3691results about "Dowels" patented technology

A soft tissue fixation system, most typically applicable to orthopedic joint repairs, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee repair procedures, comprises an implant which is placeable in a tunnel disposed in a portion of bone, wherein the tunnel is defined by walls comprised of bone. A first member is deployable outwardly to engage the tunnel walls for anchoring the implant in place in the tunnel, and a second member is deployable outwardly to engage tissue material to be fixed within the tunnel. The second member also functions to move the tissue material outwardly into contact with the tunnel walls to promote tendon-bone fixation. Extra graft length is eliminated by compression of the tendon against the bone at the aperture of the femoral tunnel, which more closely replicates the native ACL and increases graft stiffness. The inventive device provides high fixation of tendon to bone and active tendon-bone compression. Graft strength has been found to be greater than 1,000 N (Newtons), which is desirable for ACL reconstruction systems.

A joining pin (3.2) with which two parts (1 and 2) made from a porous material, particularly wood or a wood-like material, are to be joined together, is anchored in the porous material at predetermined anchoring points (31, 33). For this purpose, a bore (4.2) with a closed inner end (41) is made in the parts (1 and 2). The shape of this bore (4.2) is so matched to the joining pin (3.2) that it can be introduced substantially without force expenditure into the bore and is positionable in a first position. At least one predetermined anchoring point (31, 33) between the joining pin (3.2) and the wall of the bore (4.2) is formed when pressure is built up by pressing the joining pin (3.2) with a pressing force (F) more deeply into the bore to a second position. Energy is supplied in a planned manner to the joining pin (3.2) so that at the predetermined anchoring points (31, 33) the thermoplastic material of the joining pin (3.2) is plasticized. The locally plasticized plastic material is pressed by the local pressure into the porous material of the parts and forms local, macroscopic anchors (10, 20). The joining pin (3.2) is, e.g., made entirely from a thermoplastic material and the energy for plasticizing is supplied thereto by ultrasonic vibration.

A rivet-like bone anchor has a floating washer at its head that can adapt to an angled bone surface and, thereby, better secure a tissue thereto. The anchor includes a rivet, an expandable sleeve, and a washer. The rivet includes a head and an elongate body having proximal and distal ends, the head being mounted on the proximal end of the elongate body. The expandable sleeve has an inner bore adapted to receive the rivet body. The washer “floats” at a proximal end of the sleeve. As the rivet is inserted into sleeve, the sleeve expands into an interference fit with the bone. The head of the rivet, moreover, forces the floating washer into contact with the tissue at an angle that conforms to that of the underlying bone surface. A deployment tool permits the anchor to be deployed without application of unnecessary counterforce. The tool includes an outer tube, the distal end of which can hold the anchor housing, e.g., via a screw fit. A rod, which is slidably disposed within the bore of the tube, can be used to push the rivet into the expandable sleeve so that the sleeve expands into the bone, so that the floating washer is forced into position against the bone surface, and so that anchor is broken away from the housing. This can be effected, for example, by squeezing the distal ends of the outer tube and the rod together, e.g., in the manner that the end of a syringe is squeezed.

Disclosed are methods and devices to apply therapies to the walls of an organ such as the stomach. Visualization means and access means are disclosed as are devices and apparatus which can be used to perform the disclosed procedures and methods.

The system relates to a system for joining flat, relatively thin members that adjoin one another along their narrow face, the members having grooves incorporated into the narrow faces that are parallel to the surface and have groove walls that are parallel to each other, and the joining element being inserted into the grooves of two adjacent members and bridging the partition gap between the members in the manner of an external tongue. In this context the joining element (11) has, on its part (12) that can be inserted in the manner of an external tongue in the longitudinal center on its side that faces away from the visible surface of the members, one continuous web or a plurality of aligned webs (13) that preferably protrude at a right angle, from which detent webs (14, 15) protrude on both sides, each of which has a detent projection (16, 17) that projects toward the external-tongue-like part (12), and on the bottom of the member (1, 2), which faces away from its visible surface, detent grooves (7, 8) being provided that run parallel to the adjacent edge at a distance corresponding to the width of the detent webs (14, 15).

