Abstract: An implant composed substantially of cortical bone is provided for use in cervical Smith-Robinson vertebral fusion procedures. The implant is derived from allograft or autograft cortical bone sources, is machined to form a symmetrically or asymmetrically shaped (e.g. a substantially “D”-shaped) implant having a canal running therethrough according to methods of this invention, and inserted into the space between adjacent cervical vertebrae to provide support and induce fusion of the adjacent vertebrae. Osteogenic, osteoinductive or osteoconductive materials may be packed into the canal of the implant to expedite vertebral fusion and to allow autologous bony ingrowth.

Abstract: An implant composed substantially of cortical bone is provided for use in cervical Smith-Robinson vertebral fusion procedures. The implant is derived from allograft or autograft cortical bone sources, is machined to form a symmetrically or asymmetrically shaped (e.g. a substantially “D”-shaped) implant having a canal running therethrough according to methods of this invention, and inserted into the space between adjacent cervical vertebrae to provide support and induce fusion of the adjacent vertebrae. Osteogenic, osteoinductive or osteoconductive materials may be packed into the canal of the implant to expedite vertebral fusion and to allow autologous bony ingrowth.

Abstract: An implant composed substantially of cortical bone is provided for use in cervical Smith-Robinson vertebral fusion procedures. The implant is derived from allograft or autograft cortical bone sources, is machined to form a symmetrically or asymmetrically shaped (e.g. a substantially “D”-shaped) implant having a canal running therethrough according to methods of this invention, and inserted into the space between adjacent cervical vertebrae to provide support and induce fusion of the adjacent vertebrae. Osteogenic, osteoinductive or osteoconductive materials may be packed into the canal of the implant to expedite vertebral fusion and to allow autologous bony ingrowth.

Abstract: An implant composed substantially of cortical bone is provided for use in cervical Smith-Robinson vertebral fusion procedures. The implant is derived from allograft or autograft cortical bone sources, is machined to form a symmetrically or asymmetrically shaped (e.g. a substantially “D”-shaped) implant having a canal running therethrough according to methods of this invention, and inserted into the space between adjacent cervical vertebrae to provide support and induce fusion of the adjacent vertebrae. Osteogenic, osteoinductive or osteoconductive materials may be packed into the canal of the implant to expedite vertebral fusion and to allow autologous bony ingrowth.

Abstract: An implant composed substantially of cortical bone is provided for use in cervical Smith-Robinson vertebral fusion procedures. The implant is derived from allograft or autograft cortical bone sources, is machined to form a symmetrically or asymmetrically shaped (e.g. a substantially “D”-shaped) implant having a canal running therethrough according to methods of this invention, and inserted into the space between adjacent cervical vertebrae to provide support and induce fusion of the adjacent vertebrae. Osteogenic, osteoinductive or osteoconductive materials may be packed into the canal of the implant to expedite vertebral fusion and to allow autologous bony ingrowth.

Abstract: An interference screw is provided by machining a fragment of autograft, allograft or xenograft cortical bone from a donor or from a recipient's amputated bone. The interference screw has a cortical surface into which a self-tapping thread is machined. The interference screw has a machined pointed, rounded or flush end and an opposite machined end which mates with a drive means, and has advantages over conventional interference screws known in the art in that subsequent to implantation, no residual hardware that must later be removed remains at the implant site.

Abstract: An interference screw is provided by machining a fragment of autograft or allograft cortical bone from a donor or from a recipient's amputated bone. The interference screw has a cortical surface into which a self-tapping thread is machined. The interference screw has a machined pointed, rounded or flush end and an opposite machined end which mates with a drive means, and has advantages over conventional interference screws known in the art in that subsequent to implantation, no residual hardware that must later be removed remains at the implant site.

Abstract: A surgical snare having a wire which forms the snare loop made from a shape memory effect metallic alloy which exhibits superelasticity at room temperature. The wire is trained so that it assumes an intermediate snare loop size in an unrestrained free state. From this trained free state configuration, the loop can be expanded to a large loop and contracted to a very small loop without permanent deformation from the trained intermediate state. This range of movement enables an expanded range of applicability for snares in general, and also enables reducing the instrument tip size with improved loop configuration.

