US 12,137,930 B2
System of sonotrode and guide shaft
Andrea Müller, Winterthur (CH); and Andrè Schwery, Rombach (CH)
Assigned to WOODWELDING AG, Stansstad (CH)
Appl. No. 16/967,869
Filed by Woodwelding AG, Stansstad (CH)
PCT Filed Feb. 6, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/052868
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 6, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/154833, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 15, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 00150/18 (CH), filed on Feb. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0045767 A1, Feb. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 17/16 (2006.01); A61B 17/32 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/22 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/320068 (2013.01) [A61B 17/1613 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00955 (2013.01); A61B 17/22004 (2013.01); A61B 17/22012 (2013.01); A61B 2017/320074 (2017.08)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system to be used for transmitting ultrasonic vibration, the system comprising a sonotrode and a guide shaft,
wherein the sonotrode has a distal end and a proximal end and is designed to vibrate in a stationary wave with a wave length and comprising at least one node position between the distal end and the proximal end and an anti-node position at the distal end,
wherein the guide shaft has a distal end and a proximal end and a through opening extending from the distal end to the proximal end,
wherein, for operation, the sonotrode extends through the through opening of the guide shaft with a radial clearance and the distal end of the guide shaft is situated on a distal side of a most distal one of the at least one node position of the sonotrode,
wherein the sonotrode comprises a portion of an increased cross section at the most distal node position, the portion being an integral part of the sonotrode and being made of the same material as the sonotrode so that the radial clearance between the sonotrode and the guide shaft is a minimum radial clearance at the portion at the most distal node position,
wherein the distal end of the sonotrode is equipped with a polymer ring mounted at the anti-node position at the distal end and situated in a circumferential groove of the sonotrode in a way radially protruding from the sonotrode, and
wherein the sonotrode is axially slidable relative to the guide shaft between a first position where the sonotrode protrudes from the distal end of the guide shaft such that the polymer ring mounted at the anti-node position is beyond the distal end of the guide shaft and a second position where the sonotrode is withdrawn into the guide shaft such that the polymer ring mounted at the anti-node position is radially disposed between the sonotrode and the guide shaft and wherein, for operation, a permeable sleeve or a cannulated screw is connected to the distal end of the guide shaft, the permeable sleeve encasing the distal end of the sonotrode.