Expandable acetabular reaming system

Claim 2

A surgical cutting tool, comprising: a cutter head having a convex surface and a plurality of apertures extending through said surface; a flexible bladder mounted within said cutter head and spaced apart from said convex surface; a plurality of cutter blades attached to said bladder, each blade positioned to correspond with a respective one of said apertures; and means for selectably inflating or deflating said bladder, whereby said blades extend incrementally through said respective apertures as said bladder is inflated and retract incrementally through said respective apertures as said bladder is deflated.

Claim 3

A surgical cutting tool as in claim 1 wherein said cutter head further comprises a base plate fixedly attached to a peripheral edge of said convex surface for forming an interior space within said cutter head, said base plate having an aperture therethrough for communicating said inflating or deflating means with said bladder.

Claim 4

A surgical cutting tool as in claim 1 wherein said bladder is spaced apart from said convex surface so as to form a reservoir adapted to collect surgical waste material during use of the cutting tool.

Claim 5

A surgical cutting tool as in claim 1 wherein said inflating or deflating means comprises an air cylinder coupled to said cutter head, said air cylinder having an open top in communication with said bladder and a shaft threadably movable within said cylinder, whereby said bladder is incrementally inflated upon a movement of said shaft in one direction and incrementally deflated upon a movement of said shaft in another direction.

Claim 6

A surgical cutting tool as in claim 1 wherein said inflating or deflating means is a piston pump coupled to said cutting head, said pump including: an outlet valve in communication with said bladder; an actuator means for selectably delivering a predetermined amount of air through said outlet valve into said bladder; and a relief valve for selectably releasing air from said bladder.

Claim 7

A surgical cutting tool as in claim 1 wherein said blades include a cupped configuration adapted to cut and scoop bone material away from the surgical site.

Claim 8

An acetabular reaming system for use in hip replacement surgery, comprising: a reamer head having a convex forward end attached to a base plate defining an interior space therebetween, said forward end having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough; a bladder mounted to said base plate within said interior space, said bladder being concentric to and spaced from said forward end of said reamer head so as to form a reservoir adapted to collect surgical waste material; a plurality of cutter blades mounted to said bladder, each blade positioned thereon in correspondence with one of said apertures; and a tubular air cylinder depending from said base plate including an open top in communication with said bladder and a shaft movable within said cylinder adapted to incrementally inflate or deflate said bladder upon a movement of said shaft, whereby said blades are projected through said corresponding apertures when said bladder is incrementally inflated and said blades are retracted through said corresponding apertures when said bladder is incrementally deflated.

Claim 9

An acetabular reaming system for use in hip replacement surgery, comprising: a reamer head having a convex forward end attached to a base plate defining an interior space therebetween, said forward end having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough; a bladder mounted to said base plate within said interior space, said bladder being concentric to and spaced from said forward end of said reamer head so as to form a reservoir adapted to collect surgical waste material; a plurality of cutter blades mounted to said bladder, each blade positioned thereon in correspondence with one of said apertures; and a tubular air cylinder depending from said base plate including an open top in communication with said bladder and a shaft movable within said cylinder adapted to incrementally inflate or deflate said bladder upon a movement of said shaft, whereby said blades are projected through said corresponding apertures when said bladder is incrementally inflated and said blades are retracted through said corresponding apertures when said bladder is incrementally deflated.

Claim 10

A reaming system as in claim 7 wherein said base plate includes a central aperture adapted to communicate said air cylinder with said bladder, said bladder being attached to said base plate in a sealed relationship about said central aperture whereby air delivered to said bladder from said air cylinder incrementally inflates said bladder.

Claim 11

A reaming system as in claim 7 wherein said base plate includes at least one slot positioned between said bladder and said forward end such that surgical waste material accumulated within said reservoir is removable therethrough.

Claim 12

A reaming system as in claim 7 wherein said blades include a cup-shaped configuration adapted to cut and scoop bone and viscous fluids away from the surgical site and into said reservoir.

