SURGICAL ROTATIONAL UNIT WITH IMPROVED ROTATIONAL LOCKING

Abstract

Rotation unit (16) for connecting to an operating table for rotation of a patient's leg about its longitudinal axis, wherein the rotation unit (16) comprises: an interface (24) for attachment of the foot of the patient's leg on the rotation unit (16); a rotor, to which the interface (24) is connected in a torsionally resistant manner and which is used for rotation of the interface (24) and thus of the patient's leg about the longitudinal axis; a stator (42), on which the rotor is rotatably mounted, such that the rotor can rotate relative to the stator; a rotary handle (22) for rotation of the rotor; and a locking assembly (26) for blocking the rotation of the rotor relative to the stator. The locking assembly (26) can be actuated by means of an action on the rotary handle.

Claims

1. A rotation assembly (16) for connecting to an operating table (1) for the purpose of rotating a patient's leg around its longitudinal axis, wherein the rotation assembly (16) comprises: an interface (24) for attaching the foot of the patient's leg to the rotation assembly (16); a rotor (30), to which the interface (24) is connected in a torsionally resistant manner and which is operable to rotate the interface (24) and thus the patient's leg about the longitudinal axis; a stator (42), on which the rotor (30) is rotatably mounted, such that the rotor can rotate relative to the stator; a rotary handle (22) for rotating the rotor; and a locking assembly (20) for blocking the rotation of the rotor relative to the stator, wherein the rotary handle (22) is mounted on the rotor (30) so as to move the rotor, and wherein the locking assembly (20) can be actuated by moving the rotary handle (22) on the rotor.

2. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 1, wherein the locking assembly has at least two groups of locking pins (32) and a plurality of locking recesses (44), wherein the number of locking pins (32) is different from the number of locking recesses (44).

3. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 2, wherein the rotor (30) comprises multiple through-holes (34) on the inner circumference, in which one of the locking pins (32) of the at least two groups of locking pins (32) is spring-loaded and pretensioned.

4. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 2, wherein the at least two groups of locking pins (32) and the locking recesses (44) each form a circular assembly.

5. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 2, wherein the at least two groups of locking pins (32) and the locking recesses (44) are each arranged symmetrically radially.

6. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 2, wherein, upon release of the locking assembly, all the locking pins (32) are simultaneously pulled out of the locking recesses (44) against the spring preload.

7. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 6, wherein the simultaneous pulling of all locking pins (32) out of the locking recesses (32) takes place by means of the movement of the rotary handle (22) along the axis of rotation (L) of the rotor (30).

8. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 7, further comprising a release ring (50), which has contact with the locking pins (32) of the at least two groups of locking pins (32) upon movement of the rotary handle (22) along the axis of rotation (L).

9. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 8, wherein a respective section (32a) of the locking pins (32a) protrudes radially over the respective locking recess (44), and wherein the release ring (50) has contact with this respectively protruding section (32a) upon movement of the rotary handle (22) along the axis of rotation (L).

10. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 1, wherein the locking assembly can be locked in a release position, in which the rotor (30) can be freely rotated relative to the stator (42).

11. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 10, wherein the locking assembly can be locked in the release position by pressing a button (54) attached to the rotary handle (22).

12. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 11, wherein the rotary handle (22) is a star-shaped handle (22) with multiple handholds, each of which extends in the radial direction of the rotor (30), and wherein the button (54) is arranged at one end of a handhold.

13. The rotation assembly (16) according to claim 1, wherein the rotor (30) comprises four groups of locking pins (32), wherein one of the respective locking pins (32) of the four groups of locking pins (32) is accommodated with one section completely in one of the respective locking recesses (44) in order to block the rotational movement of the rotor (30).

