Rotary oscillating and reciprocating surgical tool

1. A surgical tool having a cutter that rotary oscillates and linearly reciprocates, said surgical tool including:

a housing forming a handle;

a motor mounted in the housing and having a rotatable output shaft;

a transmission mounted in the housing and coupled to the motor output shaft for selectively driving the transmission;

a cutter shaft carried by the housing and having a cutter on a distal end thereof, said shaft being mounted for simultaneous oscillating rotation and linear reciprocation, said cutter shaft being coupled to the transmission for effecting oscillating and reciprocating movement of the cutter shaft; and wherein

the transmission having a first driver coupled to the motor output shaft and operable to effect rotary oscillation of the cutter shaft, said transmission having a second driver coupled to the first driver operationally downstream thereof, said second driver being coupled to the cutter shaft and being operable to effect linear reciprocation of the cutter shaft and transmit the rotary oscillation driving from the first driver to the cutter shaft,

wherein said first driver being positioned between said motor and said second driver and being operable to drive said second driver,

wherein said first driver including a gear rack mounted in said housing for linear reciprocating movement upon rotation of said motor output shaft.

2. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the first driver including a curved gear rack pivotally mounted in the housing for oscillating rotational movement and said second driver including a bevel gear meshed with said curved gear rack, said first driver also including a first bearing race member with a first bearing race and a second bearing race member with a second bearing race, said second bearing race member being coupled to said gear rack and said first bearing race member and operable to effect pivoting movement of the gear rack upon rotation of said motor output shaft, said first bearing race being positioned at an angle A in the range of between about 30° and about 80°, said pinion gear being coupled to said cutter shaft.

3. The surgical tool of claim 2 wherein said second driver including a reciprocation effecting joint coupling said cutter shaft to said second driver, said bevel gear being mounted on a first shaft for rotation therewith about a first axis of rotation and said cutter shaft having a second axis of rotation with the second axis of rotation and said first axis of rotation being at an angle B of between about 5° and about 45° to effect reciprocation of the cutter shaft during rotation of said motor output shaft.

4. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein said second driver including a gear mounted in said housing for rotation and meshed with said gear rack.

5. The surgical tool of claim 4 wherein said gear being coupled to said cutter shaft for relative longitudinal movement therebetween and said gear coupling said cutter shaft to said first driver for effecting oscillating rotation of said cutter shaft, said second driver including an outer bearing race mounted in said housing and fixed against relative movement therebetween, said outer bearing race having an inwardly opening first helical groove, a plurality of bearing balls positioned in said first helical groove, said second driver including an inner bearing race positioned at least partially in said outer bearing race and having an outwardly opening second helical groove with said bearing balls positioned therein, said inner bearing race being mounted on said cutter shaft to effect reciprocating movement thereof upon oscillatory rotation of said gear.

6. The surgical tool of claim 4 wherein said gear being coupled to said cutter shaft for relative longitudinal movement therebetween and said gear coupling said cutter shaft to said first driver for effecting oscillating rotation of said cutter shaft, said second driver including a helical bearing having an inner bearing race secured to said cutter shaft and having a helically longitudinally extending flange with opposite faces, said helical bearing including a pair of outer races with a said outer race on each longitudinal side of said inner bearing race, a plurality of bearing balls carried by each said outer race and positioned to engage said inner bearing race, said bearing balls and said inner and outer bearing races being mounted in a retainer housing fixing the outer bearing races against rotation relative to said housing.

7. The surgical tool of claim 4 wherein said gear rack being straight and being mounted for linear movement, said gear meshed with said gear rack being coupled to said cutter shaft by a drive shaft coupled to said gear with a universal joint, said drive shaft being coupled to said cutter shaft by a universal joint whereby lateral movement of said gear relative to said gear rack effects reciprocating movement of said cutter shaft.

8. A surgical tool having a cutter that rotary oscillates and linearly reciprocates, said surgical tool including:

a housing forming a handle;

a motor mounted in the housing and having a rotatable output shaft;

a transmission mounted in the housing and coupled to the motor output shaft for selectively driving the transmission;

a cutter shaft carried by the housing and having a cutter on a distal end thereof, said shaft being mounted for simultaneous oscillating rotation and linear reciprocation, said cutter shaft being coupled to the transmission for effecting oscillating and reciprocating movement of the cutter shaft; and wherein

the transmission having a first driver coupled to the motor output shaft and operable to effect rotary oscillation of the cutter shaft, said transmission having a second driver coupled to the first driver operationally downstream thereof, said second driver being coupled to the cutter shaft and being operable to effect linear reciprocation of the cutter shaft and transmit the rotary oscillation driving from the first driver to the cutter shaft

wherein said first driver being positioned between said motor and said second driver and being operable to drive said second driver,

wherein the first driver including a curved gear rack pivotally mounted in the housing for oscillating rotational movement and said second driver including a bevel gear meshed with said curved gear rack, said first driver also including a first bearing race member with a first bearing race and a second bearing race member with a second bearing race, said second bearing race member being coupled to said gear rack and said first bearing race member and operable to effect pivoting movement of the gear rack upon rotation of said motor output shaft, said first bearing race being positioned at an angle A in the range of between about 30° and about 80°, said pinion gear being coupled to said cutter shaft.