Surgical sagittal saw capable of actuating a blade assembly that includes a static bar and a drive rod

1. A surgical sagittal saw for use with a blade assembly that includes a bar, a blade head pivotally mounted to said bar and at least one drive rod disposed in the bar that pivots the blade head, said saw comprising:

a body, said body having a head with a receiving surface, the head receiving surface shaped to receive the blade assembly bar;

at least one drive pin, said at least one drive pin being moveably mounted to said body head so as to extend above and move above the head receiving surface, said drive pin shaped so that when the blade assembly bar is placed on the head receiving surface, said at least one drive pin engages the blade assembly at least one drive rod;

a motor disposed in said body, said motor having an output shaft that, upon the actuation of said motor, rotates;

a linkage connected between said motor output shaft and said at least one drive pin for converting the rotational movement of said motor output shaft into a motion that causes said at least one drive pin to oscillate above the head receiving surface so that blade assembly drive rod engaged by said drive pin reciprocates; and

a clamp assembly attached to said body for releasably pressing the blade assembly bar against the head receiving surface so as to releasably hold the blade assembly bar in a static state to the head receiving surface when said blade assembly at least one drive rod is reciprocated.

2. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 1 , wherein said body includes a handpiece in which said motor is disposed and said body head is separate from and attached to said handpiece.

3. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 2 , wherein said body head is fixedly secured to said handpiece.

4. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 1 , wherein:

a drive shaft is rotatably connected to said body to rotate within said body, said drive shaft having an axis of rotation;

said linkage is connected between said motor output shaft and said drive shaft to, upon rotation of the motor output shaft, oscillate said drive shaft around the axis of rotation of said drive shaft; and

two said drive pins are attached said drive shaft on opposed sides of the axis of rotation of said drive shaft above the head receiving surface so that, when said drive shaft oscillates, each said drive pin engages in an arcuate path of travel above the head receiving surface.

5. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 1 , wherein said clamp assembly includes:

a cover shaped to be disposed over the receiving surface of said body head; and

at least one fastening member that removably holds said cover to said body head and presses said cover against the blade assembly bar.

6. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 1 , wherein said body is formed so that the head receiving surface is recessed relative to adjacent surfaces of said body head.

7. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 1 , wherein:

a drive shaft is mounted to said body at a fixed location in said body and is further mounted to said body to rotate around an axis of rotation;

said linkage is connected between said motor output shaft and said drive shaft to, upon rotation of the motor output shaft oscillate said drive shaft around the axis of rotation of said drive shaft; and

said at least one drive pin is attached said drive shaft.

8. A surgical sagittal saw for use with a blade assembly that includes a bar, a blade head pivotally mounted to said bar and plural drive rods disposed in the bar that reciprocate the blade head, said saw comprising:

a body, said body having a receiving surface, the receiving surface shaped to receive the blade assembly bar;

a motor disposed in said body, said motor having an output shaft that, upon actuation of said motor, rotates;

a clamp assembly attached to said body for releasably pressing the blade assembly bar against the body receiving surface so as to releasably hold the blade assembly bar in a static state to the receiving surface;

two drive pins that are moveably mounted to said body adjacent the body receiving surface, said drive pins positioned to extend above the receiving surface so that said pins are able to move above and relative to the receiving surface, each said drive pin shaped so that when the blade assembly bar is placed on the receiving surface, each said drive pin engages a separate drive rod disposed in the blade assembly bar;

a linkage connected between said motor output shaft and said drive pins for converting the rotational movement of said motor output shaft into a motion that causes said drive pins to, when said motor output shaft is rotated, engage in simultaneous opposed reciprocal movement while said clamp assembly presses the blade assembly bar against the body receiving surface.

9. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 8 , wherein said body includes:

a handpiece in which said motor is disposed; and

a head that is separate from said handpiece, said head being shaped to form the body receiving surface and wherein said drive pins are mounted to said head.

10. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 9 , wherein said head is fixedly secured to said handpiece.

11. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 8 , wherein:

a drive shaft is rotatably connected to said body to rotate within said body, said drive shaft having an axis of rotation;

said linkage is connected between said motor output shaft and said drive shaft to, upon rotation of the motor output shaft, oscillate said drive shaft about the axis of rotation of said drive shaft; and

said drive pins are attached said drive shaft on opposed sides of the axis of rotation of said drive shaft so that, when said drive shaft oscillates, each said drive pin moves in an arcuate path of travel.

12. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 11 , wherein said drive shaft is mounted to said body so as to be, other than being rotationally mounted to said body, is at a static location relative to said body.

13. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 8 , wherein said clamp assembly includes:

a cover shaped to be disposed over the receiving surface of said body; and

at least one fastening member that removably holds said cover to said body and presses said cover against the blade assembly bar.

14. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 8 , wherein said body is formed so that the body receiving surface is recessed relative to adjacent exposed surfaces of said body.

15. A surgical sagittal saw for use with a blade assembly that includes a bar, a blade head pivotally mounted to said bar and at least one drive rod disposed in the bar that reciprocates the blade head, said saw comprising:

a body, said body having a receiving surface, the receiving surface shaped to receive the blade assembly bar;

a motor disposed in said body, said motor having an output shaft that, upon actuation of said motor, rotates;

a clamp assembly including: a clamp head that is positioned above the body receiving surface so as to extend at least partially over the blade assembly bar; and a connecting member that extends from said body to said clamp head, wherein said connecting member is movably mounted to said body to selectively urge said clamp head towards the receiving surface, said clamp assembly being configured so that when said connecting member urges said clamp head towards the receiving surface, said clamp head urges the blade assembly bar against the receiving surface;

at least one drive pin, said at least one drive pin being moveably mounted to said body so as to be located above and able to move relative to the body receiving surface, said drive pin shaped so that when the blade assembly bar is placed on the receiving surface, the at least one drive pin engages the blade assembly drive rod; and

a linkage connected between said motor output shaft and said at least one drive pin for converting the rotational movement of said motor output shaft into a motion that causes said at least one drive pin to oscillate so that the blade assembly drive rod engaged by said drive pin is reciprocated by said drive pin while said clamp head urges the blade assembly bar against the body receiving surface.

16. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 15 , wherein said body includes:

a handpiece in which said motor is disposed; and

a head that is separate from said handpiece, said head being shaped to form the body receiving surface wherein said drive shaft and said clamp assembly connecting member are mounted to said head.

17. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 15 , wherein:

a drive shaft is rotatably mounted to said body to rotate within said body, said drive shaft having an axis of rotation;

said linkage is connected between said motor output shaft to, upon rotation of the motor output shaft, oscillate said drive shaft about the axis of rotation of said drive shaft; and

two said drive pins are attached said drive shaft, said drive pins shaped to engage separate drive rods internal to the blade assembly bar, said drive pins being located on opposed sides of the axis of rotation of said drive shaft so that, when said drive shaft oscillates, said drive pins engage in simultaneous opposed reciprocal travel.

18. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 15 , wherein said connecting member of said clamp assembly removably holds said clamping head to said body.

19. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 15 , wherein said connecting member of said clamp assembly is threadedly secured in a complementary bore formed in said body.

20. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 15 , wherein said connecting member of said clamp assembly extends into a bore formed in said body that extends inwardly from an opening in the receiving surface.

21. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 15 , wherein said body is formed so that the body receiving surface is recessed relative to adjacent exposed surfaces of said body.

22. The surgical sagittal saw of claim 15 , wherein said clamp assembly includes plural said connecting members that extend from said clamp head to said body.