FR2731643A1 - ANGULAR SCREWDRIVER DEVICE FOR SCREWING IN AND SCREWING DIFFICULT ACCESSIBLE SCREWS, PARTICULARLY IN THE SURGICAL FIELD - Google Patents

Abstract

Angular screwdriver device allowing the tightening and unscrewing of screws that are difficult to access, especially in the surgical field. It comprises a tube (2), one end (20) of which is bent, inside which is introduced a cable (4) at the ends of which are crimped on the one hand, on the bent side (20) of the tube (2), means (21) for gripping a screw bit, and on the other hand, at the other end (40), a gasket (41) of non-round cross section capable of passing through said tube (2), l the non-bent end (22) of said tube (2) and said gasket (41) being inserted into a shell (3) made of two parts (30) which can be assembled, in which said tube (2) can freely rotate axially but not said gasket (41), the latter being held in a cavity (32) of complementary shape, said shell (3) itself being enveloped by a sleeve (10) which is secured thereto.

Description

 The subject of the present invention is an angular screwdriver device allowing the screwing and unscrewing of screws which are difficult to access, in particular in the surgical field.

 In the surgical techniques for placing a prosthesis, for consolidation by placing an osteosynthesis plate, or other techniques, screws are used which are intended to be screwed into the bone material.

 Likewise, in particular in the techniques for treating the spine, certain metal parts are joined together between them by means of vls.

 However, most of the time, depending on the device to be joined, the screws are to be implanted along different axes, so that certain screw heads are not easily accessible, since it is not enough to engage the screwing tool in the impression of the screw, but it must also be possible to apply a rotational movement.

 It is thus sometimes necessary to move the patient during the intervention, which can have serious consequences for him, in particular, for example, in the case of the installation of an implant for anterior dorso-lumbar spinal osteosynthesis.

 There are already known angular or flexible screwdriver devices intended for uses other than surgical, but which have the drawback of not being entirely easily removable in order to be cleaned and sterilized.

 The object of the present invention is to remedy this drawback by proposing an angular screwdriver device which allows easy access to screws which are difficult to access by conventional means, and which moreover is easily and entirely removable to allow cleaning and sterilization thereof. for reuse.

 The angular screwdriver device according to the invention is essentially characterized in that it comprises a tube of which one end is bent, inside which a cable is introduced at the ends of which are crimped on the one hand, on the bent side of the tube , a means for gripping a screwdriver bit, and on the other hand, at the other end, a non-round cross section lining capable of passing through said tube, and in that the non-bent end of said tube and said lining are inserted in a shell, produced in two assemblable parts, in which said tube can rotate freely, axially, but not said lining, the latter being held in a cavity of complementary shape, said shell itself being wrapped in a sleeve which can be secured to it.

The use of a screwdriver device according to the invention is carried out in the following manner: a screwing bit is fixed to the end of the tube on the locking means, then this bit is coupled to the head of the screw, while the surgeon maintains the endpiece applied against the screw while holding the tube with one hand, and with the other hand rotates the sleeve, the rotation being transmitted to the endpiece, successively through the shell, of the crimp and the cable
In the surgical field, screwing into the bone material does not require a significant torque, which is not the case with unscrewing, so that the cable can advantageously be a bundle of twisted wires whose direction of twist is such that the unscrewing tightens said wires and vice versa, the cable thus acting as a torque limiter.

 The advantages and characteristics of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and which refers to the appended drawing, which represents a non-limiting embodiment thereof.

In the attached drawing
- Figure 1 shows a plan view of a device according to the invention.

 - Figure 2 shows a partial view in longitudinal section of the same device.

 - Figure 3 shows a partial perspective and exploded view of the same device.

 Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that a screwdriver device according to the invention comprises a handle 1 extending from a tube 2, the end part 20 opposite to that secured to the handle 1, is bent and has at its end a bit holder 21 of known type.

 If we now refer to Figures 2 and 3 we can see that the tube 2 contains a cable 4 whose one end, not visible in these figures, is secured to the bit holder 21, the other end 40 being set with a gasket 41 of square cross section and of dimensions allowing its passage inside the tube 2.

 The handle l comprises a sleeve 10 containing a shell 3 resulting from the bringing together of two identical half-shells 30 around the end 22 of the tube 2 and of the lining 41, the half-shells 30 each comprising for this purpose a half axial cavity -cylindrical 31 intended to receive the end 23 of the tube 2, and a cavity 32 adapted to receive the lining 41, the two cavities 31 and 32 being connected by a semi-cylindrical recess 33 intended to receive the cable 4 for its projecting part from the end 23 of the tube 2, the dimensions of the recess 33 not allowing the passage of the lining 4i.

 The handle 1 also includes a head 11, which can be secured by screwing to the sleeve 10, axially pierced with a hole 12 in which it is threaded and can freely rotate the tube 2.

 The assembly of the handle 1 is completed by the screwing of at least one screw 13 securing at least one half-shell 30 to the sleeve 10.

 It should be noted that the attachment of the shell 3 to the sleeve read can be carried out differently, for example by means of a longitudinal projection provided externally on at least one of the half-shells 30 and at least one iongitudinaie groove practiced inside the sleeve 10.

 When the handle 1 is assembled, the tube 2 can rotate freely in the head 11 and in the cavities 31 of the half-shells 30, on the other hand the lining 40 being trapped in the cavities 31 of the half-shells 30, of which at least one is linked to the sleeve 10, the rotation of the handle 1 on the tube causes the cable 4 therefore to rotate the bit holder 21.

 It will be understood that the disassembly takes place easily by removing the screw 13, then by unscrewing the head 11 to release the half-shells 30 from the sleeve 10, which makes it possible to extract the cable 4 from the tube 2.

 It goes without saying that the present invention cannot be limited to the preceding description of one of its embodiments, capable of undergoing a certain number of modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

1) Angular screwdriver device allowing the screwing and unscrewing of difficult to access screws, in particular in the surgical field, characterized in that it comprises a tube (2) of which one end (20) is bent, inside which is introduced a cable (4) at the ends of which are crimped on the one hand, on the bent side (20) of the tube (2), a means (21) for gripping a screwdriver, and on the other hand end (40), a gasket (41) of non-round cross section capable of passing through said tube (2), and in that the non-bent end (22j of said tube (2) and said gasket (41) are inserted in a shell (3) produced in two parts (30) which can be assembled, in which said tube (2) can rotate freely axially but not said lining (41), the latter being held in a cavity (32) of complementary shape, said shell ( 3) being itself wrapped in a sleeve (10) which can be secured to it. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the attachment of the shell (3) to the sleeve (10) is carried out by means of a screw (13). 3) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the attachment of the shell t3) to the sleeve (10) is achieved by means of a longitudinal projection externally formed on at least one of the half-shells (30) and a longitudinal groove made internally at the sleeve (10). 4) Device according to i any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the cable (4) is a bundle of twisted son. 5) Device according to ia claim 4 characterized in that the direction of twist of the son is such that unscrewing tightens said son.