Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Edward P Skwor

Timothy C Sandvig

Douglas R Mongeon

Franklin S Lange

An orthotic knee brace is custom fit to the user's leg without requiring any separate casting steps. The brace includes a thigh cuff which is hinged to a calf cuff. Straps can provide support to at least a portion of the leg. A pad is removably disposed on the interior surface of both the thigh cuff and the calf cuff and contacts the user's leg. The pad is initially pliable when placed around the user's leg and conforms to the leg shape. After a predetermined time the pad cures to maintain the leg shape even after the brace is removed.

Off-the shelf custom knee brace

A bone stapler including a staple cartridge that, when removed from the stapler, insures that no staple can remain in the stapler, and is held in place by a rotatable locking member that in one position can pass through an opening in a wall of the stapler and can then be rotated to hold the cartridge in place.

Bone stapler cartridge

A bone stapler including a housing in which stapler can be driven by a driver along a passageway from an inlet to an outlet opening by activation of an operated drive means. Pointed projections are provided to locate bone portions to be stapled, manually releasable safety means is provided to prevent inadvertent driving of a staple, and the drive means is adapted to exhaust air at a location remote from the bone portion being stapled. Also a staple cartridge is provided that, when removed from the stapler, insures that no staple can remain in the stapler, and the stapler will accept different parts that receive the cartridge and define the passageway so that staples of different sizes may be driven.

Growing community of inventors

Savage, MN, United States of America

Edward P Skwor