The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 03, 2026
Filed:
Sep. 16, 2022
Thompson Surgical Instruments, Inc., Traverse City, MI (US);
William White, Traverse City, MI (US);
Adam Truckey, Suttons Bay, MI (US);
Daniel K. Farley, Traverse City, MI (US);
Steven Nowak, Traverse City, MI (US);
Christopher T. Martin, Cedar, MI (US);
THOMPSON SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, INC., Traverse City, MI (US);
Abstract
A side-load connector comprises a housing, a port into which an attachment post of a retractor blade is loaded, a sidewall opening, a retaining fork between a housing upper surface and a housing lower surface, and a slider. The port passes through the housing upper surface and the housing lower surface. The sidewall opening passes through a housing sidewall and permits lateral passage of the attachment post through the housing sidewall to the port. The retaining fork includes a front tine and a back tine. The slider is coupled to the retaining fork and configured to slide the retaining fork between a closed position in which the front tine and the back tine engage the loaded attachment post and an opened position in which the front tine does not engage the loaded attachment post.