the collet 162, the inner blade 180 is driven, moved, or otherwise actuated by the drive hub 180, which is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) within the handpiece 166.

[0028] All definitions defined and used herein should be understood to control for dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0029] While various embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that the Various other means and / or structures for performing the functions and / or obtaining the results and / or one or more advantages of the present disclosure will be readily envisioned, and each such variation and / or modification is deemed to be within the scope of the embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are exemplary, and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on the specific application or applications for which the teachings are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only, and it will be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein. Furthermore, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods, where such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprise" (and any form of comprise, such as "comprises" or "comprising"), "have" (and any form of have, such as "has" or "having"), "include" (and any form of include, such as "includes" or "including"), and "contain" (and any form of contain, such as "contains" or "containing") are open-ended linking verbs. Consequently, a method or device "comprises," "have," "include," or "contain" one or more steps or elements. Similarly, a method step or device element that "comprises," "has," "includes," or "contains" one or more features has those one or more features, but is not limited to possessing only those features or features. Furthermore, a device or structure that is configured in a particular way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways not listed.

[0031] Corresponding structure, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step-plus-function elements in the following claims are intended to include the structure, materials, or acts for performing the function, if any, in combination with the elements of other claims that are specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles and practical application of one or more aspects of the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to appreciate one or more aspects of the invention in various embodiments with various modifications suitable for the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. a coated braid assembly extending from a proximal end to a distal end, an outer sheath having a top portion and a bottom portion, the outer sheath having an inner lumen between the top portion and the bottom portion; an inner blade movable within the inner lumen of the outer sheath; a bearing within the inner lumen of the outer sheath; Equipped with the bearings comprising a first ball bearing disposed between the inner blade and the top portion of the outer sheath, and a second ball bearing disposed between the inner blade and the bottom portion of the outer sheath; the first ball bearing and the second ball bearing are configured to rotate relative to the inner blade and the outer sheath, respectively, and to create a clearance between the inner blade and the top portion of the outer sheath and between the inner blade and the bottom portion of the outer sheath; The coated blade assembly, wherein the first ball bearing is offset distally relative to the proximal end of the inner blade relative to the second ball bearing.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner blade is configured to move relative to the outer sheath.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner blade includes a proximal cutting edge toward the proximal end, the inner blade tapering toward the proximal cutting edge.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the proximal cutting end of the inner blade includes a head, the head having a plurality of cutting teeth.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the head has a width that increases proximally.

6. 10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner blade includes a distal connecting end including a circular disk on the distal end, the circular disk having a plurality of slots.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the circular disk further comprises an opening extending inward from the outer periphery of the circular disk.

8. 8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the bottom portion of the outer sheath includes a distal end having a circular opening into which the circular disk fits and a gap that aligns with the opening in the circular disk.

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