Patent ID: 7947047

Claim:
A medical screwdriver comprising a body portion having a receiver, a drive shaft having first and second ends, the second end being adapted to drive a medical screw, a drive means for rotating the drive shaft, the drive means being disposed in the body portion and operatively connected to the first end of the drive shaft, a sleeve surrounding at least a portion of the drive shaft, and a coupling comprising an end of the sleeve and the receiver of the body portion, wherein the end of the sleeve is adapted to be coupled with the receiver without rotationally aligning the end of the sleeve to the receiver, wherein the end of the sleeve engages the receiver in a manner which prevents rotation of the sleeve during rotation of the drive shaft by the drive means, and wherein the coupling comprises a ratchet mechanism, wherein the end of the sleeve comprises a raised portion and the receiver comprises a recessed region adapted to cooperatively mate with the raised portion, wherein the raised portion and the recessed region cooperatively interfere to prevent rotation of the sleeve, wherein the raised portion is located over a portion of the circumference of the sleeve and exhibits a progressively greater height along the portion of circumference, wherein the end of the sleeve comprises at least one additional raised portion, the at least one additional raised portion located over a portion of the circumference of the sleeve and exhibiting a progressively greater height along the portion of circumference, and wherein the screwdriver comprises longitudinal slits at the end of the sleeve between adjacent ends of the raised portion and the at least one additional raised portion.