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:
Jul. 09, 1996
Filed:
Oct. 05, 1994
Leonard J Tokish, Jr, Cordova, TN (US);
Thomas W Fallin, Champaign, IL (US);
Jeff Schryver, Cordova, TN (US);
Smith & Nephew Richards, Inc., Memphis, TN (US);
Abstract
An in-situ surgical orthopedic milling apparatus includes an instrument frame having upper and lower end portions. A plurality of templates are provided, each forming a respective virtual pattern. A cutting device supported upon the frame cuts bone tissue (e.g., within the intramedullary canal of a patient's bone), by tracking the virtual patterns. A system of vertically stacked templates can be placed in position with respect to the instrument frame to define an operative position. The templates provide a wall portion that constrains movement of the cutting tool beyond a desired surgical cutting area defining an 'actual pattern'. In this first embodiment, the templates are in the form of stacked templates, each template having its own pattern.