Depth controllable and measurable medical driver devices and methods of use
Disclosed are devices and methods for creating a bore in bone. The devices and methods described involve driving a rotating bit in an axial direction such that both rotation and linear movement are controlled and measurable. The instrument is useful for a surgeon to control and simultaneously measure the travel of the tool into the bone and prevent injury to surrounding structures.
1. A medical drilling device comprising:
a housing comprising:
a hand-held portion;
an engagement portion; and
an actuator;
an axial drive element extending through the housing between a proximal end of the housing and a distal end of the housing;
a first drive element coupled to the axial drive element;
a rotational drive element extending through the housing between the proximal and distal ends;
a second drive element coupled to the rotational drive element;
a coupler interchangeably connected to a working tool and the rotational drive element, wherein the coupler extends beyond the engagement portion of the housing;
a first sensor comprising a transducer interfaced to the axial drive element, the transducer configured to measure a depth of the working tool into a bore, the transducer configured to output a first signal representative of advancement of the working tool relative to the distal end of the housing, wherein the first sensor measures a distance of the advancement of the working tool beyond the distal end of the housing; and
an electronics package in electronic communication with the transducer, the electronics package including a second sensor configured to output a second signal representative of passage of the working tool through layers of tissue having differences in material strength.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first drive element comprises a fixed axial drive motor.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the fixed axial drive motor powers the axial drive element.
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the axial drive element travels a distance in an axial direction.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the axial drive element travels axially from a proximal to a distal direction or from a distal to a proximal direction relative to the housing.
6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the distance the axial drive element travels is instantaneously measured by the transducer.
7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the electronics package translates the distance the axial drive element travels within the housing into a depth measurement of axial movement of the working tool into a bone.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the depth the working tool penetrates a bone is pre-programmed by an operator.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the axial drive element is selected from the group consisting of a jack screw, a ball screw and a lead screw.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second drive element comprises a slidable, rotational drive motor.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the axial drive element moves the slidable, rotational drive motor in an axial direction.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second drive element coupled to the rotational drive element rotates the working tool.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the working tool is selected from the group consisting of a drill bit, Kirshner wire, trochar, burr, reamer and a screw driver.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises a rotary encoder.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the rotary encoder is an incremental rotary encoder or an absolute rotary encoder.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the rotary encoder is electronic, optical, magnetic or mechanical.
17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the working tool defines a distal-most end of the device during an entire range of advancement of the working tool beyond the distal end of the housing.