Patents Assigned to Wake Lake University Health Sciences
  • Patent number: 7931651
    Abstract: An external fixation assembly includes a plurality of hollow pins that are inserted into a patient's bone. Each pin has an interior bore and a plurality of apertures extending through the pin wall from the bore. The pin may be coupled to a source of vacuum pressure operable to create reduced pressure in the tissue surrounding the pin. A cover is placed around the pin and sealed to provide a fluid-tight enclosure that maintains reduced pressure around the pin. A method for applying external fixation using the fixator pins described above includes the steps of inserting each pin through a skin opening, positioning the pin apertures near selected tissue, covering the skin opening with a sealed enclosure, connecting the pins to a source of vacuum pressure, and activating the source of vacuum pressure to create reduced pressure in the patient's tissue at or near the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Wake Lake University Health Sciences
    Inventors: Lawrence X. Webb, Louis C. Argenta, Michael J. Morykwas