Patents Examined by David Bates
  • Patent number: 9861404
    Abstract: A bone re-angling device may be used in performing an osteotomy. The re-angling device may be a generally wedge-shaped body. The re-angling device maybe coupled to the bone using a fixation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: INBONE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Mark A. Reiley
  • Patent number: 9855087
    Abstract: Surgical instruments and methods for delivering bone anchor assemblies into bone are disclosed herein. Use of these anchors or instruments can eliminate one or more of the steps in a conventional bone anchor installation procedure, improving surgical efficiency and safety. In general, a surgical instrument can include a handle assembly having an elongate shaft extending distally therefrom. The handle assembly can be configured to axially translate a stylet extending therethrough relative to a bone anchor assembly coupled to the elongate shaft, and it can be configured to move the stylet proximally in response to distal advancement of a bone anchor assembly into bone. The surgical instruments can include various mechanisms for adjusting the position of the stylet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, LLC
    Inventors: John Divincenzo, Nicholas Pavento
  • Patent number: 9848891
    Abstract: A tool according to the invention for generating an undercut in a bone including a core with a shaft and a stamp mounted on a distal end of the shaft, wherein the stamp, in a transition area to the shaft, has a run-on bevel ascending in the distal direction, and a cutting sleeve which is arranged to be longitudinally movable on the shaft and of which the distal end is formed by at least one segment that can be spread open when pushed onto the run-on bevel, wherein the at least one segment has at least one laterally arranged cutting edge. The invention also relates to a method for generating an undercut in a bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Karl Storz SE & Co. KG
    Inventor: Sascha Berberich
  • Patent number: 9848888
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing knee arthroplasty, including, but not limited to, bicruciate retaining knee arthroplasty, are described herein. Methods and apparatus for preparing a distal femur for a femoral implant as well as methods and apparatus for preparing a proximal tibia for a tibial implant are described. These methods and apparatus, in at least some embodiments and uses, facilitate decreasing the complexity of knee arthroplasty procedures such as bicruciate retaining procedures, while maintaining, if not improving on, the safety, accuracy and/or effectiveness of such procedures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Zachary Christopher Wilkinson, Brian William McKinnon, David A. Drucker, Michael D. Ries
  • Patent number: 9848926
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for the fixing of bone segments or bone fragments comprising an implant plate or an implant surface plate having a bore or a cut-out and comprising an implant screw which can be guided through the bore or cut-out of the plate, wherein the implant screw has a screw shaft and a screw head and wherein both the screw shaft and the screw head have a thread with identical pitches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Karl Leibinger Medizintechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Bohrmann, Lorenz Gabele, Axel Waizenegger, Heiner Wild
  • Patent number: 9844400
    Abstract: An instrument for provisionally tightening a screw body member to a head of a polyaxial bone screw includes a barrel body, an inner shaft, a handle and lever, and a load link assembly. The barrel body includes a distal end with a pair of rotatable tangs configured to engage the screw body member. The inner shaft includes a distal end configured to engage a bushing within the screw body member. The lever pivotally couples to one of the handle and the barrel body. The load link assembly couples to the inner shaft and the lever. Actuation of the lever towards causes the load link assembly to longitudinally displace the inner shaft toward the distal end to contact the bushing and advance the bushing into frictional fit between the screw body member and the head of the polyaxial bone screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Inventors: Tara Stevenson, Wally Gillespie, Clark Hutton
  • Patent number: 9839526
    Abstract: A methodology for grafting together adjacent bony structures is provided using an implant device having an endplate with an inner disc portion and outer ring portion spaced from the inner disc portion by a connecting wall disposed there between. An endplate interior surface includes a retaining structure for securing the endplate to one of the bony structures, and endplate an exterior surface has an integrally formed socket. A ball-joint rod has a longitudinally extending body and an end, and at least a portion of the ball-joint rod end is curvilinear in shape. The curvilinear ball-joint rod end is rotatably disposed in the endplate socket to fixedly interconnect the bony structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Cowan
  • Patent number: 9839525
