Abstract
In an improved cranial drill guide for guiding a drill bit during drilling a brain-access hole in a skull, the improvement comprising an elongate guide-body having a wall defining an internal through-hole therealong, the through-hole sized to receive the drill bit, and a side-opening in the wall for passage of bone debris from the drill bit to outside the guide-body.
Claims
1. In a cranial drill guide for guiding a drill bit during drilling a brain-access hole in a skull, the improvement comprising an elongate guide-body having a wall defining an internal through-hole therealong, the through-hole sized to receive the drill bit, and a side-opening in the wall for passage of bone debris from the drill bit to outside the guide-body.
2. The cranial drill guide of claim 1 wherein the side-opening is positioned adjacent to a distal end of the drill guide.
3. The cranial drill guide of claim 1 further including a serrated tip at a distal end of the guide-body for securing the position of the drill guide with respect to the skull.
4. The cranial drill guide of claim 3 wherein the side-opening is positioned adjacent to the distal end of the drill guide.
5. The cranial drill guide of claim 1 wherein the side-opening is an elongate slot.
6. The cranial drill guide of claim 1 further including a second side-opening such that bone debris can pass out two sides of the guide-body.
7. The cranial drill guide of claim 6 wherein the side-openings are elongate slots positioned opposite each other.
8. The cranial drill guide of claim 1 wherein the side-opening is formed by removing substantially one-half of the guide-body cross-section along a portion of the guide-body.
9. The cranial drill guide of claim 1 further including a drill-guide-head at a proximal end of the guide-body and having cross-sectional and length dimensions different from those of the guide-body.
10. The cranial drill guide of claim 1 wherein the drill guide is configured to be held within systems for positioning instruments during neurosurgical procedures.
11. The cranial drill guide of claim 1 wherein the guide-body has a circular cross-section.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] FIG. 1A is a perspective drawing of an embodiment of the inventive cranial drill guide of this invention.
[0026] FIG. 1B is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 1A showing a side-opening in the wall of the guide-body.
[0027] FIG. 1C is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 1A showing the side opposite to that of FIG. 1B.
[0028] FIG. 1D is a proximal-end elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 1A.
[0029] FIG. 2 is a partial orthographic projection drawing of the embodiment of the inventive cranial drill guide of FIG. 1A, showing side and end views and also showing a sectional view and an enlarged view of portions of the cranial drill guide.
[0030] FIG. 3A is a perspective drawing of a first alternative embodiment of the inventive cranial drill guide of this invention.
[0031] FIG. 3B is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 3A showing a side-opening in the wall of the guide-body.
[0032] FIG. 3C is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 3A showing the side opposite to that of FIG. 3B.
[0033] FIG. 3D is a proximal-end elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 3A.
[0034] FIG. 4A is a perspective drawing of a second alternative embodiment of the inventive cranial drill guide of this invention.
[0035] FIG. 4B is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 4A showing a side-opening in the wall of the guide-body.
[0036] FIG. 4C is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 4A showing the side opposite to that of FIG. 4B.
[0037] FIG. 4D is a proximal-end elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 4A.
[0038] FIG. 5A is a perspective drawing of a third alternative embodiment of the inventive cranial drill guide of this invention.
[0039] FIG. 5B is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 5A showing a side-opening in the wall of the guide-body.
[0040] FIG. 5C is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 5A showing the side opposite to that of FIG. 5B.
[0041] FIG. 5D is a proximal-end elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 5A.
[0042] FIG. 6A is a perspective drawing of a fourth alternative embodiment of the inventive cranial drill guide of this invention.
[0043] FIG. 6B is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 6A showing a side-opening in the wall of the guide-body.
[0044] FIG. 6C is a side elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 6A showing the side opposite to that of FIG. 6B.
[0045] FIG. 6D is a proximal-end elevation drawing of the cranial drill guide of FIG. 6A.