Abstract: A surgical cutter, basically designed for but not limited to laparoscopic surgery, contains a slotted housing and a linearly reciprocating blade which moves parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing within the slot. The housing also contains a shaped opening near the distal end, the surfaces of this opening being generally perpendicular to the plane of the slot in the housing. Portions of the shaped opening surfaces co-act with the cutting edge of the blade to confine the material to be cut so that it is confined, supported, and cleaved as the blade moves through the plane of the co-acting supporting surface in the opening. The cutting edge of the blade is enveloped by the housing at both ends of the cutting stroke so that the instrument can be safely inserted into and used within the patients body without spurious cutting or damage to the blade.

Abstract: An improved surgical snare apparatus includes an elongated tubular tip extending from a control handle. The ends of a single U-formed snare wire extend through the tip and out of its proximal end where they are secured to a control element in the handle that enables moving of the wire. The distal end is modified from conventional snares to allow the contracted snare loop to be substantially nested within the tip. In the fully contracted nested position, the wire substantially closes the modified distal end so that the sharp cutting edges of the distal end are not exposed to contact with body tissue during insertion into an incision or opening. Thus, the combination of the modified distal end and the single wire nested within presented a tip the minimizes trauma during insertion.The configuration of the expanded single wire loop is modified from conventional dual wire snare loops into a more rounded form which is easier to manipulate around tissue to be severed, a polyp for example.

Abstract: A system for facilitating folding a soft intraocular lens. A supporting and positioning structure associated with a base or frame presents the lens so that forceps tips are automatically positioned near opposite sides of the lens and maintained in that position. A forming means automatically moves the forceps tips with respect to the lens to fold the optic portion of the lens within the tips. The lens is accurately and reliably folded in the forceps tips to securely grip the lens in a desired position with reduced risk of damage to the optic portion of the lens.

Abstract: disassemblable scissors which utilizes a releasable pivot joint between pivotable scissor halves. The pivot joint is formed in the scissor halves between the blades and the handles of the scissor. The scissors halves are pivotally retained together over a range of cutting motions by a retaining assembly. The retaining assembly retains a portion of one of the scissors halves movably within a retaining portion of the other of said scissors halves at least over the range of cutting motions. To release and disassemble the scissors, the scissors halves must be pivoted at least past the range of cutting motions to a point where the portion of the one scissor half is no longer retained by the retaining portion of the other scissors half. In this position, the two halves can be transversely pulled apart.

Abstract: An instrument for stapling body tissue including a staple, a retainer, and a plunger. The staple is preformed in a closed state and is made of a body-compatible material. The staple material has a stress plateau such that the staple may be flexed to an open state without permanent deformation. The retainer stores the staple in the open state and the plunger ejects the staple from the retainer such that the staple returns itself to the preformed closed state in the body tissue.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for implantation of intraocular lenses includes a resilient tubular sling which is positionable over parallel working ends of a crossover forceps. The sling allows an intraocular lens to be folded or curled up therein and held in that folded up position with the forceps tips in a closed position. The forceps presents a narror-in-cross-section moving crossover point behind the tips to allow the forceps tips to be inserted through a small incision in the eye, and then open to release the lens once within the eye. By maintaining the crossover point at the small incision, the forceps can release the lens even though it requires the opening of the forceps tips to a position wider than the incision in the eye. The resilient sling holds the folded lens compactly during movement through the small incision, and assists in urging a controlled release of the lens into the eye. The sling also avoids having to handle the lens with the forceps tips prevents damage to the lens.

Abstract: A clamping device which includes a pair of elongated members which are pivotably but releasably connected. A pivot mechanism exists between gripping ends and handle ends of the elongated members. Female and male members comprise a box hinge whereby the cam holds the elongated members in a secure but pivotable relationship between a closed position for the gripping ends and a maximum open position. If the elongated members are moved beyond the maximum open position, the male cam member can be separated from the female receptor member.

Abstract: A means and method for forming tweezers and tweezers handles out of a single piece of material. The tweezers consist of unitary body including two parallel spaced apart arms which extend from an integrally formed heel end portion The ends of the arms opposite the heel end portion comprise tweezer tips or can be connected to replaceable tweezer tips. In a preferred embodiment, the single piece tweezers are produced by electrical discharge machine process which produces very accurate and precise cuts.