Surgical Driver Tool Resilient Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driver tools for surgical devices, such as pedicle screw assemblies, often fail to securely hold the driven member during operation, risking loss within the sterile field or surgical site.
Innovation Solution
A drive tool with an elongate shaft featuring a distal drive head and a securing mechanism, including resilient arm members with inclined cam and locking surfaces, which snap-fit into a driven member's through bore, providing a secure and positive hold against falling off, allowing for both driving and holding of threaded or non-threaded implant members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional driver tool is used for surgical devices, then the tool can drive the threaded fastener, but the driven member may be dropped or lost in the sterile field
Solution Approach 1:
The driver tool is segmented into distinct functional zones: a drive head portion for engaging the driven member and a securing mechanism portion with resilient legs for holding it. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function while working together to solve the contradiction between secure holding and operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The securing mechanism employs resilient legs that can dynamically adjust their position. The legs flex radially to engage with the driven member's securing recess and maintain a secure hold during driving operations, then can be deliberately disengaged when needed. This dynamic behavior provides reliable holding without requiring complex mechanical structures.
2Force
If the drive head portion has a large radial size, then it can provide sufficient driving force, but the securing mechanism has less circumferential engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The design transitions from a two-dimensional drive head to a three-dimensional securing mechanism by extending resilient legs axially along the shaft. This dimensional extension allows the securing mechanism to engage circumferentially around the driven member, providing reliable holding while the drive head maintains its driving function. The resilient legs create a radial engagement zone that complements the axial driving motion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tool securely engages and holds the driven member, preventing it from falling off during surgical procedures, ensuring reliable operation and reduced wear over multiple uses, with a durable and robust lock that maintains holding power even after repeated connections and disconnections.
Implementation Method 1
The leg members can have distal end locking portions that cooperate with structure of the driven member so that with the drive head portion of the tool shaft received in the corresponding drive recess of the driven member, the leg member locking portions will be secured to the driven member structure
Implementation Method 2
The drive tool has a plurality of resilient arm members each with a locking portion at the distal end thereof with the locking portions having corresponding oppositely inclined cam and locking surfaces that cooperate with the inclined guide surface and inclined locking surface of the driven member bore for camming the locking portions of the resilient arm members to be snap-fit into the upper securing portion of the driven member through bore
Data Source
AI summary
A tool for holding or driving an implant member having a recess is provided including an elongate tool shaft having a distal head portion for being received in the recess and a securing mechanism that keeps the head portion in the drive recess and which is disposed proximally up along the tool shaft from the distal head portion. In one form, the securing mechanism includes a plurality of resilient leg member having distal end locking portions. In another form, a drive system includes a drive tool and a driven member. The drive tool has a generally annular flange portion that is radially larger than the drive head portion. The driven member has a generally annular securing portion for receiving the flange portion in releasably locked engagement so that the circumferential extent of the locking engagement is maximized relative to the smaller radial size of the drive head portion.