Patents by Inventor Lorenzo Spotorno

Lorenzo Spotorno has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6669734
    Abstract: In the figures, proximal centering apparatuses (4) for collar-less femur shaft prosthesis (1) which can be cemented in and which can be pushed from the medial onto the shaft (3) in the cemented region are shown. The centering apparatus (4) has at least in the medial region a centering wedge (6) which widens towards the proximal and which is connected via webs (7) to a clamping apparatus (8), with the clamping apparatus (8) being arranged in the cement-less region of the prosthesis neck (2) and being removable when the webs (7) are interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Sulzer Orthopedics Ltd.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Werner Güttinger
  • Publication number: 20020052661
    Abstract: In the figures, proximal centering apparatuses (4) for collar-less femur shaft prosthesis (1) which can be cemented in and which can be pushed from the medial onto the shaft (3) in the cemented region are shown. The centering apparatus (4) has at least in the medial region a centering wedge (6) which widens towards the proximal and which is connected via webs (7) to a clamping apparatus (8), with the clamping apparatus (8) being arranged in the cement-less region of the prosthesis neck (2) and being removable when the webs (7) are interrupted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Applicant: Sulzer Orthopedics Ltd.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Werner Guettinger
  • Patent number: 6319256
    Abstract: A bone rasp has an elongate body which tapers in the distal direction with first cutting ribs which extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the body and are arranged in parallel graduations at a first spacing along the longitudinal axis and with second cutting ribs which are formed in parallel graduations at a second spacing at the body. The first and second cutting ribs have a different depth of cut in order to ablate different amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Sulzer Orthopedics Ltd.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Markus Lechner
  • Patent number: 6179842
    Abstract: With the invention blocking systems for the medullary canal (1) of a tubular bone (2) are shown which have a blocking element (5) in order to hold bone cement (3) back from cemented prosthesis shafts (4). Because a deformable plug (6) which can be decomposed in the body is placed on between the blocking element (15) and the shaft end (7), which prevents an advance of liquid bone cement (3) in the capacity of a fill-in and which permits a penetration of the end (7) of the prosthesis shaft (4), a cement socket without a base arises which permits settling movements of the shaft in the hardened bone cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Sulzer Orthopaedie AG
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Willi Frick, Mathias Heller
  • Patent number: 5549695
    Abstract: The socket (2) comprises a metallic outer shell (4), an intermediate shell (5) of plastics and a metallic inner shell (6), which may be inserted into the latter using a connection by shape. The outer shell (4) is divided into segments (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e) by recesses (9) open towards its equatorial marginal region. The outer shell (4) and the inner shell (6) are rigidly supported against each other in the direction of a common main axis (A) by a contact portion (8), and are non-rotatably connected by an attachment element (15) eccentrically offset with respect to the main axis (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Sulzer Medizinaltechnic AG
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Roland Willi
  • Patent number: 5500018
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for introducing a shank (5) of a prosthesis into a bone cavity is disclosed. A strap 1 having an loop portion 2 and an end portion 3 is wrapped around the shank. The end portion of the strap is then clamped by a clamping device 4 to secure the strap around the shank. The bone cavity is filled with bone cement and the lower end of the shank is introduced into the bone cavity thereby forming a gap between the shank and the outer wall of the bone cavity. A strap substantially seals this gap to minimize leakage of bone cement from the bone cavity. The clamping device 4 allows the end portion of the strap to slip relative to the clamping device when a threshold force is applied against the clamping device. In this manner, the strap will conform to the increasing cross-sectional area of the elongate body of the shank as the shank is introduced into the bone cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignees: Protek AG, Sulzer Medizinaltechnik AG
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Willi Fick, Roland Willi
  • Patent number: 5458649
    Abstract: A hipjoint socket has an outer cup and an inner cup disposed within and secured to the outer cup. The inner cup has a hemispherical bearing surface which is concentric with an axis and terminates at the end face, which is perpendicular to the axis. An open groove formed in the end face is concentric with the axis. A closed ring has axially relatively longer and shorter portions and a cylindrical guiding surface having a diameter about equal to a diameter of the hemispherical guiding surface. The ring includes tongues engaging the groove and thereby securing the ring to the inner cup when the ring abuts the end face. The tongues are able to slide along the groove and position the cylindrical guiding surface concentric with the axis and substantially contiguous with an end of the hemispherical bearing surface at the end face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignees: Sulzer Medizinaltechnik AG, Protek AG
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Rudolf Koch, Roland Willi
  • Patent number: 5197988
    Abstract: The stem of the femoral prosthesis is provided with a slot in the medial narrow side which communicates with a through-bore within the stem adjacent to the collar. In addition, an elastomeric filling is disposed within the through-bore and cooperates with an arch which connects the proximal end of the stem to the collar or neck in order to adapt the resilience of the stem in the proximal zone to the resilience of the cortical bone. The filling may be made of polyurethane or silicone material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignees: Sulzer Brothers Limited, Protek AG
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Otto Frey
  • Patent number: 5192331
    Abstract: The shank for a femur head prosthesis is provided with a cavity in the approximate region which is filled with a plastic or elastic filler. A covering is provided over the filler to avoid contact between the filler and the bone or the bone cement surrounding the shank. The covering reduces the area of contact between the bone the filler to a minimum and limits the "flow" of the filler under compressive loadings on the head of the prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Limited
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Otto Frey
  • Patent number: 5080678
    Abstract: An artificial acetabulum is made with a metal inner shell, a thin outer shell which defines a cavity with the inner shell and an elastic force-transmitting member between the two shells to damp forces imposed on the shells. In addition, a metal gauze layer is disposed about the outer shell for the ingrowth of osseous tissue. The inner and outer shells are connected at the edges so as to impermeable to air so that no particles from the cavity between the shells can reach the surrounding environment. A beading is also provided on the outer shell and/or gauze so as to snap into an appropriate undercut in the osseous tissue during primary implantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Limited
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Rudolf Koch, Roland Willi
  • Patent number: 4834759
    Abstract: The external bowl of the hip joint endoprosthesis is provided with a plurality of circumferential rows of projections. In addition, each projection is provided with a flank in a plane perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of the bowl and a second flank which faces the equatorial plane of the bowl which defines an angle of from 15.degree. to 45.degree. with the other flank. Upon penetration into bone tissue, the flanks displace and condense the tissue to approximately the same extent so that the axial force components acting on the flanks are approximately equal. This reduces the tendency of the endoprosthesis to be expelled from the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignees: Sulzer Brothers Ltd., Protek AG
    Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Otto Frey
  • Patent number: 4728334
    Abstract: In a femur component of a hip joint prosthesis, a straight shaft member is formed at least over the length of a proximal portion thereof located at the proximal end of the shaft member with a conical configuration which widens taken in a direction toward the proximal end of the shaft member and with a narrowing configuration taken from the lateral side to the medial side of the shaft member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignee: Protek AG
    Inventor: Lorenzo Spotorno