1550 results about "Pilot hole" patented technology

A technique for the arthroscopic delivery and fixation of an articular cartilage repair device or implant is provided. The technique includes the use of a cannula tube that functions as both a cartilage cutter and a guide to pass instruments into the body arthroscopically. One such instrument is an end-cutting reamer that both prepares the subchondral bone by re-surfacing it down to a specified depth and also simultaneously drills a pilot hole in the subchondral bone to accept the cartilage repair device. A delivery device is utilized to hold and deliver the cartilage repair device to the delivery site.

Spinal implants for fusing and/or stabilizing spinal vertebrae and methods and apparatus for implanting one or more of such spinal implants axially within one or more axial bore within vertebral bodies in alignment with a visualized, trans-sacral axial instrumentation/fusion (TASIF) line in a minimally invasive, low trauma, manner are disclosed. Attachment mechanisms are provided that attach or affix or force the preformed spinal implants or rods to or against the vertebral bone along the full length of a TASIF axial bore or bores or pilot holes or at the cephalad end and/or caudal end of the TASIF axial bore or bores or pilot holes. The engagement of the vertebral body is either an active engagement upon implantation of the spinal implant into the TASIF axial bore or a passive engagement of the external surface configuration with the vertebral bone caused by bone growth about the external surface configuration. A plurality of such spinal implants can be inserted axially in the same TASIF axial bore or pilot hole or separately in a plurality of TASIF axial bores or pilot holes that extend axially and in a side-by-side relation through the vertebrae and discs, if present, between the vertebrae. Discectomies and/or vertebroblasty can be performed through the TASIF axial bore or bores or pilot holes prior to insertion of the spinal implants. Vertebroblasty is a procedure for augmentation of collapsed vertebral bodies by pumped-in materials, e.g., bone cement or bone growth materials. Materials or devices can also be delivered into the disc space to separate the adjoining vertebrae and/or into damaged vertebral bodies or to strengthen them.

A knotless suture anchor for reattachment of tissue to bone features a barbed body having a Y-shaped slot formed distally for capturing a length of suture. The suture is passed through the tissue to be reattached, and a simple knot formed in the suture is captured in the slot on the suture anchor. The anchor is installed with the captured suture into a pre-formed pilot hole to draw the tissue to the bone.

A device for attaching a sheet-like implant to a target tissue includes a pilot member and a staple push rod. In some embodiments, the pilot member has a distal end and at least a pair of prongs extending from the distal end. The prongs are configured to form pilot holes when the distal end of the pilot member is pressed against the target tissue. The staple push rod is disposed within at least a portion of the pilot member and slidable relative thereto. The staple push rod includes at least a pair of stakes. Each stake is dimensioned to engage a surface of a staple to apply pushing forces thereto. Each stake is positioned relative to a prong along an inner surface of the pilot member so that the stakes advance into the pilot holes when the stakes are moved in a distal direction. Methods for attaching a sheet-like implant to a target tissue are also disclosed

A pedicle access system including a cannula, a stylet, and a removable T-handle. The pedicle access system may be used to percutaneously approach the pedicle, initiate pilot hole formation, and conduct a stimulation signal to the target site for the purposes of performing a pedicle integrity assessment during the pilot hole formation. To do this, the cannula and stylet are locked in combination and inserted through an operating corridor to the pedicle target site, using the T-handle to facilitate easy movement and positioning of the cannula/stylet combination. A stimulation signal may be applied during pilot hole formation to conduct the pedicle integrity assessment. In a significant aspect, the T-handle may be detached from the cannula/stylet combination to facilitate the use of various surgical tools as necessary.

In a dental implantation, after exposure of the alveolar crest and drilling a pilot hole into the crest, a novel mill having an axial guide pin which extends into the pilot hole is used to form clearance for a cover screw or temporary healing abutment. The pilot hole is then enlarged to form clearance for the implant and the screw or abutment is attached.

Drilling of an implant shaft is carried out with a handpiece tool whose location and angular orientation with respect to a radiographic working guide is updated in real time with respect to the radiographic working guide and anatomical structures of the patient, free of viewing obstructions. Prior to the drilling, the radiographic working guide is fitted to a particular patient. Real-time imaging support is provided on a display of a computer, wherein the radiographic workpiece guide includes a plurality of fiducial markers that define a substantially planar reference surface of the radiographic workpiece guide. The radiographic workpiece guide also includes an alignment structure located a predetermined distance from a pilot hole proximate the work site. The image is updated based on an initial radiographic scan and updated position information from the handpiece tool as to location and angular orientation of the handpiece tool relative to the workpiece guide.

A bone fixation plate for fixation of fractures having a small terminal bone fragment, such as fractures of the lateral malleolus. The bone fixation plate includes an elongated body, and two hook members extending from a first end of the elongated body. Each hook member curves back upon a bottom surface of the elongated body, back towards a second end of the elongated body, and terminating in a pointed prong region. The elongated body includes a first region, a second region, and an angled region disposed between the first and second region. The prong region has a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the angled region of the elongated body of the bone plate. A double barreled drill guide and associated interchangeable cooperating inner drill guides and gauges are provided to facilitate the drilling of pilot holes in a terminal bone fragment for axial insertion of the pointed prong regions of the hook members.

A method for securing soft tissue to bone which does not require the surgeon to tie suture knots to secure the tissue to the bone. Suture is passed through the graft at desired points. A cannulated plug or screw is pre-loaded onto the distal end of a driver provided with an eyelet implant at its distal end. Suture attached to the graft is passed through the eyelet of the implant located at the distal end of the driver. The distal end of the driver together with the eyelet implant is inserted into the bone. Tension is applied to the suture to position the graft at the desired location relative to the bone. The screw or plug is advanced into the pilot hole by turning the interference screw or tapping the plug until the cannulated screw or plug securely engages and locks in the eyelet implant, so that the cannulated plug or screw with the engaged eyelet implant is flush with the bone. Once the screw or plug is fully inserted and the suture is impacted into the bone, the driver is removed and any loose ends of the sutures protruding from the anchor site are then clipped short.

The invention relates to a non-excavation tube pulling construction method which comprises the following steps: (1) preparation work: understanding stratum and underground condition, calculating the number of chambering and the size of a return compandor, and formulating the control data of a pipeline midline and elevation and correction measures; (2) measuring plane surface, controlling payingoff, and measuring the elevation of each pile; (3) setting an active well, and receiving and setting a drilling machine; (4) preparing drilling fluid; (5) drilling pilot holes,; (6) adopting the compandor to chambering, cleaning the hole at the same time, and protecting walls with slurry; (7) welding the pipeline; (8) pulling the tube, and simultaneously pulling a steel tube with the same length as that of the tube; (9) casting slip and fixing; (10) mounting tubes; (11) testing pressure and flushing. The invention can effectively increases economical benefit and social benefit, and has the advantages of environmental protection and energy saving.

A drill bit stabilizing system comprising a body member having an axis and at least one recess formed in the body member housing at least one stabilizing member when in a first retracted position. The stabilizing member is positionable along a diagonal angle with the axis to a second extended operating position which extends downward and outward relative to the main body to selectively engage the surface of a pilot bore hole wall during a drilling operation so as to stabilize an under gauge drill bit used in association with the stabilizing system. The body member further comprises at least one fixed stabilizing surface positioned in an axially spaced relationship to the at least one movable stabilizing member. The body member further comprises a gauge cutter positioned above the moveable stabilizing member and below the fixed stabilizing surface to expand the pilot hole to the final gauge.

Bone anchor insertion assemblies and methods are provided for inserting a bone anchor (e.g., bone screw) into bone without having to create a pilot hole. In some embodiments, the assembly includes a bone anchor, a housing member, and a rod. The housing member, which is coupled to the rod, is movable between proximally and distally advanced positions relative to the rod. In the proximal position, the bone anchor can be coupled to the rod. In the distal position, a tip of the bone anchor is generally aligned with a distal end of the housing member. The bone anchor is advanced into the bone under guidance of the housing member, where the tip of the bone anchor serves as a bone awl. Once the bone anchor is seated within the bone, the housing member can be returned to the proximal position to improve visibility of the surgical procedure.

The invention discloses a vertical shaft construction method under a unfavorable geological condition, comprising the following construction steps of: 1, pouring cover-weight concrete at a position wherein a well head of a vertical shaft is; 2, arranging two circles of advance consolidation grouting holes in the cover-weight concrete and arranging anchor bar bundles in the grouting holes, wherein the depths of the grouting holes are the same as the depth of the vertical shaft and the depths of the anchor bar bundles are the same as the depths of the grouting holes; 3, drilling pilot holes from top to bottom of the vertical shaft by utilizing a raise-boring machine; 4, drilling pilot shafts from bottom to top of the vertical shaft by utilizing the raise-boring machine; 5, carrying out advance support before expanding excavation; 6, carrying out hole drilling , blasting and the expanding excavation from top to bottom on the vertical shaft; and 7, carrying out reinforced support after the expanding excavation. By means of the vertical shaft construction method disclosed by the invention, the problems of the excavation of the light-section deep vertical shaft under the unfavorable geological condition are solved; and through the advance consolidation before the pilot hole construction, the advance support of small pipes before the expanding excavation and the steel support and bolt-spray support after the excavation, the influences of hole collapsing during the pilot shaft excavating and collapse after the expanding excavation on the construction are effectively eliminated.

