US-12616482-B1 - Orthopedic impactor

Abstract

An orthopedic impactor may include a motor operable to generate first rotational motion and second rotational motion, a linear motion converter operatively coupled to the motor to convert the first rotational motion into first linear motion and the second rotational motion into second linear motion, an anvil including at least one impact surface, and a thrown mass having a first position located a distance from the at least one impact surface. The thrown mass may accelerate, responsive to the first linear motion and away from the first position, toward the anvil to impact the at least one impact surface with a first kinetic energy and impart a linear impact force on the anvil. The thrown mass may return, responsive to the second linear motion and toward the first position, with a second kinetic energy that is less than the first kinetic energy.

Inventors

• Christopher Pedicini

Assignees

• Fidelis Partners, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20250924

Claims (19)

1. 1 . An orthopedic impactor, comprising: a motor operable to generate first rotational motion and second rotational motion, the first rotational motion and the second rotational motion being opposite in direction; a linear motion converter operatively coupled to the motor to convert the first rotational motion into first linear motion and the second rotational motion into second linear motion, the first linear motion and the second linear motion being opposite in direction; an anvil including at least one impact surface; and a thrown mass operatively coupled to the linear motion converter having a first position located a distance from the at least one impact surface, wherein, during an operational cycle of the orthopedic impactor: the thrown mass accelerates, responsive to the first linear motion and away from the first position, toward the anvil to impact the at least one impact surface with a first kinetic energy and impart a linear impact force on the anvil, and the thrown mass returns, responsive to the second linear motion and toward the first position, with a second kinetic energy that is less than the first kinetic energy.
2. 2 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein the second kinetic energy is at least 50% less than the first kinetic energy when the thrown mass is within 15 millimeters of the first position.
3. 3 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein the first kinetic energy corresponds to a kinetic energy of the thrown mass when the thrown mass is 25 millimeters or less away from the at least one impact surface and the second kinetic energy is at least 40% less than the first kinetic energy.
4. 4 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein a motor output power is reduced to provide the second rotational motion during movement of the thrown mass toward the first position.
5. 5 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein an anvil stroke is 18 millimeters or less responsive to the first kinetic energy.
6. 6 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein the linear motion converter includes a lead screw and lead nut assembly.
7. 7 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein the linear motion converter includes a belt and pulley assembly.
8. 8 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein the linear motion converter includes a chain and sprocket assembly.
9. 9 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein the linear motion converter includes a rack and pinion assembly.
10. 10 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein the linear motion converter includes a ball screw and ball nut assembly.
11. 11 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 1 , wherein the motor and the linear motion converter operate along distinct parallel axes.
12. 12 . An orthopedic impactor, comprising: a motor operable to generate rotational motion; a means for converting the rotational motion to linear motion; an anvil including at least one impact surface; and a thrown mass having a first position located a distance from the at least one impact surface, wherein, during an operational cycle of the orthopedic impactor: the thrown mass accelerates, responsive to the linear motion and away from the first position, toward the anvil to impact the at least one impact surface with a first kinetic energy and impart a linear impact force on the anvil, and the thrown mass returns, responsive to the linear motion and toward the first position, with a second kinetic energy that is less than the first kinetic energy.
13. 13 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 12 , wherein the second kinetic energy is at least 50% less than the first kinetic energy.
14. 14 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 12 , wherein the first kinetic energy corresponds to a kinetic energy of the thrown mass when the thrown mass is 25 millimeters or less away from the at least one impact surface and the second kinetic energy is at least 40% less than the first kinetic energy.
15. 15 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 12 , wherein a motor output power is reduced to provide the second rotational motion during movement of the thrown mass toward the first position.
16. 16 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 12 , wherein an anvil stroke is 18 millimeters or less responsive to the first kinetic energy.
17. 17 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 12 , wherein the motor and the linear motion converter operate along distinct parallel axes.
18. 18 . An orthopedic impactor, comprising: a motor configured to generate rotational motion; a linear motion converter operatively coupled to the motor and configured to convert the rotational motion into linear motion; a thrown mass operatively coupled to the linear motion converter and movable between a ready position and an impact position; an anvil including at least one impact surface positioned to receive impact from the thrown mass; and a controller configured to: control the motor to accelerate the thrown mass from the ready position toward the impact position with a first kinetic energy magnitude, and control the motor to return the thrown mass from the impact position toward the ready position with a second kinetic energy magnitude that is reduced relative to the first kinetic energy magnitude.
19. 19 . The orthopedic impactor of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further configured to modulate a motor output power during the return of the thrown mass such that the second kinetic energy magnitude is at least 50% less than the first kinetic energy magnitude.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/863,882, filed Aug. 14, 2025, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND Impactors are designed to deliver an impact force to a target object or material. The impactors are commonly used in various industries and applications where precise and controlled force is required to perform tasks, such as fastening, shaping, breaking, and/or compacting tasks. SUMMARY In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an orthopedic impactor, including: a motor operable to generate first rotational motion and second rotational motion, the first rotational motion and the second rotational motion being opposite in direction; a linear motion converter operatively coupled to the motor to convert the first rotational motion into first linear motion and the second rotational motion into second linear motion, the first linear motion and the second linear motion being opposite in direction; an anvil including at least one impact surface; and a thrown mass operatively coupled to the linear motion converter having a first position located a distance from the at least one impact surface, wherein, during an operational cycle of the orthopedic impactor: the thrown mass accelerates, responsive to the first linear motion and away from the first position, toward the anvil to impact the at least one impact surface with a first kinetic energy and impart a linear impact force on the anvil, and the thrown mass returns, responsive to the second linear motion and toward the first position, with a second kinetic energy that is less than the first kinetic energy. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an orthopedic impactor, including: a motor operable to generate rotational motion; a means for converting the rotational motion to linear motion; an anvil including at least one impact surface; and a thrown mass having a first position located a distance from the at least one impact surface, wherein, during an operational cycle of the orthopedic impactor: the thrown mass accelerates, responsive to the linear motion and away from the first position, toward the anvil to impact the at least one impact surface with a first kinetic energy and impart a linear impact force on the anvil, and the thrown mass returns, responsive to the linear motion and toward the first position, with a second kinetic energy that is less than the first kinetic energy. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an orthopedic impactor, including: a motor configured to generate rotational motion; a linear motion converter operatively coupled to the motor and configured to convert the rotational motion into linear motion; a thrown mass operatively coupled to the linear motion converter and movable between a ready position and an impact position; an anvil including at least one impact surface positioned to receive impact from the thrown mass; and a controller configured to: control the motor to accelerate the thrown mass from the ready position toward the impact position with a first kinetic energy magnitude, and control the motor to return the thrown mass from the impact position toward the ready position with a second kinetic energy magnitude that is reduced relative to the first kinetic energy magnitude. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The FIGURE is a diagram of an example associated with an orthopedic impactor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of example implementations refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. In the field of orthopedics, prosthetic devices, such as artificial joints, are often implanted or seated in a bone cavity of a patient. The bone cavity must be created before the prosthesis is seated or implanted, and, traditionally, a surgeon removes worn, excess, or diseased bone structure from an implant area in which the bone cavity will be formed, and then drills and hollows out the bone cavity (e.g., a bone cavity along a medullary canal of a bone of the patient). A prosthesis usually includes a stem, or other protrusion, that is inserted into the bone cavity. To create such a bone cavity, high energy linear forces are required to impart high energy linear impacts onto one or more surgical tools. A typical technique that the surgeon uses is manually hammering a broach (e.g., a cutting tool that conforms to a shape of the stem of the prosthesis) into the implant area using a mallet. However, this manual approach presents challenges and problems, such as being imprecise, leading to unnecessary mechanical stress on the bone of the patient, and producing unsatisfactory results (e.g., a location and configuration of the bone cavity are inaccurate). Additionally, this manual approach requires the surgeon to expend significant energy creating the high ener