External fixator system
US5746741A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 6, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 5, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 6, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S606/916
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An external fixator system comprises a clamp adapted to couple a fixator pin to a connecting rod. The clamp includes a slot for transversely receiving the body of the connecting rod. The slot preferably includes a region of reduced width, providing interference between the clamp and the connecting rod as it is inserted. This causes the clamp to snap onto the rod. A bolt is inserted through a hole passing through both sides of the slot. The bolt includes a head at one end formed in the shape of a hook adapted to hook the shaft of a fixator pin, and a thread at the opposite end. The bolt is rotatably mountable in the hole such that the fixator pin can be retained at a range of angles relative to the connecting rod. The clamp is attachable to a fixator pin and a connecting bar between two previously-installed clamps without disassembly of the system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.