Abstract:
The invention disclosed herein is a surgical guide apparatus (SGA) and method of use. The guide apparatus preferably comprises a collar connected to a guide tube. The guide apparatus is expressly adapted to mount to the finger of a surgeon and to facilitate the proper insertion of a K-wire into a patient without tearing the surgeon&#39;s glove or cutting the surgeon.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to surgical guide apparatuses, and more especially to surgical guide apparatuses that are wearable on a users finger and facilitate the insertion of a K-wire, fixation device, or marking device (unless indicated otherwise hereinafter all of which shall be considered to fall within the definition of K-wire). 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A Kirschner wire or K-wire is well known in the orthopedic surgery industry and is widely used in surgical fixation applications (see Appx A). Further, many guide devices are known and are used in the orthopedic surgery industry to facilitate the correct insertion or placement (location and orientation) of such K-wires. Examples of such devices are disclosed in the following US patents, US patent applications, and US statutory invention registration, all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,901,711, 5,891,161, 8,361,102, 8,540,676, 8,545,531, 8,715,311, 8,728,111, 8,979,889, 9,089,378, 20020099309, 20080015591, 20080021312, 20090216242, 20090299416, 20100211078, 20100331893, 20110118792, 20110213432, 20120041447, 20130317559, 20140324057, 20140336664, 20150223849, and H1706. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Current practice for inserting a K-wire in a blind application (i.e. an application wherein the K-wire is subdermally inserted into a bone but the surgeon cannot physically see the insertion site but rather must “feel” for the proper insertion site) is as follows: The surgeon, wearing one or more pair of rubber gloves, makes an incision in the patient in the general area of the intended insertion site of the patient (e.g. a shoulder, hip, or knee site). The surgeon then inserts his finger into the incision and through the flesh of the patient until the surgeon feels the bone with his finger. The surgeon then moves his finger along the bone until the surgeon determines that the proper insertion sites has been located. The surgeon then slides a K-wire along the finger that is positioned at the proper insertion site and presses, drives, or otherwise inserts the K-wire into the bone at the proper location and preferably in the proper orientation. However, K-wires are typically very sharp so as to facilitate their insertion into bone. The process of sliding the K-wire along a gloved finger sometimes results in a torn glove. If the tear exposes the surgeon&#39;s finger to the surrounding tissue of the patient (e.g. the finger is “double gloved” but the K-wire cuts through both layers of glove) the surgeon may unintentionally expose the patient to infection. Worse yet, if the K-wire cuts the surgeon&#39;s finger, the surgeon&#39;s wound and blood may be exposed to the patient&#39;s open tissue and may cause infection to both the patient and the surgeon. 
         [0004]    The invention disclosed herein is a surgical guide apparatus (SGA) and method of use. The guide apparatus preferably comprises a collar connected to a guide tube. The guide apparatus is expressly adapted to mount to the finger of a surgeon and to facilitate the proper insertion of a K-wire into a patient without tearing the surgeon&#39;s glove or cutting the surgeon. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a trimetric view of a first embodiment of the SGA; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a trimetric view of a second embodiment of the SGA; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a trimetric view of the first embodiment of the SGA shown positioned or “worn” on a finger of a user (without showing a glove on the finger for the sake of clarity), and; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a side orthographic/sectional view of the first embodiment of the SGA shown positioned or “worn” on a finger of a user (without showing a glove on the finger for the sake of clarity) and with the user&#39;s finger positioned in an incision of a blind surgical position and with a K-wire prepared for insertion via the SGA. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. 
         [0011]    Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are included to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. 
         [0012]    In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention in reviewing the drawings accompanying the specification, a feature table is provided below. It is noted that like features are like numbered throughout all of the figures. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 FEATURE TABLE 
               
             
          
           
               
                 # 
                 Feature 
                 # 
                 Feature 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 10 
                 Surgical guide apparatus 
                 20 
                 Collar 
               