There are disclosed various embodiments of surgical tacks for use in surgical procedures. The tacks generally include a head and a barrel portion extending distally from the head. Preferably the head and the barrel portion define a throughbore for receipt of a drive instrument. A thread on the head is provided to engage threads in the installation tool. A tissue thread is provided on the barrel, portion to engage tissue. Distal and proximal surfaces of the tissue thread may be oriented at various angles relative to the barrel portion. There is also disclosed an insertion instrument to insert one or more tacks as well as a method of use. There is further disclosed a model device for use in explaining the operation of the instrument.

The present invention provides an improved apparatus for forming a fibrous pad for absorbent products with improved density control. Fibers entrained in a high speed air flow are deposited onto the foraminous surface of a spaced, three-dimensional pad-forming pocket. The fine foraminous pad forming screen is supported on its periphery by two top plates, a coarse forming screen, two subplates and end rails which incorporate a device to hold the pad forming screen. A gas flow regulating system consisting of precisely placed cross directional fixed and adjustable airflow control louvers controls the air flow direction and reduces spill over and turbulence during the pad formation and especially during the transition of the forming pocket into and out of the air stream as the rotary former shell rotates through the filling position. Additional control of density and fiber placement is gained through the use of additional gas control innovations including a tapering the pocket ends such that the airflow is streamlined especially during pocket transition through forming sections.

A clamping nut suitable for co-operating with a threaded shank of an osteosynthesis appliance, the nut including an annular body and a tapped bore for cooperating with the threaded shank. The annular body is provided with a structure which enables turning the body and with a transverse bearing face. The osteosynthesis nut further includes a ring mounted in a housing of the annular body which is provided internally with the tapped bore, and which cooperates externally with the annular body.

A fastener adapted to pass through aligned holes through workpieces is disclosed. The fastener includes a pin member having a transition portion wherein the diameter of the transition portion decreases radially as it extends from the smooth cylindrical shank portion to the threaded portion. The fastener may also comprise a sleeve member and a clamping means. The clamping means includes a collar, a nut, or any other possible clamping means. In exemplary embodiments, the workpieces can be formed with a plurality of materials, the materials including composite, metallic, or composite / metallic structures, any combination thereof. In particular embodiments, the fastener has interference capability of 0.0005 to 0.0100 inches in composite structures without risk of composite delamination or damage. As a result of the fastener interference, gaps between the fastener and the structure are eliminated thereby providing good electrical conductivity between components. As a result, the potential for electrical sparks is reduced, providing a safer fastener for use with aerospace applications.

A fastener for securing deck boards to a support structure without the need for driving screws or nails through the deck boards. The fastener includes two horizontal flanges that fit into slots cut into the sides of adjacent deck boards, a center hole for securing the fastener to the support structure and deformable, resilient elements that bridge the gap between adjacent deck boards during fastening yet compress inward when the boards swell and expand.

A coupling spigot for connecting two scaffold legs one atop the other is designed to use a twist lock for securing the upper scaffold leg to the coupling spigot. A locking collar is fixed to a stop collar of the spigot. The locking collar includes receiving slots for receiving locking projections provided adjacent a bottom edge of the scaffold leg. Locking slots are connected to the receiving slots whereby an upper scaffold leg may be inserted on a coupling spigot of a lower scaffold leg and retained thereon by a twist lock.

An expandable collet body and anchor system incorporating a collet body anti-rotation feature and preferably collet body translation arresting means are disclosed. The collet body includes a first end, a first wall portion having at least two fingers, a second end including a head, a second wall portion, an annular protrusion and anti-rotation means where the anti-rotation means engages with an auxiliary structure defining a hole having an internal surface adapted to translationally accept the collet body and operatively function with the collet body anti-rotation means. The auxiliary may include a work piece to be optionally joined to another structure or a sleeve insert locatable in a hole defined by a work piece. Because the collet body is relatively free to translate within the auxiliary structure, a wide spectrum of work piece depths can be engaged with a single length collet body with the use of a stud to radially expand the fingers, thereby engaging a distal structure.

