Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method of quickly and easily grasping and releasing a graft. The apparatus includes a sleeve with an opening through the axis of the sleeve. Within the opening of the sleeve is a shaft with a jaw on one end, and a threaded end on the opposite end. The sleeve has a square tip end that is adjacent to the jaw of the shaft. Furthermore, the shaft near the jaw has a square cross-section so that the shaft is substantially prevented from rotating but allowed to move axially along the opening of the sleeve. A knob is also rotatably coupled to the opening of the sleeve on the opposite end of the tip end. The knob has a protruding end which has an outer thread on the surface of the protruding end and a center thread. The outer thread of the protruding end is adapted to rotatably couple to the opening on the sleeve, and the center thread of the protruding end is adapted to rotatably couple to the threaded end of the shaft. The opening on the sleeve and the outer thread on the protruding end of the knob are threaded such that clockwise rotation of the knob extends the knob relative to the opening on the sleeve. Furthermore, the threaded end of the shaft and the center thread of the protruding end are threaded such that clockwise rotation of the knob retracts the shaft into the center thread of the protruding end. The net result is that as the knob is turned clockwise, the shaft is pulled into the opening of the sleeve at a faster rate because the knob is extending away from the sleeve and the shaft is being inserted into the protruding end of the knob at the same time. As the shaft is being retracted into the tip end of the sleeve, the tip end bears on the jaw to close the jaw quickly and conversely opens quickly as the shaft protracts from the tip end.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim