Patent US6689138B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6689138B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Torque-transmitting coupling
Assignee: MPS PRECIMED SA
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Filing: 2002-01-31
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Granted: 2004-02-10
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Expires: 2022-01-31
Abstract
Abstract According to the invention, a torque-transmitting assembly is described. A female coupling member defines a shape with a tapered bore. A radially flexible sleeve member has a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the bore, and an inner surface defining a through-bore. An elongated shaft member made of super-elastic alloy has an outer surface that is received within the through-bore. Relative motion among at least two of the members causes the inner surface to contact the outer surface, inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft, simultaneously securing the members together in a fixed relative position. The radially flexible sleeve member has a plurality of collet fingers, which preferably contact the shaft at discrete locations. It is further preferred that the super-elastic activation in the shaft occurs as a result of the discrete contact thereby changing the cross-sectional shape of the shaft, which is generally non-circular, e.g., polygonal, in a further preferred form. A surgical device, e.g., a flexible reamer, is descibed as incorporating the present assembly.
Inventors
- 👤 André Léchot
- 👤 Patrick M. White
- 👤 Pierre-David Bourgeois
- 👤 Ezzedine Mahmoud
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/16; B; B23; B23B; B23B31/00; B23B31/02; B23B31/10; B23B31/117; B23B2228/00; B23B2228/16; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T279/00; Y10T279/17
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
A torque-transmitting assembly comprising: a female coupling member defining a shape with a tapered bore; a radially flexible sleeve member having a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the bore, and an inner surface defining a through-bore; and an elongated shaft member made of super-elastic alloy and having an outer surface, received within the through-bore, whereupon relative motion among at least two of the members causes the inner surface to contact the outer surface, inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft, simultaneously securing the members together in a fixed relative position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
A torque-transmitting assembly comprising: a female coupling member defining a shape with a tapered bore; a radially flexible sleeve member having a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the bore, and an inner surface defining a through-bore; and an elongated shaft member made of super-elastic alloy and having an outer surface, received within the through-bore, whereupon relative motion among at least two of the members causes the inner surface to contact the outer surface, inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft, simultaneously securing the members together in a fixed relative position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the contact further comprises a surface-to-surface contact that frictionally transmits an applied torque.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the radially flexible sleeve member has a plurality of collet fingers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly of claim 3 wherein the collet fingers contact the shaft at discrete locations.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The assembly of claim 4 wherein the super-elastic activation in the shaft occurs as a result of the discrete contact thereby changing the cross-sectional shape of the shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The assembly of claim 5 wherein the resultant cross-sectional shape of the shaft is generally non-circular.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly of claim 6 wherein the resultant shape of the shaft is generally polygonal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the through bore of the radially flexible member has a generally non-circular cross-section.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The assembly of claim 8 wherein the through bore has a generally polygonal cross-section.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the female coupling member is either adapted for connection with a powered driving instrument or is a fitting adapted to present a tool-bit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the radially flexible sleeve is either adapted for connection with a powered driving instrument or comprises a fitting adapted to present a tool bit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the shaft is generally cylindrical and is deformed polygonally by compression against the through-bore.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the relative motion is axial, with respect to a longitudinal axis around which torque is being transmitted through the fixed assembly.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the shaft has a tubular shape defining a cannulation.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
The assembly of claim 14 wherein the tapered bore of the female coupling member, the through-bore of the sleeve and the cannulation of the shaft are concentrically aligned with respect to a longitudinal axis around which torque is transmitted through the fixed assembly, further admitting passage of a guide wire there-through.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
122 words
A torque-transmitting assembly comprising: a female coupling member defining a shape with a tapered bore; a radially flexible sleeve member having a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the bore, an inner surface defining a through-bore, and a plurality of collet fingers; and an elongated tubular shaft member defining a cannulation, being made of super-elastic alloy, having an outer surface received within the through-bore, whereupon relative axial motion among at least two of the members causes the collet fingers to contact the shaft at discrete locations inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft that changes the cross-sectional shape of the shaft, simultaneously securing the members together in a fixed relative position by surface-to-surface contact that transmits torque through the assembly.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
122 words
A torque-transmitting assembly comprising: a female coupling member defining a shape with a tapered bore; a radially flexible sleeve member having a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the bore, an inner surface defining a through-bore, and a plurality of collet fingers; and an elongated tubular shaft member defining a cannulation, being made of super-elastic alloy, having an outer surface received within the through-bore, whereupon relative axial motion among at least two of the members causes the collet fingers to contact the shaft at discrete locations inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft that changes the cross-sectional shape of the shaft, simultaneously securing the members together in a fixed relative position by surface-to-surface contact that transmits torque through the assembly.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
