Intra-articular measuring device
US5702401A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 30, 1994 |
| Grant date | Dec 30, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 30, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61F2/0805
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An intra-articular measuring device and method of using same, the device including a hollow handle defining a first passageway, and a hollow tube extending from the distal end of the hollow handle, the tube having a second passageway extending therethrough. The hollow tube carries a projection near its distal end for seating on a first selected region of a first bone, such as a tibial insertion point on a tibial plateau. The device further includes a probe slideably disposed within the first and second passageways, the hollow tube having a curvature sufficient to direct a distal end of the probe to a second selected region on a second bone, such as a femoral insertion point on a femur, to enable measurement of the distance between the first and second selected regions. Preferably, the probe includes a shaft extending proximally beyond the handle, the shaft carrying a gauge alignable with the proximal end of the handle to indicate the distance between the first and second selected regions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.