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, 2009
Filed:
Jan. 31, 2003
Stephen J. Vankoski, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Robert D. Krebs, Warsaw, IN (US);
Richard Berger, Chicago, IL (US);
Stephen J. Vankoski, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Robert D. Krebs, Warsaw, IN (US);
Richard Berger, Chicago, IL (US);
Zimmer Technology, Inc., Waraw, IN (US);
Abstract
An apparatus includes a surgical retractor and a light conduit releasably coupled to the surgical retractor. In an alternative embodiment, a method of illuminating a surgical cavity includes expanding the cavity with a plurality of surgical retractors, transmitting light from a remote source the to the cavity through a light conduit of at least one of the retractors, focusing a first amount of the light into a first portion of the cavity via the retractor including the conduit, and dispersing a second amount of the light into a second portion of the cavity via substantially lustrous surfaces of the retractors.