Rotational drive apparatus with ratcheting mechanism
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12390203-B2
Publication Date
2025-08-19
Expiration Date
Abstract
A hand held, hand operated apparatus for rotating, or spinning, rotatably oscillating and/or inducing back and forth longitudinal movement in a device, such as an elongated medical device. A drive shaft of the hand held, hand operated rotational drive apparatus includes a ratcheting mechanism capable of enabling oscillating (repeated forward and reverse) rotation of a device that has been coupled thereto when there is little or no resistance on the rotated device, and of enabling an actuator to return to a position that will enable further forward, or driving, rotation of the drive shaft and the rotated device when resistance on the rotated device prevents the rotated device and the drive shaft from rotating in a reverse direction.
Core Innovation
The described invention relates to a hand-held rooter rotational drive apparatus for elongated medical instruments. The apparatus includes a rotatable element having a longitudinal axis and an actuator having movable first and second members positioned to interact with the rotatable element.
The actuator provides engaged arrangements and disengaged arrangements that control whether the first member prevents rotation about the longitudinal axis in the first and second directions. In the engaged arrangement, the second member engages the first member to prevent rotation of the first member about the longitudinal axis and enables the first member to rotate the rotatable element in a first direction and a second direction.
In the disengaged arrangement, the second member prevents the first member from rotating the rotatable element in the second direction by permitting the first member to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the rotatable element. This control is further described using a threshold rotational resistance that determines whether the second side of the second member is held rotationally stationary by engagement with the first side of the first member.
The apparatus further includes coupling elements for engaging elongated medical instruments and longitudinal travel features that allow actuator members to move along the rotatable element. The sequence includes rotation in a first rotational direction while the second member is forced over the rotatable element without rotationally driving the rotatable element, and after release of force, forcing the first member over the rotatable element in a second direction to enable rotation in a second rotational direction.
Claims Coverage
The document provides three independent claims covering an actuator with engaged and disengaged arrangements for preventing or enabling rotation in opposite directions, threshold-resistance engagement that holds a sliding actuator member rotationally stationary, and a method that drives rotation in a first direction and then in a second direction with engagement behavior that depends on device resistance.
Engaged and disengaged actuator arrangements that control opposite-direction rotation
A rooter comprising a rotatable element and an actuator having a first member movable along the length and a second member movable along the length, where the second member is positionable against the first side, the second member includes an engaged arrangement that engages the first member to prevent rotation of the first member about the longitudinal axis and enables the first member to rotate the rotatable element in a first direction and a second direction, and a disengaged arrangement that prevents the first member from rotating the rotatable element in the second direction by permitting the first member to rotate about the longitudinal axis.
Threshold resistance-controlled engagement for sliding member and opposite-direction rotation
A rooter comprising a rotatable element and an actuator that causes the rotatable element to rotate, where the actuator includes a second member that slides over the rotatable element without driving rotation, a first member that drives rotation of the rotatable element in a first direction and can drive rotation of the rotatable element in a second direction, and the first member including a first side that engages the second side upon encountering less than a threshold resistance while rotating the rotatable element in the second direction to hold the second member rotationally stationary as the first member moves along the rotatable element to drive rotation in the second direction, and that disengages the second side upon encountering at least the threshold resistance while rotating the rotatable element in the second direction to prevent the rotatable element from rotating in the second direction as the first member moves along the rotatable element by enabling the first member to rotate about the longitudinal axis.
Manually operable rooter method with released-force, first-direction drive then second-direction rotation
A method for rotating an elongated medical device by securing a proximal end of the elongated medical device to a coupling element of a manually operable rooter, forcing a second member of an actuator over a rotatable element in a first direction without the second member rotationally driving the rotatable element, causing the second member to engage a first member to prevent the first member from rotating relative to the rotatable element, move the first member over the rotatable element in the first direction, and enable the first member to drive rotation of the rotatable element and rotation of the elongated medical device in a first rotational direction, releasing a force on the second member of the actuator, and forcing the first member of the actuator over the rotatable element in a second direction to enable the first member to rotate the rotatable element in a second rotational direction.
Across the independent claims, the core inventive concept is controlling actuator engagement between first and second members, including engaged and disengaged arrangements and threshold-resistance engagement, so that rotation of a rotatable element and an elongated medical device can be driven in opposite rotational directions while preventing or permitting rotation in the second direction based on the defined engagement state and resistance.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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