    Abstract: An intervertebral prosthesis for insertion between adjacent vertebrae includes upper and lower prosthesis plates locatable against respective vertebrae and having opposing, concavely curved recesses therein, and a core located between the plates. The core has opposed, convexly curved surfaces received in the recesses of the plates to allow the plates to slide in articulated manner over the core. The opposed surfaces of the core and the recesses of the plates have cooperating spherical curvatures. The recess of each plate surrounds a locating peg projecting centrally from the base of the recess and is bounded by an annular rim, such that the annular rims of the plates are arranged to contact one another at a predetermined limit of sliding movement of the plates over the core. The peg locates loosely in an opening located centrally in a curved surface of the core, whereby the plates can slide over the core in all directions while the peg holds the core captive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Simplify Medical Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Malan de Villiers, Ulrich Hahnle
  • Patent number: 9839486
    Abstract: Surgical systems and methods are disclosed for creating a 3D model of a patient's affected area using an imaging device, using the model to determine an implant orientation and position, creating patient-matched instrumentation, placing the patient-matched instrumentation on the patient's anatomy, registering a computer-assisted surgical tool, and acquiring registration information. The methods and systems also include associating the surgical tool with a computer to perform a computer assisted surgery. Also disclosed are embodiments of patient-matched instrumentation to acquire registration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Dean Hughes, Jeffrey A. Sharp
  • Patent number: 9833291
    Abstract: An assembly for manipulating a bone includes a first manipulating element configured to be attached to a first portion of bone and including a location emitting signal and a second manipulating element configured to be attached to a second portion of bone and including a sensor detecting the location emitting signal to provide a position and orientation signal of the first and second manipulating elements relative to one another. The assembly also includes a tracking unit including a processor tracking movement of the first and second manipulating elements relative to one another in a plurality of dimensions using the position and orientation signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: DEPUY SYNTHES PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventor: Adrian Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 9833260
    Abstract: A specialized obturator that has a curved configuration designed specifically for entry through the anterior joint and out the back of the knee in the ideal position for a posterior portal. The curved obturator is shaped to avoid intact knee ligaments and femoral condyles. The obturator is provided with an eyelet located at the tip and may be employed with a cannula similar to a PassPort™ Button cannula, but with one or more sutures placed through the “neck” behind the collar. A standard “inside-out” cannula may be used as well, but dimensioned for the specialized obturator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: ARTHREX, INC.
    Inventors: Jacob A. Jolly, Joel L. Boyd, Ricardo Albertorio
  • Patent number: 9833271
    Abstract: The present invention provides a drug eluting surgical screw and a method for manufacturing a drug eluting surgical screw. The drug eluting surgical screw may include a shaft having a threaded portion, a head having a drive recess disposed at a proximal end of the shaft, the drive recess having a reservoir region and a driver engagement region, and at least one or more drug eluting components disposed within the reservoir region of the drive recess in a manner that does not substantially impair a connection between a driver and the surgical screw when the driver is operably disposed within the driver engagement region, each of the at least one or more drug eluting components including a carrier matrix and a therapeutic agent, the therapeutic agent being at least 20 wt % of the drug eluting component prior to any implantation of the drug eluting surgical screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
    Inventors: David Armbruster, Anurag Pandey
  • Patent number: 9833255
    Abstract: In the context of bone surgery and in particular arthroscopic surgery, there is frequently a need for the application of “percussive force” to the distal end component(s) of a surgical device, i.e., repetitive percutient or striking force analogous to that of a hammer driving a nail. Disclosed herein are mechanisms and methods for automating and/or controlling the application of such a percussive force so as to avoid the present need in the art for a “third hand”. The present invention addresses the significant and long felt need by providing a powered percussive driver device that may be controlled directly by the primary surgeon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Tenjin, LLC
    Inventors: Robert A. Van Wyk, Gary R. Heisler, Christopher P. Dougherty
  • Patent number: 9833328
    Abstract: A method of resurfacing a facet joint with a facet implant system. The facet joint includes a superior facet and an inferior facet that are adjacent to each other and movable with respect to each other. A first facet implant component is provided that has a first visualization marker. The first visualization marker includes a first marker section and a second marker section. The first marker section is oriented at an angle with respect to the second marker section. The first facet implant component between the superior facet and the inferior facet. A location and an orientation of the first facet implant component are determined using an imaging technique that locates the first visualization marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Zyga Technology
