Ball joint retractor
US5904650A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 9, 1998 |
| Grant date | May 18, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 9, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B90/50
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A retractor comprising a longitudinally-extending blade having a top surface, a bottom surface, a distal end, and an opposed proximal end, a receptacle adapted to support a predetermined surgical instrument and disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the blade, a handle fixedly attached to the blade and defining a bore extending therethrough, and a ball disposed within the bore of the handle. A portion of the ball is fixedly attached to a portion of the receptacle and secured within the bore of the handle so that the ball and attached receptacle are movable relative to the blade without separating therefrom to a selected one of a plurality of desired positions. The retractor also comprises a shaft complementarily received within the bore, the lower end of the shaft is sized to complementarily and detachably engage a portion of the ball. The shaft is adjustably positionable within the bore between an engaged position, in which the shaft detachably engages the ball to frictionally hold the ball, and a disengaged position, in which the shaft and the ball are spaced apart so that the ball is movable within the bore.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.