Granted Patent B2

US 12,733,967 · App. 18/388,362 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventor: Ruben Doyle (Bramley, GB)

Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.

A61B17/92B25D11/064A61B2017/00876A61B2017/564A61B2017/924A61B2017/927A61F2002/4681A61F2002/4698B25D2250/145B25D2250/335

Abstract

Claims (66)

1 . An orthopaedic impactor, comprising:

a strike assembly;

a connector arranged to impart a force to an object; and

a plurality of windings arranged to provide forces of different magnitudes and/or forces in different directions, wherein at least one winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to receive a current and thereby generate a magnetic field;

wherein at least one winding in the plurality of windings, the strike assembly, and the connector are arranged so that, in use, a magnetic field generated by the at least one winding causes the strike assembly to move so as to impact the connector, wherein a first winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to move the strike assembly in the first direction and a second winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to move the strike assembly in the second direction, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction; and

wherein the connector is arranged to be secured within the impactor while being arranged to move, relative to the strike assembly, between a first position and a second position such that:

in the first position, when the strike assembly impacts the connector, the connector imparts a force to the object in a first direction; and

in the second position, when the strike assembly impacts the connector, the connector imparts a force to the object in a second direction;

wherein the first direction and the second direction are different.

2 . The impactor of claim 1 , wherein the strike assembly comprises a striker arranged to impact the connector and the connector is arranged to be impacted by the striker.

3 . The impactor of claim 2 , wherein the connector at least partially surrounds the striker of the strike assembly and is arranged to receive a force from the striker and to impart a force to the object.

4 . The impactor of claim 2 , wherein the connector is arranged to move between the first position and the second position wherein:

in the first position, the striker is arranged to impact a first surface of the connector so as to impart a force to the object in the first direction; and

in the second position, the striker is arranged to impact a second surface of the connector so as to impart a force to the object in the second direction;

wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite directions; and

wherein the force in the first direction is an implanting force and the force in the second direction is a removing force.

5 . The impactor of claim 1 , wherein the connector is arranged to receive a first force from a first, proximal striker of the strike assembly and the connector is arranged to receive a second force from a second, distal striker of the strike assembly.

6 . The impactor of claim 1 , wherein a body of the strike assembly comprises one or more of a ferromagnetic material, iron; at least 70% iron; or a permanent magnet arranged to be moved by the magnetic field.

7 . The impactor of claim 1 , wherein the provision of a current, and the generation of the magnetic field, is arranged to cause the strike assembly to move to provide an implanting force or a removal force.

8 . The impactor of claim 1 , wherein the removal of a current, and the cessation of the generation of the magnetic field, is arranged to cause the strike assembly to move to provide an implanting force or a removal force.

9 . The impactor of claim 1 , wherein at least one winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to radially or axially surround a ferromagnetic body of the strike assembly.

10 . The impactor of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing mechanism arranged to bias the strike assembly towards a first resting position.

11 . The impactor of claim 10 , wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a spring arranged to compress as the strike assembly is moved from the first position to the second position and/or wherein the spring is arranged to extend as the strike assembly is moved from the first position to a third position.

12 . The impactor of claim 1 , comprising:

one or more proximal impact windings in the plurality of windings arranged to provide a force in the first direction; and

one or more distal impact windings in the plurality of windings arranged to provide a force in the second direction.

13 . The impactor of claim 12 , wherein the proximal impact windings are at least one of:

arranged to provide a greater impact energy and/or impact force to the object than the distal impact windings; and

have a greater volume, length, and/or surface area than the distal impact windings; and

the impactor comprises a greater number of proximal impact windings than distal impact windings.

14 . The impactor of claim 1 , further comprising a power source for supplying the current to at least one windings in the plurality of windings, wherein the power source comprises a battery and/or a capacitor.

15 . The impactor of claim 1 , further comprising an input for altering a parameter of the force, wherein the input is arranged to alter at least one of: a direction of the force; a magnitude of the force; a speed of the application of the force; a frequency of application of force;

a duration of the force; and an energy of an impact relating to the force.

