Abstract: A combination valve and coupling has a retainer in the form of a ring which engages a seal. The seal engages the valve closing member and is captured within a pocket in the valve housing by the ring. The ring has tabs in spaced relation about its outer perimeter which engage dogs on the valve housing to retain the ring in contact with the seal. The stiffness of the tabs may be tuned to provide flexibility to the ring and permit the seal to deform when the valve is opened and closed. The tabs have angularly oriented surfaces which engage the dogs and cause axial motion of the ring upon its rotation to adjust the preload between the ring and seal.

Abstract: An expandable intervertebral fusion cage that includes an inferior baseplate and a superior baseplate, an insert rotatably received between the inferior and superior baseplates, and a guide pin coupled to the inferior and superior baseplates for facilitating the rotation of the insert. The insert includes a pair of protuberances, each of which are releasably engageable with a corresponding lock groove formed within the inferior and superior baseplates. When said insert is rotated relative to the guide pin, the protuberances engage the lock grooves, and the inferior and superior baseplates expand from a collapsed position, in which said inferior and superior baseplates are juxtaposed with one another, and an expanded position, in which said inferior and superior baseplates are diverged away from one another. Tabs formed on the superior baseplate continuously engage slots formed within the inferior baseplate when the baseplates expand from their collapsed position to their expanded position.

Abstract: An expandable intervertebral fusion cage that includes an inferior baseplate and a superior baseplate, an insert rotatbly received between the inferior and superior baseplates, and a guide pin coupled to the inferior and superior baseplates for facilitating the rotation of the insert. The insert includes a pair of protuberances, each of which are releasably engageable with a corresponding lock groove formed within the inferior and superior baseplates. When said insert is rotated relative to the guide pin, the protuberances engage the lock grooves, and the inferior and superior baseplates expand from a collapsed position, in which said inferior and superior baseplates are juxtaposed with one another, and an expanded position, in which said inferior and superior baseplates are diverged away from one another. As a result, the cage distracts in parallel.