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:
Sep. 09, 2003
Filed:
Apr. 19, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:
Kevin Thomas Stone, Winona Lake, IN (US);
Ryan Cameron Lakin, Warsaw, IN (US);
Assignee:
Biomet, Inc., Warsaw, IN (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B 1/766 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B 1/766 ;
Abstract
A joint distraction device for facilitating joint arthroscopy disclosed. In the first embodiment of the invention, the distractor disclosed is a series of fluidly fillable spheroid members to form a toroid. The joint distractor is placed between articular cartilage surfaces and filled to hold the joint surfaces apart. In a second embodiment of the invention, a string of spheroidal members is disclosed. The spheroidal members have varying diameters and are used to separate the articular surfaces of a joint.