    Inventors: Robert L. Assell, Brian P. Beaubien, David W. Stassen
  • Patent number: 9827114
    Abstract: A distraction device includes a cage distractor, two distractor blades, an inserter positioner, and a clip inserter. The cage distractor is selectively securable to the two distractor blades and includes two distractor housings moveable relative to one another. The inserter positioner is selectively securable to the two distractor blades and include a center member that is centered between the distractor blades when the inserter positioner is secured to the two distractor blades. The clip inserter is configured to secure a clip to a distal end thereof and is slidable through the center member to secure the clip to a cage distracted by the movement of the two distractor housings away from one another. The clip maintaining the distraction of the cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: K2M, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Theofilos, Todd Wallenstein, Adam Wassinger, Scott Jones
  • Patent number: 9826983
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for penetrating human nails as a part of treatment for Onychomycosis, commonly known as fungal nail. The device comprises a reusable electromechanical system and a single use cutting component. The electromechanical system incorporates an electrical motor and drive train to advance the cutting component through the nail. The electromechanical system also incorporates sensors for measuring the cutting resistance for the purpose of preventing the cutting device from overrunning into the nail bed. The device can be used to penetrate the nail in a controlled manner which will create a portal through the nail without penetrating the nail bed below the nail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Inventor: Rolf Lewis Thomas
  • Patent number: 9827112
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer-readable storage media, for surgical alignment using references. In one general aspect, a method includes coupling a guide to a joint, the guide defining an axis and having an outer contour formed to substantially conform to a portion of the joint. The first reference is attached at a fixed position relative to the joint. A positioning system is used to determine a position of the axis relative to the first reference, where the position of the axis is determined based upon the position of the guide while the guide is coupled to the joint. The guide is removed from the joint, and after the guide is removed from the joint, an instrument is positioned relative to the axis based on a position of a second reference relative to the first reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventor: Mason James Bettenga
  • Patent number: 9814509
    Abstract: A device and method for treating bone fractures/lesions using an inflatable body is provided. The inflatable body includes a balloon having a substantially flat horizontal surface for quick easy insertion into bone beneath the fracture so as to align misaligned fragments of the fracture and/or to collapsed bone. The body has a shape and size to compress at least a portion of the cancellous bone to form a cavity in the cancellous bone and/or to restore the original position of the outer cortical bone, if fractured or collapsed. The inflatable body has a stylet attached to its distal end so that once the inflatable body is deflated it can be twisted about the stylet to have a smaller profile so as to be easily withdrawn from the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Kyphon SÀRL
    Inventors: Masoumeh Mafi, Bryan J. Auyoung, Todd W. Jenkins, Warren C. Sapida
  • Patent number: 9814533
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an arthroplasty jig is disclosed herein. The method may include the following: generate two dimensional image data of a patient joint to undergo arthroplasty, identify in the two dimensional image data a first point corresponding to an articular surface of a bone forming the joint, identify a second point corresponding to an articular surface of an implant, identify a location of a resection plane when the first point is correlated with the second point, and create the arthroplasty jig with a resection guide located according to the identified location of the resection plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Howmedica Osteonics Corporation
    Inventors: Ilwhan Park, Venkata Surya Sarva, Irene Min Choi
  • Patent number: 9814599
    Abstract: A system for implanting an inter-body device between adjacent vertebrae comprises an inter-body device having a plurality of cans secured to a flexible bridge and having a relief portion therebetween. An inserter tube and complementary bullnoses are advantageously secured to the vertebrae by an extension arm for securing the assembly precisely in place. A plurality of articulating trial implants are provided to test fit a disc space for the proper sized inter-body device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: R Tree Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Rolando M. Puno