14. A rotation assembly for connecting to an operating table for the purpose of rotating a patient's leg around its longitudinal axis, wherein the rotation assembly comprises: an interface for attaching the foot of the patient's leg to the rotation assembly; a rotor, to which the interface is connected in a torsionally resistant manner and which is operable to rotate the interface and thus the patient's leg about the longitudinal axis; a stator, on which the rotor is rotatably mounted, such that the rotor can rotate relative to the stator; a rotary handle for rotating the rotor; and a locking assembly for blocking the rotation of the rotor relative to the stator, the locking assembly comprising a plurality of locking pins and a plurality of locking recesses each shaped to receive a locking pin, wherein the locking assembly comprises different quantities of locking pins and locking recesses; wherein the rotary handle is mounted on the rotor so as to move the rotor; wherein the locking assembly is actuated by means of moving the rotary handle on the rotor; and wherein the locking assembly can be unlocked for rotation by axially moving the rotary handle such that all the locking pins are simultaneously pulled out of the locking recesses.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in the following with reference to the appended drawings, in which the same reference numerals characterize the same or corresponding elements in each case.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a representation of an operating table with an extension bar, with which a rotation assembly in the form of a spindle traction mechanism can be used with a locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a spindle traction mechanism with a locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through the rear part of the spindle traction mechanism from FIG. 2.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a few components of the locking assembly of the spindle traction mechanism from FIG. 2.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows locking pins and locking recesses of the locking assembly of the spindle traction mechanism from FIG. 2.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows further components of the locking assembly of the spindle traction mechanism from FIG. 2.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the spindle traction mechanism from FIG. 2.

[0052] FIG. 8 shows the locking assembly of the spindle traction mechanism from FIG. 2 in a longitudinal section in the locked state.

[0053] FIG. 9 shows the locking assembly of the spindle traction mechanism from FIG. 2 in a longitudinal section in the unlocked state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in the following description with reference to the drawings. The drawings in this case are not necessarily true-to-scale but are intended to merely schematically illustrate the respective features.

[0055] In doing so, it should be noted that the following described features and components can each be combined with one another regardless of whether they have been described in connection with one single embodiment. The combination of features in the respective embodiments is only an illustration of the basic construction and function of the claimed device.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 1, an operating table 1 comprises a patient support surface 2, a column 3, and a base 4. In order to implement orthopedic operations, an extension bar 10 can be used, by means of which the leg of the patient P can be secured in a desired position. To this end, a moveable strut 14 can be attached to a bar 12 of the extension bar 10, said strut then supporting a spindle traction mechanism 16, which is connected to a bracket 18 for a patient's foot. When the movable strut 14 is secured in a suitable position on the bar 12, traction can be applied to the patient's foot in a direction along the longitudinal axis L of the spindle traction mechanism 16, via the spindle traction mechanism 16, in order to pull apart, for example, a hip joint of the patient P.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a locking assembly 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be attached to such a spindle traction mechanism 16. The spinal traction mechanism 16 comprises a star-shaped handle 22, with which a user can rotate the interface 24 of the spindle traction mechanism 16 about a longitudinal axis L of the spindle traction mechanism 16. Thus, a patient's leg tensioned in a bracket 18 (see FIG. 1) by means of the spindle traction mechanism 16 can be pulled axially along the longitudinal axis L, on one hand, by actuating a handcrank 28, which is coupled to a traction spindle 17 of a spindle drive 19, and can be rotated about the longitudinal axis L, on the other hand, by actuating the star-shaped handle 22. A scale ring 26 in the form of a sliding sleeve in this case indicates the set angle of rotation. The spindle drive 19 has an outer thread, which executes the rotation of the handcrank 28 in a longitudinal shift.

[0058] The arms of the star-shaped handle 22 extend outward radially, starting from the sliding sleeve 26. The sliding sleeve 26 can be moved back and forth along the longitudinal axis L. In doing so, the sliding sleeve 26 encloses a rotor-stator unit 30, 42, upon which the sliding sleeve is mounted so as to slide. The rotor-stator unit comprises a rotor (rotatable bushing) 30 as well as a stator (stationary hub) 42. The rotor 30 is rotatably mounted on the stator 42. Thus, the rotor 30 can rotate about the longitudinal axis L relative to the stator 42.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 3, both the rotor 30 and the stator 42 are each formed as a cylindrical sleeve. These two sleeves enclose a section of the spindle drive 19. The rotor 30 and the stator 42 are situated one after the other in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. In this case, the stator 42 is used closer to the patient's leg than the rotor 30.

[0060] In the embodiment shown, the star-shaped handle 22 is coupled to the rotor 30 via the sliding sleeve 26 in a torsionally resistant manner but is moveable on the rotor in the axial direction. Under a spring load, the star-shaped handle 22 is retained in this case in its front position (facing the patient P), which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0061] The rotor 30 is locked in this position. For adjustment, the user standing at the foot and must pull the star-shaped handle 22 a few mm towards himself. This will release the lock, which is described further below in connection with FIGS. 4-6, and the rotor 30 can be freely positioned. If the user releases the star-shaped handle 22 and/or releases the axial traction, the spring force then moves the star-shaped handle 22 back in the direction of the patient, into the starting position shown in FIG. 2, and the rotor 30 is locked. In this case, the user can keep both hands on the star-shaped handle 22 and, in doing so, release the locking assembly 20, adjust the angle of rotation of the patient's leg, and subsequently again lock the locking assembly 20 by releasing the axial traction on the star-shaped handle 22, without having to release the star-shaped handle 22 itself. Thus, the user can precisely position and guide the patient's leg.

[0062] FIG. 4 shows the rotor 30 of the locking assembly 20 from FIG. 2, wherein a plurality of locking pins 32 are accommodated in through-holes 34 in the rotor 30. A stator 42 has a plurality of locking recesses 44, in which the locking pins 32 can optionally engage. Furthermore, guiding grooves 36 can be seen in FIG. 4, by means of which the axial movement can be guided between the star-shaped handle 22 and the scale ring/sliding sleeve 26 connected thereto, on one hand, and the rotor 30, on the other hand. A locking bush 38 on the rotor is used to lock the star-shaped handle 22 in an unlocked setting of the locking assembly 20, as described in detail below.

[0063] FIG. 5 shows the locking pins 32 mounted in the rotor 30 (see FIG. 4), wherein each locking pin 32 is pretensioned in the stator 42 in the direction of the locking recesses 44 via an assigned spring 40. In this case it can be seen that the number and distribution of the locking pins 32 about the circumference of the rotor 30 is not the same as the number and distribution of the locking recesses 44 on the stator 42. In the example shown, the locking pins 32 are divided into four groups of six locking pins 32 per group, in the shape of a ring, about the circumference of the rotor 30, wherein a distance between adjacent groups of locking pins 32 is greater than between adjacent locking pins 32 within a group. The total of 25 latching recesses 44 in the example shown are uniformly distributed about the circumference of the stator 42.

[0064] According to other embodiments however, different numbers of locking pins 32 and locking recesses 44 are conceivable per group and per rotor and/or stator, as long as it is assured that the number and/or the angular distance of the locking pins 32 differs from the number and/or from the angular distance of the latching recesses 44.

[0065] Thus, a total of 8 to 60 locking pins may be provided for each application case. In doing so, 4 to 10 pins can be combined into one group. The number of locking pin groups may be from 2 to 6. The total number for the locking recesses may vary from 9 to 61.

[0066] Due to the different number of locking pins 32 and locking recesses 44, a locking pin 32 from one group is precisely opposite a locking recess 44 and is pressed into the locking recess 44 by means of spring preload, once a very small difference angle has been exceeded. Due to the relatively high number of locking pins 32 and locking recesses 44 with the present embodiment, and due to the rotation-symmetrical arrangement of the groups of locking pins 32, precisely one locking pin 32 in each group is positioned precisely opposite one locking recess 44 and engages it. Due to the simultaneous engagement of four locking pins 32 with the embodiment shown, large retention forces can thus be achieved by means of the locking assembly 20.

[0067] The previous description shows that the locking assembly 20 comprises the locking pins 32, the locking recesses 44, as well as the sliding sleeve 26.

[0068] FIG. 5 shows that a radially external section 32a of the end face of each locking pin 32 protrudes over an end face of the corresponding locking recess 44. This radially external section 32a can have contact with a release ring 50 (see FIG. 6) when the star-shaped handle 22 is pulled back in the axial direction such that, upon an axial movement of the star-shaped handle 22, all locking pins 32 are pulled out of the locking recesses 44 and the rotor 30 is thus freely rotatable relative to the stator 42.

[0069] FIG. 6 shows the star-shaped handle 22, which is attached to the scale ring 26 and, together therewith, can be moved in the axial direction relative to the rotor 30. Bearing elements, such as, for example, the ball bearings shown, are accommodated in guide grooves 46 on the inner circumference of the scale ring. The bearing elements engage the assigned guide grooves 36 on the rotor 30 (see FIG. 4). Via springs 48, the scale ring 26 is pretensioned in the direction of a locking position of the locking assembly 20, in which one locking pin 32 from each group engages a locking recess 44.

