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:
May. 06, 2003
Filed:
Jun. 30, 2000
Lewis Isbell, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Jasper Jackson, Newark, CA (US);
Katherine Whitin, San Mateo, CA (US);
Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL (US);
Abstract
A suture handling device for handling a plurality of suture elements is provided. The suture handling device comprises a body. It further comprises a plurality of passages defined on the body. Each passage has a mouth and an opposed end. The passages are arranged to diverge outwardly relative to one another in a direction away from their mouths, such that when the suture handling device is advanced over a plurality of spaced apart suture elements so that the suture elements enter the mouths and pass along the passages, the suture elements become spaced further apart. Advantageously, the suture handling device can be provided with an engaging formation for engaging the suture elements in the slots after they have been spaced further apart, thereby to retain the suture elements on the device.