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. 10, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 07, 2002
James D. Ralph, Seaside Park, NJ (US);
Stephen Tatar, Montvale, NJ (US);
Third Millennium Engineering, LLC, Summit, NJ (US);
Abstract
An orthopedic device including a longitudinal plate assembly having an adjustable length and two ends. Each of the ends includes a feature that can be used to couple the end to a body structure, such as, for example, a vertebral bone. Preferably, the assembly includes two longitudinal plates that can translate longitudinally with respect to one another through a plurality of positions and be secured with respect to one another at one of the positions, thereby enabling the length of the assembly to be adjusted. Inasmuch as the length of the plate assembly can be adjusted, the surgeon can set the length to the most clinically appropriate length for effective coupling of the plate assembly to the body structure.