16 . The impactor of claim 1 , further comprising an input is arranged to alter current supplied to at least one winding in the plurality of windings in order to alter at least one of: a direction of the current; a magnitude of the current; a duration of the current;

a frequency of the current; a frequency of transmission of pulses of current.

17 . The impactor of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor arranged to measure at least one of: an impact force; an object stability; an implant stability; and an impact energy.

18 . The impactor of claim 1 , when the impactor is arranged to determine at least one of: a position of the strike assembly; and a force of an impact in dependence on current and/or voltage in at least one winding in the plurality of windings.

19 . The impactor of claim 1 , further comprising control electronics arranged to alter the supply of current to at least one winding in the plurality of windings, wherein the control electronics is arranged to interact with one or more of: an input and a power source.

20 . The impactor of claim 19 , wherein the control electronics is arranged to alter the supply of current and/or a provided force based on one or more of a previous force imparted on the object and/or based on a property of the object, a previous use of the impactor; a user of the impactor and/or a property of the object being impacted, a determined bone quality; an implant stability; an impact force; the difference between a previously measured force and a desired force.

21 . The impactor of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:

a bearing arranged to support the strike assembly and/or the connector; a bearing holder arranged to limit the travel of the connector; and

a spacer and/or an end cap arranged to limit the travel of the strike assembly and/or the connector.

22 . The impactor of claim 1 , wherein the impactor comprises an orthopaedic impactor.

23 . A method of operating an impactor, comprising:

providing the impactor of claim 1 ; and

providing a current to at least one winding in the plurality of windings so as to generate the magnetic field; and/or

removing a current from at least one winding in the plurality of windings so as to cease the generation of a magnetic field.

24 . An orthopaedic impactor, comprising:

a strike assembly comprising a striker;

a plurality of windings arranged to provide forces of different magnitudes and/or forces in different directions, wherein at least one winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to receive a current and thereby generate a magnetic field; and

a connector, wherein the connector is arranged to at least partially surround the striker of the strike assembly and is arranged to receive a force from the striker and to impart a force to an object;

wherein at least one winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to interact with the strike assembly so that, in use, a magnetic field generated by the at least one winding causes the strike assembly to move so that the striker impacts the connector, wherein a first winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to move the strike assembly in the first direction and a second winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to move the strike assembly in the second direction, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction;

wherein the connector is arranged to be secured within the impactor while being arranged to move, relative to the strike assembly, between a first position and a second position such that:

in the first position, the striker impacts a first surface of the connector and the connector imparts a first force to the object in a first direction; and

in the second position, the striker impacts a second surface of the connector such that the connector imparts a second force to the object in a second direction;

wherein the first direction and the second direction are different.

25 . An orthopaedic impactor, comprising:

a strike assembly;

a connector arranged to impart a force to an object; and

a plurality of windings arranged to provide forces of different magnitudes and/or forces in different directions, wherein at least one winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to receive a current and thereby generate a magnetic field;

wherein at least one winding in the plurality of windings, the strike assembly, and the connector are arranged so that, in use, a magnetic field generated by the at least one winding causes the strike assembly to move so as to impact the connector, wherein a first winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to move the strike assembly in the first direction and a second winding in the plurality of windings is arranged to move the strike assembly in the second direction, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction; and

wherein the connector is arranged to move, relative to the strike assembly, between a first position and a second position such that:

in the first position, when the strike assembly impacts the connector, the connector imparts a force to the object in a first direction; and

in the second position, when the strike assembly impacts the connector, the connector imparts a force to the object in a second direction;

wherein the first direction and the second direction are different; and

wherein the impactor is arranged to determine use data comprising one or more of: a bone quality, an implant stability, an impact force, the difference between an impact force and a desired force, an impact frequency, a user of the device, or a hoop stress.

Assignments (3)

Priority Claims (2)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (338)