Granted Patent B2

US 12,539,625 · App. 17/503,456 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Inventors: Shane Farritor (Lincoln, NE); Thomas Frederick (Lincoln, NE)

Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska

B25J19/0029A61B17/00234A61B34/30A61B34/70B25J15/0408H01R13/005H01R13/625H01R24/20A61B2017/00477A61B2017/2931H01R13/24H01R24/86H01R2107/00H01R2201/12

Abstract

Claims (42)

1 . A coupling apparatus for a medical device, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a coupler body;

(b) a cavity defined in a distal end of the coupler body;

(c) a rotatable drive component disposed within the cavity, the drive component comprising at least two pin-receiving openings;

(d) an actuable locking ring movably disposed within the cavity; and

(e) an elongate tube disposed through a length of the coupler body such that the rotatable drive component is disposed around a distal portion of the elongate tube, the elongate tube comprising a lumen in fluid communication with a distal opening of the elongate tube.

2 . The coupling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuable locking ring is axially movable between a first position and a second position.

3 . The coupling apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first position is an unlocked position, wherein an inner diameter of the actuable locking ring is a first diameter.

4 . The coupling apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second position is a locked position, wherein the inner diameter of the actuable locking ring is a second, smaller diameter.

5 . The coupling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuable locking ring comprises an external protrusion.

6 . The coupling apparatus of claim 5 , wherein an inner wall of the cavity comprises an inner wall protrusion and an inner wall channel, wherein the external protrusion is positionable adjacent to the inner wall protrusion and the inner wall channel.

7 . The coupling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coupler body is coupleable to a tool, wherein the tool comprises:

(a) a tool body sized and arranged to be positionable within the cavity;

(b) a rotatable driven component operably coupled to the tool body, the rotatable driven component comprising:

(i) at least two pin chambers defined in the rotatable driven component; and

(ii) at least two tensioned pins, wherein each of the at least two tensioned pins is disposed within and is extendable from one of the at least two pin chambers comprising at least two tensioned pins extending therefrom,

wherein the rotatable driven component is alignable with the rotatable drive component such that the at least two tensioned pins extend into the at least two pin-receiving openings.

8 . A coupling apparatus for a medical device, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a coupler body;

(b) a cavity defined in a distal end of the coupler body;

(c) a rotatable drive component disposed within the cavity, the drive component comprising at least two pin-receiving openings;

(d) an actuable locking ring moveably coupled with the coupler body, the actuable locking ring comprising an external protrusion, wherein the external protrusion is structured and arranged to interact with an inner wall of the cavity; and

(e) an elongate tube disposed through a length of the coupler body such that the rotatable drive component is disposed around a distal portion of the elongate tube, the elongate tube comprising a lumen in fluid communication with a distal opening of the elongate tube.

9 . The coupling apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the actuable locking ring is axially movable between a first position and a second position.

10 . The coupling apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first position is an unlocked position, wherein an inner diameter of the actuable locking ring is a first diameter.

11 . The coupling apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second position is a locked position, wherein the inner diameter of the actuable locking ring is a second, smaller diameter.

12 . The coupling apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the inner wall of the cavity comprises an inner wall protrusion and an inner wall channel, wherein the external protrusion is positionable adjacent to the inner wall protrusion and the inner wall channel.

13 . The coupling apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the actuable locking ring is movable between a depressed position and a non-depressed position.

14 . A coupling system for a medical device, the system comprising:

(a) a coupling apparatus associated with the medical device, the apparatus comprising:

(i) a coupler body;

(ii) a cavity defined in a distal end of the coupler body;

(iii) a rotatable drive component disposed within the cavity, the drive component comprising at least two pin-receiving openings; and

(iv) an actuable locking ring movably disposed within the cavity; and

(b) a tool body coupleable with the coupling apparatus, the tool body comprising a rotatable driven component operably coupled to the tool body, the rotatable driven component comprising:

(i) at least two pin chambers defined in the rotatable driven component; and

(ii) at least two tensioned pins disposed within and extendable from the at least two pin chambers such that the at least two tensioned pins are positionable within the at least two pin-receiving openings.

15 . The coupling system of claim 14 , wherein the actuable locking ring is axially movable between a first position and a second position.

16 . The coupling system of claim 15 , wherein when the actuable locking ring is in the first position, the tool body is movable in relation to the coupler body.

17 . The coupling system of claim 15 , wherein when the actuable locking ring is in the second position, the tool body is attached to the coupler body.

18 . The coupling system of claim 14 , wherein the actuable locking ring comprises an external protrusion.

19 . The coupling system of claim 18 , wherein an inner wall of the cavity comprises an inner wall protrusion and an inner wall channel, wherein the external protrusion is positionable adjacent to the inner wall protrusion and the inner wall channel.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)