Patent ID: 7244241

Claim:
A tool for insertion through the coracoid process and into the glenoid vault of a scapula, comprising: an elongated, rigid tube, having an exterior surface and an open interior portion that extends between distal and proximal ends; said tube having a length and diameter such that its distal end may be positioned in the glenoid vault and so that its proximal end may be placed into communication with a suction mechanism; an elongated sleeve operatively coupled with said tube in a manner that permits selective, sliding movement of said sleeve along a length of the exterior surface of said tube; said sleeve having proximal and distal ends and a sealing face on said distal end that is generally transverse to a long axis of said elongated sleeve; and a gasket operatively coupled to the distal end of said sleeve and the exterior surface of said tube in a manner that permits selective, sliding movement of said gasket along a length of the exterior surface of said tube; said gasket being positioned in a manner that establishes a seal between the distal end of said sleeve and the exterior surface of said tube; said gasket being further positioned across a substantial portion of the sealing face on the distal end of said sleeve and shaped and sized to permit selective sealing engagement with the coracoid process when the distal end of said tube is positioned in the glenoid vault.