The assembly of claim 16 wherein the tapered bore of the female coupling member, the through-bore of the sleeve and the cannulation of the shaft are concentrically aligned with respect to a longitudinal axis around which torque is transmitted through the fixed assembly, further admitting passage of a guide wire there-through.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The assembly of claim 16 wherein the shaft is generally cylindrical and is deformed polygonally by compression against the through-bore.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
126 words
A surgical device including a torque transmitting coupling assembly and comprising: a female coupling member defining a shape with a tapered bore; a radially flexible sleeve member having a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the bore, an inner surface defining a through-bore and a plurality of collet fingers; and an elongated shaft member made of super-elastic alloy and having an outer surface, received within the through-bore, whereupon relative axial motion among at least two of the members causes the inner surface to engage the outer surface, inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft, simultaneously securing the members together in a surface-to-surface contact that frictionally transmits an applied torque around a longitudinal axis of the assembly, securing the members together in fixed relative position.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
126 words
A surgical device including a torque transmitting coupling assembly and comprising: a female coupling member defining a shape with a tapered bore; a radially flexible sleeve member having a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the bore, an inner surface defining a through-bore and a plurality of collet fingers; and an elongated shaft member made of super-elastic alloy and having an outer surface, received within the through-bore, whereupon relative axial motion among at least two of the members causes the inner surface to engage the outer surface, inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft, simultaneously securing the members together in a surface-to-surface contact that frictionally transmits an applied torque around a longitudinal axis of the assembly, securing the members together in fixed relative position.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device of claim 19 wherein the through bore of the radially flexible member has a generally polygonal cross-section.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device of claim 19 wherein the female coupling member is either adapted for connection with a powered driving instrument or is a fitting adapted to present a tool-bit.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
55 words
The device of claim 19 wherein the tapered bore of the female coupling member, the through-bore of the sleeve member and the cannulation of the shaft member are concentrically aligned with respect to a longitudinal axis around which torque is transmitted through the fixed assembly, further admitting passage of a guide wire through the members.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
245 words
A flexible surgical reamer comprising: a) an elongated tubular shaft made of super-elastic alloy, defining an outer surface and a passageway extending along a first axis, with a driven end and a driving end opposite the driven end; b) a first coupling assembly that includes (i) a drive fitting located at the driven end, defining a shape with a first tapered bore, (ii) a radially flexible sleeve having a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the first bore, an inner surface defining a through-bore and a plurality of collet fingers, (iii) whereupon relative motion among at least two of the shaft, fitting and sleeve causes the through bore to contact the shaft, inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft, simultaneously securing the shaft, fitting and sleeve together in fixed relative position; and c) a second coupling assembly that includes (i) a fitting defining a shape with a second tapered bore, (ii) a tool-bit having a second axis and a radially flexible sleeve portion received in the second bore, the tool-bit presenting a first mating interface surface (iii) a tool having a tool axis and presenting a second mating interface surface and (iv) a deformable tongue made of super-elastic alloy, located adjacent the driving end, for detentively retaining the tool-bit on the shaft (v) whereupon relative motion between the tool-bit and tool slides the first and second mating interface surfaces sideways into juxtaposition with the first, second and tool axes aligned with one another.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
245 words
A flexible surgical reamer comprising: a) an elongated tubular shaft made of super-elastic alloy, defining an outer surface and a passageway extending along a first axis, with a driven end and a driving end opposite the driven end; b) a first coupling assembly that includes (i) a drive fitting located at the driven end, defining a shape with a first tapered bore, (ii) a radially flexible sleeve having a wall with a tapered exterior surface, received within the first bore, an inner surface defining a through-bore and a plurality of collet fingers, (iii) whereupon relative motion among at least two of the shaft, fitting and sleeve causes the through bore to contact the shaft, inducing a super-elastic activation in the shaft, simultaneously securing the shaft, fitting and sleeve together in fixed relative position; and c) a second coupling assembly that includes (i) a fitting defining a shape with a second tapered bore, (ii) a tool-bit having a second axis and a radially flexible sleeve portion received in the second bore, the tool-bit presenting a first mating interface surface (iii) a tool having a tool axis and presenting a second mating interface surface and (iv) a deformable tongue made of super-elastic alloy, located adjacent the driving end, for detentively retaining the tool-bit on the shaft (v) whereupon relative motion between the tool-bit and tool slides the first and second mating interface surfaces sideways into juxtaposition with the first, second and tool axes aligned with one another.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-02-09 | 2007-08-11 | 2008-02-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-02-09 | 2011-08-11 | 2012-02-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-02-09 | 2015-08-11 | 2016-02-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |