Abstract: A low cost disposable flexible reamer shaft has a flexible cylindrical braided tube shaft with an outer diameter in the range of 4 to 14 millimeters and 250 to 400 mm length, and a central aperture for insertion of a flexible polymeric tube. The braided tube shaft is permanently attached to a first end element and a second end element. The threaded end of the first end element attaches to female threads of modular tapered, cylindrical or spherical, hollow or solid reamer assembly. The second end element fits into a chuck of a drive motor. The threaded attachment of the first end provides local centerline matching. A guide pin is inserted in the bone cavity, which enters the reamer. The central aperture of the flexible polymeric tube provides centerline matched, wobble-free reaming. The reaming end point is precisely the guide pin inserted location while the reaming direction is controlled by the surgeon by flexing the flexible reamer shaft.

Abstract: An easy-to-assemble reamer for medical applications includes a shaft portion, a disposable tapered hollow reamer sleeve and a modular pilot. The shaft portion has a proximal end for attachment to a drill, a central cone element with one or more slots and a distal threaded end. The tapered hollow reamer sleeve has integrally attached one or more torque transmitting tabs at the larger end and a collet taper at the smaller end and slides over the shaft distal end engaging tabs with the slots. The modular pilot has a threaded central aperture engaging shaft thread and a collet taper mating with the collet taper of the reamer sleeve substantially coinciding their centerlines. The disposable hollow cutter sleeve has a plurality of cutting elements and apertures that discharge bone and bone cement debris into the space between the reamer and the shaft. With this construction, the reamer transmits reliable, wobble free, reaming torque in a highly efficient manner.

Abstract: A low cost disposable spherical hollow reamer for medical applications includes a reusable shaft and a disposable spherical hollow reamer. The hollow reamer is thin sheet metal with 0.125 mm to 0.812 mm thickness and has plurality of cutters and apertures that extend through its thickness. The shaft has a proximal end for attachment to a drill and a distal precision threaded screw end. The spherical hollow reamer has welded first plate in its interior with a precision threaded aperture engaging with the threaded end of the reusable shaft. The spherical hollow reamer has a welded second plate with a central precision aperture that slides over the shaft external surface. The threaded attachment and sliding fit attachment provides wobble free reaming action. The welded second plate in combination with the interior surface of the spherical hollow reamer forms enclosed space for capturing bone fragment and bone cement debris.

Abstract: An easy-to-assemble modular tapered or spherical reamer for medical applications includes a shaft portion, a disposable tapered or spherical hollow reamer and a guide pin. The shaft proximal end attaches to a drill and the distal end has a tapered body element with a tapered external surface and a central aperture. The disposable tapered or spherical hollow reamer has a central aperture that accepts the guide pin and an interior taper that matches the taper of the tapered body element. The guide pin has attachment means to attach its distal end to the central aperture in the reamer, and the proximal end to the central aperture of the tapered body element of the shaft, assuring reamer/shaft concentricity. Contact between the reamer taper and the taper of the tapered body element aids this concentricity. Torque transmission between the shaft and the reamer is accomplished by torque transmitting tabs or a threaded connection.

Abstract: An air mattress has a top chamber and a bottom chamber separated by a barrier. The patient rests on the top surface of the top chamber, which has a plurality of apertures discharging air through apertures that are not blocked by the patient. The top chamber is provided with temperature-controlled heated or cooled air at a regulated pressure. Heated or cooled air from the top chamber is delivered to an area substantially surrounding the patient. The bottom chamber has a bottom surface containing a plurality of apertures that remain closed due to the weight of the mattress and the patient when the pressure-regulated air is beneath a pre-selected value. When the air pressure is increased, the apertures at the bottom surface of the bottom chamber emit air, creating an air cushion underneath the air mattress that facilitates lateral movement of the mattress over a flat or irregular surface, such as from a hospital bed to a stretcher, or from a stretcher to an operating table.