The invention discloses a submarine shallow layer natural gas hydrate pilot hole pull-back jet break-up exploitation method and exploitation device, and belongs to the technical field of submarine hydrate exploitation. The exploitation method mainly comprises the following steps that a water insulation pipe is lowered to the position adjacent to a hydrate deposit, turn drilling is conducted in thehydrate deposit by means of mechanical or jet-flow drilling, and a pilot hole with a certain inclined angle is formed; after drilling reaches a preset position, a continuous pipe and an exploitationcrushing system are pulled back, meanwhile the surrounding hydrate ore body is crushed by means of a spray head jet flow, hydrate particles formed are collected into a closed pipeline with seawater, silt in the crushed particles is separated out by means of an in-pipe downhole separator, curing agent is added, then the particles are backfilled to a gob in situ, and the hydrate particles after separation are pumped to the sea surface for treatment together with the seawater. By means of the exploitation method and the exploitation device, efficient, safe and sustainable exploitation of the submarine shallow layer natural gas hydrate is achieved, the exploitation efficiency is ensured, and meanwhile a potential safety problem is effectively avoided.

A hole opener including a tool body having upper and lower ends. The upper and lower ends may be coupled to adjacent drilling tools. At least two blades are formed on the tool body and are arranged so that the hole opener is positioned concentric with a wellbore, and cutting elements are located on the blades. The at least two blades and the cutting elements are arranged to increase a diameter of a previously drilled wellbore.

A hole opener including a tool body having upper and lower ends. The upper and lower ends may be coupled to adjacent drilling tools. At least two blades are formed on the tool body and are arranged so that the hole opener is positioned concentric with a wellbore, and cutting elements are located on the blades. The hole opener includes a pilot hole conditioning section. The pilot hole conditioning section includes at least two pilot blades formed on the tool body in a position axially ahead of the blades. The pilot blades include a taper at a downhole end and gage pads positioned at selected diameters. At least one cutting element is disposed on the pilot blades.

Methods for determining hydraulic fracture geometry and/or areal extent of an area of interest in a reservoir, are provided. An exemplary method includes isolating downhole acoustic receiver equipment in a lower portion of a first wellbore from fracturing operations located in a second wellbore connected to the first wellbore. Communications between surface equipment in the downhole acoustic receiver equipment is provided through a communications conduit bypass that permits well operations in the second wellbore without interfering with communications between the surface equipment and the downhole acoustic receiver equipment.

A drill bit has a cylindrical proximal end coupled to a driving device with a central axis of rotation about which the proximal end rotates. A distal portion of the drill bit is a cutting device attached to the proximal end in such a way that it extends outside the periphery of the proximal end for a distance less than the entirety of the circumference of the proximal end. A guide wire extends through a passageway in the bit and is provided to create a pilot hole before the distal portion enlarges that hole. With this configuration of the cutting device, it is possible to position the cutting device in the distal portion in a direction facing away from the medial femoral condyle so that the proximal end of the drill bit can slide past the medial femoral condyle, with its axis of rotation much closer to that condyle than would be the case in prior art drill bits.

The present invention relates to pedicle implements, in particular pedicle implants that involve screws. The present invention includes a handle, a pointy tip, a shaft, a cannula located therethrough and mini protrusions used to prevent toggling. The crux of the present invention is the ability of the user to create an accurate pilot hole via the pointy tip. In addition, the present invention allows the user the ability to insert a pedicle probe through the cannula out through the pointy tip. This allows the user to perform the cannulation portion of the procedure without the use of any thrombatic agents.

A differential diameter hole drilling method by which through-holes having improved major surface quality are formed in a target material involves drilling a pilot hole having a diameter that is less than the desired diameter of the through-hole and then drilling a through-hole having the desired diameter. The pilot hole forms a channel from which thermal energy produced during laser drilling can diffuse into the environment, thereby reducing the amount of thermal energy diffusing into the surrounding target material matrix and the degree of thermal damage to the heat affected zone of the target material matrix. The pilot hole also forms a channel through which ablated target material may be removed, thereby increasing overall through-hole throughput. Pilot hole formation reduces the thermal energy required to form the remaining portion of the through-hole and thereby results in less thermal damage to the surrounding target material matrix.