[0070] With the embodiment shown, a circumferential protrusion 50 is provided on the inner circumference of the scale ring 26, said protrusion acting as a release ring 50 and having contact with the radially external sections 32 of the locking pins 32, and with the protrusion pulling the locking pins 32 out of the locking recesses 44 upon a movement of the star-shaped handle 22 in the axial direction along the rotor 30. However, it is also conceivable to provide the release ring 50 as a separate component, which is connected to the star-shaped handle 22 and/or the scale ring 26.

[0071] FIG. 6 further shows a stop pin 52, which is arranged in one of the radially aligned handholds of the star-shaped handle 22, and which can engage with the locking bush 38 on the rotor (see FIG. 4) in a pulled-back position of the star-shaped handle 22, in which the locking pins 32 are pulled from the locking recesses 44 by the release ring 50. Thus, the star-shaped handle 22 can be locked in a release position of the locking assembly 20. In this locked release position, the rotor 30 can be rotated freely relative to the stator 42, without permanent traction having to be exerted on the star-shaped handle 22 in the axial direction.

[0072] The actuation of the stop pin 52 in this case can take place via a pushbutton 54 on one end of a handhold of the star-shaped handle 22 (see FIG. 7). When the user pulls the star-shaped handle 22 out of the locked position of the locking assembly 20 in the axial direction toward the handcrank 28, and then actuates the pushbutton 54 in the unlocked position, the star-shaped handle 22 is then prevented from falling back into the locked position.

[0073] Another pull on the star-shaped handle 22 releases the pushbutton 54, and the locked position can be resumed, in which one locking pin 32 from each group of locking pins engages with one locking recess 44 and thus the rotation of the rotor 30 is blocked relative to the stator 42.

[0074] FIGS. 8 and 9, which show the function of the locking assembly 20, will now be addressed. FIG. 8 shows the locked state of the locking assembly, in which the rotor 30 is locked. FIG. 9 shows the unlocked state of the locking assembly 20, in which the rotor 30 and thus the patient's leg can be rotated.

[0075] The locking functions as follows: multiple spring-loaded locking pins 32, which are arranged about the circumference of the rotor 30, are positioned opposite corresponding locking recesses 44 on the stator. The number and division of the recesses 44 and pins 32 are different, however. Because of this, none of the pins 32 and recesses 44 are ever opposite one another; however, one pin 32 of a group is always precisely opposite one recess 44 once the difference angle is exceeded. This enables a very precise engagement to be achieved, which is much less than the division of pins 32 and recesses 44. In the example shown, the pins 32 are each combined into groups, wherein the pattern repeats four times on the circumference so that always four pins 32 from the four different groups simultaneously engage and transfer the load.

[0076] The recesses 44 do not fully cover the cross-section of the locking pins 32 here, but instead the radially external region 32a of the pins is exposed. The release ring 50 uses precisely this external exposed region in order to carry the pins 32 along during the pullback of the star-shaped handle 22 and thus to release the locking. When the star-shaped handle 22 is released, the pins 32 can again move to the recesses 44 and four pins 32 then engage with the opposing recesses 44.

NUMERAL DESIGNATIONS

[0077] 1 Operating table [0078] 2 Patient support surface [0079] 3 Column [0080] 4 Base [0081] 10 Extension bar [0082] 12 Bar [0083] 14 Movable strut [0084] 16 Spindle traction mechanism [0085] 18 Bracket for patient's foot [0086] 20 Locking assembly [0087] 22 Star-shaped handle [0088] 24 Interface [0089] 26 Scale ring [0090] 28 Handcrank [0091] 30 Rotor [0092] 32 Locking pin [0093] 32a Radially external section [0094] 34 Through-hole [0095] 36 Guide groove [0096] 38 Locking bush [0097] 40 Spring [0098] 42 Stator [0099] 44 Locking recesses [0100] 46 Guide groove [0101] 48 Spring [0102] 50 Release ring, release protrusion [0103] 52 Stop pin [0104] L Longitudinal axis [0105] P Patient