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:
Mar. 17, 1987
Filed:
May. 16, 1984
F Barry Bays, Seminole, FL (US);
Richard L Dunn, Birmingham, AL (US);
Sam Marchand, Olive Branch, MS (US);
Richard W Treharne, III, Memphis, TN (US);
Richards Medical Company, Memphis, TN (US);
Abstract
A prosthetic device formed of a biodegradable material and useful as a ventilation tube for insertion between the middle ear and the outer ear. The device includes a shaft with an axial passage, an inner flange and an outer flange. At least a portion of the outer surface of the shaft is tapered, with the taper increasing from the inner to the outer flange. The larger diameter outer flange and any attached portion of the shaft are, therefore, forced outwardly when the tapered portion of the shaft is in contact with animal tissue biodegrades before other portions of the prosthesis.