Abstract: A femoral hip stem explant system has an alignment body which is attached to two locations of a femoral bone and has several lockable collet type adjustment features to set the shaft of a reamer or end mill exactly in coincidence with the femoral bone cavity axis. The shaft of the end mill or reamer is supported by a sleeve member, which is inserted into a drill guide central aperture. The drill guide aperture is adjusted first and locked to be in line with the femoral bone cavity. Each of the sleeve members has the same mating outer diameter, which fits into the drill guide central aperture. Accordingly, the sleeve members can be interchanged into the drill guide aperture with shafts of differently sized reamers or end mills.

Abstract: An easy-to-assemble modular reamer for medical applications includes a shaft portion, a disposable tapered hollow reamer and a modular pilot. The shaft portion has a proximal end for attachment to a drill, two or more torque transmitting tabs and a distal threaded end. The disposable tapered hollow reamer has an integrally attached cutter sleeve with externally protruding cutters, apertures through the sleeve thickness for discharging bone fragments and cement debris and inwardly protruding anchoring projections. A central molded polymeric portion attaches to the anchoring projection and is fixed to the shaft through central holes and slots in the polymeric portion, which engage torque transmitting shaft tabs. Channels in the polymeric portion collect bone fragments and bone debris. A threaded modular pilot coaxially secures the disposable tapered hollow reamer to the threaded distal end of the shaft, permitting rotation of the tapered hollow reamer without wobbliness.

Abstract: An easy-to-assemble reamer for medical applications includes a shaft portion, a disposable tapered hollow reamer sleeve and a modular pilot. The shaft portion has a proximal end for attachment to a drill, a central cone element with one or more slots and a distal threaded end. The tapered hollow reamer sleeve has integrally attached one or more torque transmitting tabs at the larger end and a collet taper at the smaller end and slides over the shaft distal end engaging tabs with the slots. The modular pilot has a threaded central aperture engaging shaft thread and a collet taper mating with the collet taper of the reamer sleeve substantially coinciding their centerlines. The disposable hollow cutter sleeve has a plurality of cutting elements and apertures that discharge bone and bone cement debris into the space between the reamer and the shaft. With this construction, the reamer transmits reliable, wobble free, reaming torque in a highly efficient manner.

Abstract: An easy-to-assemble, disposable spherical hollow reamer for medical applications includes a shaft portion, a disposable spherical hollow reamer and a central conical plate. The shaft portion has a proximal end for attachment to a drill, a central conical element and a distal precision threaded screw end. The spherical hollow reamer has plurality of cutters and apertures that extend through its thickness. The spherical hollow reamer has a precision threaded aperture that engages with the threaded end of the reusable shaft precisely aligning the centerline of the shaft with that of the spherical hollow reamer, providing wobble free reaming action. The central conical plate in combination with the interior surface of the spherical hollow reamer forms an enclosed space for capturing bone fragment and bone cement debris.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for removing an acetabular cup from an acetabulum. An osteotome instrument includes an elongated handle shaft terminating in a head portion. One of a plurality of interchangeable spherical heads, and one of a plurality of interchangeable osteotomes having curved blades, may be attached to the head portion of the instrument, and are selected based upon the size of the acetabular cup to be removed. In use, the spherical head of the instrument is seated within the recess of the liner of the acetabular cup such that the end of the osteotome blade is disposed closely adjacent the rim of the acetabular cup. Thereafter, the handle shaft of the instrument may be pivoted and/or rotated to make several cuts with the curved osteotome blade, which are closely adjacent the outer hemispherical surface of the acetabular cup, until the acetabular cup may be removed from the acetabulum.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for removing an acetabular cup from an acetabulum. An osteotome instrument includes an elongated handle shaft terminating in a head portion. One of a plurality of interchangeable spherical heads, and one of a plurality of interchangeable osteotomes having curved blades, may be attached to the head portion of the instrument, and are selected based upon the size of the acetabular cup to be removed. In use, the spherical head of the instrument is seated within the recess of the liner of the acetabular cup such that the end of the osteotome blade is disposed closely adjacent the rim of the acetabular cup. Thereafter, the handle shaft of the instrument may be pivoted and/or rotated to make several cuts with the curved osteotome blade, which are closely adjacent the outer hemispherical surface of the acetabular cup, until the acetabular cup may be removed from the acetabulum.