Claim 13

A reaming system as in claim 7 wherein said air cylinder includes a bottom wall opposite said open top having a threaded aperture therethrough, said shaft extending through said bottom wall aperture and having threads complementary thereto, whereby said shaft is threadably movable within said air cylinder upon a user rotation of said shaft.

Claim 14

A reaming system as in claim 7 further comprising: a socket coupled to said base plate and spaced apart therefrom; a drive shaft having a forward end adapted to be coupled to said socket and a rearward end adapted to be rotated by a driver, whereby said reamer head is rotated upon a rotation of the driver when said drive shaft is coupled to said socket.

Claim 15

A reaming system as in claim 12 further comprising a handle pivotally coupled to said drive shaft, said handle adapted to be grasped for guiding said reaming head without itself being rotated by said drive shaft.

Claim 16

An acetabular reaming system for use in hip replacement surgery, comprising: a cutter head having a convex forward end attached to a base plate and defining an interior space therebetween, said forward end having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough; a framework having a pair of elongate support members depending from said base plate and having a socket extending between distal ends of said support members relative to said cutter head; a flexible bladder mounted within said interior space and spaced from said forward end of said cutter head so as to form a reservoir adapted to collect surgical waste material; a plurality of cutter blades attached to said bladder, each blade positioned to correspond with a respective one of said apertures; an air cylinder mounted to said base plate and extending within said framework, said base plate having a central aperture therethrough for communicating said air cylinder with said bladder; means for selectably actuating said air cylinder for incrementally inflating or deflating said bladder, whereby said blades extend incrementally through said respective apertures as said bladder is inflated and retract incrementally through said apertures as said bladder is deflated; and a drive shaft having a forward end adapted to be coupled to said socket and a rearward end adapted for rotation by a driver, whereby said cutter head is rotated upon a rotation by the driver when said forward end is coupled to said socket.

Claim 17

An acetabular reaming system for use in hip replacement surgery, comprising: a cutter head having a convex forward end attached to a base plate and defining an interior space therebetween, said forward end having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough; a framework having a pair of elongate support members depending from said base plate and having a socket extending between distal ends of said support members relative to said cutter head; a flexible bladder mounted within said interior space and spaced from said forward end of said cutter head so as to form a reservoir adapted to collect surgical waste material; a plurality of cutter blades attached to said bladder, each blade positioned to correspond with a respective one of said apertures; an air cylinder mounted to said base plate and extending within said framework, said base plate having a central aperture therethrough for communicating said air cylinder with said bladder; means for selectably actuating said air cylinder for incrementally inflating or deflating said bladder, whereby said blades extend incrementally through said respective apertures as said bladder is inflated and retract incrementally through said apertures as said bladder is deflated; and a drive shaft having a forward end adapted to be coupled to said socket and a rearward end adapted for rotation by a driver, whereby said cutter head is rotated upon a rotation by the driver when said forward end is coupled to said socket.

Claim 18

A reaming system as in claim 14 wherein said bladder is attached to said base plate in a sealed relationship about said central aperture whereby air delivered to said bladder from said air cylinder incrementally inflates said bladder.

Claim 19

A reaming system as in claim 14 wherein said base plate includes at least one slot positioned between said bladder and said forward end such that surgical waste material accumulated within said reservoir is removable therethrough.

Claim 20

A reaming system as in claim 14 wherein said blades have a cup-shaped configuration adapted to cut and scoop bone and viscous fluids away from the surgical site and into said reservoir.

Claim 21

A reaming system as in claim 14 wherein said air cylinder includes a tubular housing having an open top positioned adjacent said aperture in said base plate and a bottom wall opposite said open top, said bottom wall having a threaded aperture therethrough; and said actuating means including a shaft extending through said bottom wall aperture and having threads complementary thereto, whereby said shaft is threadably movable within said air cylinder upon a user rotation of said shaft so as to incrementally inflate or deflate said bladder.

Claim 22

A reaming system as in claim 14 further comprising a handle pivotally coupled to said drive shaft, said handle adapted to be grasped by a user for guiding said cutter head without itself being rotated by said drive shaft.