Patent ID: 9326779
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: A61B,F04C

Claim Text:
1. A soft tissue protector and drill guide for guiding elements of an implantation kit during a surgical intervention, comprising: a soft tissue protector main body extending along a central longitudinal axis, a gripping portion attached to the soft tissue protector main body; an adjustment cap rotatably mounted on the main body, the adjustment cap having a plurality of radially extending slots; a guide plate fixed to the main body and spaced from the adjustment cap along the central longitudinal axis, the guide plate having a plurality of arcuate circumferentially extending slots formed therein; a plurality of jaws defining a through going cavity along the central longitudinal axis of the soft tissue protector main body, the jaws having inner jaw surfaces, each jaw having an upper and a lower surface, each upper and lower surface having an axially extending pin extending outwardly therefrom; wherein the through going cavity has an upper and a lower opening for receiving the element to be guided, wherein the axially extending pin on the upper surface of each of the jaws engages the radial slots in the adjustment cap and the axially extending pin on the lower surface of each jaw engages the arcuate circumferential slots in the guide plate; wherein the soft tissue protector main body has a lower contact surface to be positioned on an object on or into which said element of the implantation kit is to be guided; wherein the adjustment cap can be rotated against the soft tissue protector main body causing the axially extending pins in the upper and lower surface to move radially in the respective slots in the adjustment cap and guide plate forcing the jaws radially apart providing a diameter which can be varied of the through going cavity with the inner jaw surfaces; and each jaw comprises a flexible guiding extension that ends near the lower opening of the drill guide and extends along a longitudinal axis, wherein the flexible guiding extension comprises, adjacent a free end of the guiding extension, a guide spring formed from the guiding extension and oriented away from the longitudinal axis of the guiding extension, the guide spring contacting an inner wall of the soft tissue protector main body and pushing the inner jaw surfaces of the flexible guiding extension towards the central longitudinal axis of the soft tissue protector main body while allowing passage of said elements against the action of the spring.