Patent · US Expired

Bone probe

US5242448A · kind A · utility

279Cited by
5References
6Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 1, 1991
Grant dateSep 7, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 1, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61F2210/0019
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An orthopedic bone probing device to locate cavities, holes, and crevices in bones. For instance, where holes are drilled in bones to accommodate fastening devices it is important to ascertain if there are any sites where the drilling penetrated the entire side wall of the bone resulting in an undesirable hole in the side wall of the bone. The device of this invention consists of a cannula containing a shaft of superelastic material that assumes a retractable position angular to the axis of the cannula upon being ejected from one end of the cannula and the other end of the cannula is retained by a plunger that limits the amount of shaft that can be ejected and necessitates the removal of the shaft if the cannula is to be removed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.