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. 15, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 16, 2003
Thomas W. Huitema, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Gary W. Knight, West Chester, OH (US);
Mark H. Ransick, West Chester, OH (US);
Dale R. Schulze, Lebanon, OH (US);
Thomas W. Huitema, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Gary W. Knight, West Chester, OH (US);
Mark H. Ransick, West Chester, OH (US);
Dale R. Schulze, Lebanon, OH (US);
Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a surgical implant which can be made of a metal that corrodes while implanted in tissue of a patient. The surgical implant has a preferential corrosion zone adapted to corrode at a different rate than the rest of the surgical implant. In one embodiment, the surgical implant is surgical staple that may be formed into a 'B-shape' when deployed into tissue, although the invention also is applicable to many other kinds of staples, clips, and other metallic surgical implants. In one embodiment, the preferential corrosion zone comprises an indentation that provides a site for crevice corrosion.