Angled instrument assembly

Abstract

An angled instrument assembly includes an angled sleeve, a driver shaft, and a tool bit. The angled sleeve includes a straight passage segment that meets an angled passage segment at a junction. The junction includes an inner elbow and an outer elbow. Material is removed from the inner surface of the inner elbow in order to improve the ease with which the driver shaft can be moved in and out of the angled sleeve. The assembly can also include drafted female or male engagement bodies for facilitating the engagement and disengagement of the tool bit with a tool bit engagement assembly located at the distal end of the driver shaft.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An angled instrument assembly comprising:
 an angled sleeve including a hollow passage extending therethrough, the angled sleeve comprising:
 a straight segment where the hollow passage extends along a first longitudinal axis; 
 a angled segment where the hollow passage extends along a second longitudinal axis, wherein the second longitudinal axis forms a first angle with the first longitudinal axis; and 
 a junction region connecting the straight segment to the angled segment, the junction region including an inner elbow and an outer elbow, wherein a portion of the inner elbow includes an intermediate angled interior surface that forms a second angle with respect to the first longitudinal axis; and 
   a driver shaft configured to be received within the hollow passage of the angled sleeve, and including a distal portion adapted to move adjacent to the inner elbow of the junction within a clearance area formed by the intermediate angled interior surface.   
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the clearance area is formed by removing material from an interior surface of the inner elbow. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the intermediate angled interior surface forms a third angle with respect to the second longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . assembly of  claim 2 , wherein second angle is less than the first angle. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first angle is in a range from 1° to 45°. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second angle is in a range of from 0.25 to 0.75 times the first angle. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the interior surface of the inner elbow is curved to provide a transition between the straight passage segment and angled passage segment. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the angled sleeve further comprises a handle mechanism located at a proximal end of the angled sleeve and configured to rotate the driver shaft when the driver shaft is received within the hollow passage of the angled sleeve. 
     
     
         10 . An angled sleeve including a hollow passage extending therethrough comprising:
 an elbow section including an inner elbow interior surface, wherein the inner elbow interior surface comprises a first surface segment, a second surface segment, and a third surface segment, with the second surface segment being located between the first surface segment and the third surface segment; and   an angled passage section extending from a distal end of the elbow section and including a uniform diameter throughout the length of the angled passage section adapted to receive a driver shaft,   wherein the elbow section includes a wall with a reduced thickness compared to a wall of the angled passage section such that the elbow section includes a distal opening having a diameter that is greater than the uniform diameter of the angled passage section to facilitate movement of the driver shaft in the angled sleeve.   
     
     
         11 . The angled sleeve of  claim 10 , wherein the angled passage section has an axis that is oriented parallel to the third surface segment of the inner elbow interior surface. 
     
     
         12 . The angled sleeve of  claim 10 , further comprising a straight passage section extending proximally from the proximal end of the elbow section. 
     
     
         13 . The angled sleeve of  claim 12 , wherein the straight passage section includes a handle positioned at a proximal end of the straight passage section. 
     
     
         14 . The angled sleeve of  claim 13 , wherein the driver shaft is received with the straight passage section and the handle is configured to engage the driver shaft received within the straight passage section and rotate the driver shaft when the handle is rotated. 
     
     
         15 . The angled sleeve of  claim 12 , wherein the straight passage section has an axis that is oriented parallel to the first surface segment of the inner elbow interior surface. 
     
     
         16 . An angled instrument assembly comprising:
 an angled sleeve having a hollow passage extending therethrough, comprising:
 a straight passage segment having a first longitudinal axis and an interior surface; 
 an angled passage segment having a second longitudinal axis and an interior surface, the second longitudinal axis forming a first angle with respect to the first longitudinal axis, and 
 a junction region connecting the straight passage segment to the angled passage segment, the junction region including an inner elbow and an outer elbow, the outer elbow including a tool bit opening aligned with the angled passage segment; and 
   a driver shaft configured to be received within the hollow passage of the angled sleeve, comprising:
 an elongated shaft body having a proximal end and a distal end; 
 a tool bit engagement assembly coupled at the distal end of the elongated shaft body; and 
   a tool bit comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end including an engagement body configured for engaging with the tool bit engagement assembly.   
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the engagement body comprises three or planar side walls and an end wall and the surface of each of the planar side walls forms an angle with an axis of the tool bit, the angle being in the range of from 1° to 5°. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the tool bit engagement assembly comprises: a fork having a proximal end and a distal end and wherein the distal end of the fork includes a recess configured for receiving the engagement body of the tool bit. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the recess comprises three or more planar side walls and the surface of each of the planar side walls forms an angle with an axis of the tool bit engagement assembly, the angle being in the range of from 1° to 5°. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the tool bit engagement assembly is configured to permit the fork to pivot along two perpendicularly oriented axes.