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. 27, 2012
Filed:
Dec. 28, 2007
Helmut Schreiber, Shaker Heights, OH (US);
Albert N. Santilli, Pepper Pike, OH (US);
Helmut Schreiber, Shaker Heights, OH (US);
Albert N. Santilli, Pepper Pike, OH (US);
Other;
Abstract
A surgical marker/connector can be provided in the form of a ring made of a fluoroscopic material, including a shape memory alloy such as NITINOL. The ring preferably includes a plurality of small suture attachments in the form of loops that are disposed on the periphery of the ring and which lie in a plane that includes the ring itself. The loops are large enough to receive sutures which, in turn, can be used to connect the ring to a portion of a patient's body, or to connect separate portions of a patient's body to each other using the marker/connector as an intermediate connector. If the ring is made of a shape memory alloy, the ring can be wrapped tightly about an elongate member such as a mandrel, which than can be inserted into the patient's body through a trochar or cannula. After insertion, the ring will change temperature and resume its original configuration where it can be sutured in place as desired. If the ring is not made of a shape memory alloy, the ring can be inserted into the patient's body by conventional surgical techniques and then sutured in place as desired.