               
                 22 
                 Collar upper end 
                 24 
                 Collar lower end 
               
               
                 30 
                 Guide tube 
                 32 
                 Tube upper opening 
               
               
                 34 
                 Tube lower opening 
               
               
                 40 
                 Surgical guide apparatus 
                 50 
                 Collar 
               
               
                 52 
                 Collar upper end 
                 54 
                 Collar lower end 
               
               
                 56 
                 Collar gap 
                 60 
                 Guide tube 
               
               
                 62 
                 Tube upper opening 
                 64 
                 Tube lower opening 
               
               
                 70 
                 K-wire 
                 72 
                 Sharpened tip 
               
               
                 80 
                 Finger 
                 82 
                 Fingertip 
               
               
                 90 
                 Skin 
                 92 
                 Subdermal tissue 
               
               
                 96 
                 Bone 
                 98 
                 Bone outer surface 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0013]    Referring now to the drawings, a first embodiment of the invention is a surgical guide apparatus (SGA)  10  for use in properly positioning and inserting a K-wire without causing damage to a user&#39;s gloves or hands comprising a collar  20  and a guide tube  30  connected to collar  20 . Collar  20  preferably defines a generally hollow tapered cylindrical endless collar having an upper end  22  and a lower end  24 . Guide tube  30  preferably defines a generally hollow cylindrical tube having an upper opening  32  and a lower opening  34 . Collar  20  and guide tube  30  may be constructed of metal such as stainless steel and bonded, welded, fastened, or otherwise connected together. Alternative, collar  20  may be constructed of plastic and may be injection molded and guide tube  30  may be may be constructed of plastic and may be extrusion molded, with collar  20  and guide tube  30  bonded, welded, fastened, or otherwise connected together. Further alternatively collar  20  and guide tube  30  may both be constructed of plastic and may be injection molded as a single integral part. SGA  10  may be constructed as a reusable apparatus or as a single-use disposable apparatus. In practice, SGA  10  is preferably provided sterilized in a sealed container. 
         [0014]    Referring now to the drawings, a second embodiment of the invention is a surgical guide apparatus (SGA)  40  for use in properly positioning and inserting a K-wire without causing damage to a user&#39;s gloves or hands comprising a collar  50  and a guide tube  60  connected to collar  50 . Collar  50  preferably defines a generally hollow tapered cylindrical open-ended collar to provide flexure so as to provide for adjustable fit having an upper end  52 , a lower end  54 , and gap  56 . Guide tube  60  preferably defines a generally hollow cylindrical tube having an upper opening  62  and a lower opening  64 . Collar  50  and guide tube  60  may be constructed of metal such as stainless steel and bonded, welded, fastened, or otherwise connected together. Alternative, collar  50  may be constructed of plastic and may be injection molded and guide tube  60  may be may be constructed of plastic and may be extrusion molded, with collar  50  and guide tube  60  bonded, welded, fastened, or otherwise connected together. Further alternatively collar  50  and guide tube  60  may both be constructed of plastic and may be injection molded as a single integral part. SGA  40  may be constructed as a reusable apparatus or as a single-use disposable apparatus. In practice, SGA  40  is preferably provided sterilized in a sealed container. 
         [0015]    In practice, a surgeon places collar  20  of SGA  10  (or alternatively collar  50  of SGA  40  ) on a gloved finger  80  to achieve a snug retainable fit of SGA  10  on finger  80 , preferably with a small amount of fingertip  82  extending somewhat beyond collar lower end  24 . With SGA  10  mounted on finger  80 , the surgeon inserts finger  80  into an incision in a blind surgical application in a patient in need of orthopedic surgical intervention. The surgeon moves finger  80  while feeling for the proper insertion location until the proper insertion location is found. The surgeon then moves finger  80  by a small offset amount in the opposite of the direction of the center of tube lower opening  34  positioned from the center of collar lower end  24 . For instance, if the distance from the center of tube lower opening  34  to the center of collar lower opening  24  is 0.25 inches, and if guide tube  30  is positioned to the right of collar  20 , then the surgeon moves fingertip  82  by 0.25 inches to the left along bone outer surface  98 , such that fingertip  82  is no longer directly adjacent the proper insertion location but approximately 0.25 inches away from the proper insertion location and the center of tube lower opening  34  is adjacent the proper insertion location. While maintaining tube lower opening  34  in proximate contact to the proper insertion location, the surgeon places K-wire  70  into guide tube  30  such that sharpened end  72  comes into contact with bone surface  98  at the proper insertion location. The surgeon then inserts K-wire  70  some distance into bone  96  with minimal risk of injury or damage to finer  80  or any gloves wore thereon. Such insertion of K-wire  70  into bone  96  may then function as an anchor for traction, as a fixation device itself, or as a marker around which the surgeon may use a cannulated (hollow) drill and drill a larger hole into bone  96  in preparation for insertion of a larger fixation device. 
         [0016]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.