[0046] FIGS. 7A-7C are three views of an embodiment of the inventive cranial drill guide held in a fixture of an exemplary system for positioning instruments during neurosurgical procedures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0047] FIG. 1A is a perspective drawing of an embodiment 10 of the inventive cranial drill guide (also identified by reference number 10) of this invention. FIGS. 1B, 1C, and 1D illustrate cranial drill guide 10 in other drawing views. FIGS. 1B and 1C are side elevations from opposite sides of drill 10, and FIG. 1D is a proximal-end elevation drawing of cranial drill guide 10. Also, FIG. 2 is a partial orthographic projection drawing of cranial drill guide 10 showing side and end views and also showing a sectional view and an enlarged view of portions of drill guide 10.
[0048] Referring to FIGS. 1A through 2, drill guide 10 includes a guide-body 12 having a wall 14 which defines an internal through-hole 16 along the length of guide-body 12. Through-hole 16 is sized to receive a drill bit for use when drill guide 10 is in position for drilling during a neurosurgical procedure. Wall 14 includes a side-opening 18 positioned near a distal end 20 of drill guide 10. In embodiment 10, side-opening 18 is an elongate slot 18. Side-opening 18 permits bone debris produced during the drilling process to exit from the drill bit to outside drill guide 10 and prevents the drill bit from seizing up and/or generating excessive heat during the drilling process.
[0049] Distal end 20 of cranial drill guide 10 has a serrated tip 22 which secures the position of drill guide 10 with respect to the skull during drilling. Drill guide 10 includes a drill-guide-head 24 at a proximal end 26 of guide 10. Drill-guide-head 24 has cross-sectional and length dimensions different from those of guide-body 12. Drill-guide-head 24 may serve a number of purposes such as fitting into a fixture within systems for positioning instruments during neurosurgical procedures (see FIGS. 7A-7C). FIGS. 3A through 3D illustrate a first alternative embodiment 10a1 of the inventive cranial drill guide (also numbered 10a1); FIGS. 4A through 4D illustrate a second alternative embodiment 10a2 of the inventive cranial drill guide (also numbered 10a2); FIGS. 5A through 5D illustrate a third alternative embodiment 10a3 of the inventive cranial drill guide (also numbered 10a3); and FIGS. 6A through 6D illustrate a fourth alternative embodiment 10a4 of the inventive cranial drill guide (also numbered 10a4). In each of these four alternative embodiments (10a1-10a4), the only structural difference between cranial drill guide 10 and the alternative embodiment is the side-opening or side-openings. All like elements of drill guides 10, 10a1, 10a2, 10a3, and 10a4 have the same reference numbers.
[0050] FIGS. 3A-3D, 4A-4D, 5A-5D, and 6A-6D are each similar to FIGS. 1A-1D, respectively. Cranial drill guide 10a1 (FIGS. 3A-3D) includes a second elongate slot 18 which is positioned opposite to elongate slot 18 so that bone debris can pass out two sides of the guide-body 10a1. Cranial drill guide 10a2 (FIGS. 4A-4D) includes a side-opening 18a2 in place of side-opening 18. Side-opening 18a2 is shaped somewhat differently than side-opening 18 but serves an identical function.
[0051] Cranial drill guide 10a3 (FIGS. 5A-5D) is similar to embodiment 10a1 in that it includes a second side-opening 18a2 opposite to side-opening 18a2, such side-openings 18a2 and 18a2 serving similar functions to that of side-openings 18 and 18 in embodiment 10a1.
[0052] Cranial drill guide 10a4 (FIGS. 6A-6D) includes a side-opening 18a4 which is formed by removing a portion of wall 14 which is substantially one-half of the cross-section of guide-body 12 along a portion of guide-body 12 to provide a larger side-opening 10a4 for the removal of bone debris from the drill bit.
[0053] Alternative embodiments 10a1-10a4 represent just a few of the possible alternative embodiments of side-openings in the cranial drill guide of this invention.
[0054] FIGS. 7A through 7C illustrate an exemplary embodiment of cranial drill guide 10 held in a fixture 28 of a system for positioning instruments during neurosurgical procedures. Such systems may include, without limitation, neurosurgical systems such as robots and stereotactic frames.
[0055] While the principles of this invention have been described in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood clearly that these descriptions are made only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
