Richards Medical Company

Thomas W Sander

Richard L Dunn

Danny H Lewis

James A Davidson

Neil B Beals

Yancy L Gill

Anthony D Prescott

Richard W Treharne

Timothy D Gooch

Karen Krygier

Jorgan Heide

Jim Davidson

Eric A Renz

A prosthetic ligament assembly includes a nonaugmented prosthetic ligament for permanently replacing a natural ligament spanning first and second body members, such as the femur and tibia, and a bone screw adapted for tensioning the prosthetic ligament during implantation. The prosthetic ligament includes a load bearing member intertwined into a plain braid from a plurality of biocompatible, high strength, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene yarns. Each yarn includes at least fifty fibers and has a tensile strength greater than or equal to about 100,000 psi. The load bearing member has a gage section and a loop at each end thereof for anchoring the load bearing member to the body members. The load bearing member is preloaded to remove slack therefrom. The load bearing member may be used alone or may be formed into a hollow braid having a core disposed within the hollow portion of the braid to permit radiographic visualization of the prosthetic ligament. A sheath may be friction fit or molded onto the exterior of the gage section. The assembly also includes one or two bone screws for complimentary engagement with the loops of the load bearing member. The bone screws have a tapered section extending beneath the head of the screw to the shank for tensioning the prosthetic ligament during implantation.

Prosthetic ligament

A magnetic induction hearing aid where the microphone, the amplifying electronics, the battery and a coil are contained in a single housing which is located deep in the ear canal. A magnet is attached to portions of the middle ear by means of a malleus clip or by implantation between the tympanic membrane and the malleus. The magnet is vibrated by interaction with the magnetic field produced by the coil. Two amplifier designs are disclosed for use with different levels of hearing loss. The magnet can be coated with hydroxyapatite for permanent attachment to the body. The magnet is coated with hydroxyapatite by an ion implantation process, a plasma spraying technique or a method of applying the hydroxyapatite while a precoating polymeric material has not fully solidified.

Magnetic induction hearing aid

Phosthetic ligament

A ventilation tube is provided for permitting gaseous communication between the middle ear and the outer ear canal of a recipient. The tube is formed of a material that resists extrusion from the tympanic membrane such as titanium or a titanium alloy or others, and includes an outer end portion which is adapted to communicate with the outer ear canal and an inner ear portion adapted to communicate with the middle ear. A pair of spaced apart flanges are mounted respectively on the outer end portion and the inner end portion of the tube. A coating or insert formed of a material that resists tissue adherence such as a fluoroplastic polymer (e.g., Teflon) or others lines at least the portion of the opening in the tube adjacent to the middle ear and the flange on the middle ear side of the tympanic membrane.

Middle ear ventilating tube

A nonaugmented prosthetic ligament for permanently replacing a natural ligament spanning first and second body members, such as the femur and tibia includes a load bearing member formed from a plurality of biocompatible polyolefin fibers positioned at angles of from 0.degree. to 55.degree. relative to the longitudinal axis of the load bearing member. Each fiber is less than 100 microns in diameter and has a tensile strength greater than or equal to about 50,000 psi. The load bearing member may be used alone or may be formed into a hollow braid having a core disposed within the hollow portion of the braid to provide shape for the load bearing member. A sheath may be friction fit or molded onto the exterior of the load bearing member to prevent abrasion of the fibers.

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Memphis, TN, United States of America

Thomas W Sander