A locking device is disclosed for interlocking two members having aligned openings extending therethrough. The device includes a hollow cap and a pin with an enlarged head at one end and a nose at the opposite end. The pin is insertable through the aligned openings of the members, with its nose received in interlocked engagement within the cap, and with the two members captured between the cap and the enlarged head of the pin. A frangible portion of the pin is severable in response to relative rotation between its nose and enlarged head to thereby destructively disassemble the locking device.

In a head protecting air bag device according to the present invention, a clip for attaching an attaching portion of an air bag to a fixing part on the side of a vehicle body includes a clip body and a locking part. The clip body has a shaft having a pair of securing legs protruded. The pair of securing legs are inserted in the fixing slot of the fixing part from an in-vehicle side via the attaching slot of the attaching portion and secured to the peripheral edge on an out-vehicle side of the fixing slot. The shaft is composed of a shell member of a metallic plate on the outer periphery and a core member of synthetic resin on the inner periphery. The core member is arranged on the opposite sides of a pair of securing lugs of the shell member. The core member has an inserting space in which a spacer of the locking part is inserted between the pair of securing lugs. The spacer limits the mutual approaching of the pair of securing legs. In the head protecting air bag according to this invention, using the clip, the attaching portion of the air bag can be easily attached to the vehicle body side with assured attaching stability.

A new and improved toggle-bolt type fastener has pocket structure effectively incorporated therein so as to accommodate extra-long threaded activation screws or bolt fasteners in a coaxial manner within the toggle-bolt type fastener. Alternatively, structure has been incorporated within the toggle-bolt type fastener which effectively accommodates extra-long threaded activation screws or bolt fasteners by causing the same to be slightly deflected from their coaxial disposition within the toggle-bolt type fastener so as to permit the same to bypass the stab point of the toggle-bolt type fastener. Still further, additional structure has also been incorporated within the toggle-bolt type fastener for ensuring the fact that when the nut member is moved from its first or original, axially oriented, inoperative or non-deployed position, to its second, transversely oriented, operative or deployed position, the nut member will in fact be disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the toggle-bolt type fastener so as to, in turn, ensure the proper threaded engagement thereby by the threaded activation screw or bolt fastener.

A device (1) for detachably connecting two abutting structural parts (2, 3) comprises a tie member (4), adapted to be at least partially inserted in a recess (5) formed in a first (2) of the structural parts (2, 3), and a locking element (6) operable to be disposed in a second (3) of the structural parts (2, 3) and to cooperate with an engagement surface (14, 45) of a rod member (10), slidably housed in a body (8) of the tie member (4), to pull the same towards the second structural part (3). The body (8) is provided with a first, expandable, portion (9) adapted to frictionally engage the recess (5) and with an engaging zone (13) cooperating with an expander region (12) of the rod member (10) operable to expand the first, expandable, portion (9) of the body (8) upon displacement of the rod member (10) relative to the same. The rod member (10) is provided with a traction portion (15) radially outwardly extending therefrom and adapted to cooperate with abutment means (16) radially formed in the body (8) of the tie member (4) at a predetermined axial distance from the engaging zone (13) to effect a substantially simultaneous displacement towards the second structural part (3) of the first, expandable, portion (9) of the body (8) of the tie member (4) and of the first structural part (2) in frictional engagement therewith.

An anchor that screws directly into a board without requiring a tap drill hole. A male screw is provided around the shaft part of the anchor with a drill part at one end and a flange part at the other end; at the end where the flange part is provided, a turning tool engagement hole and a female screw formed hole part continuous therewith are provided. The drill part is formed into a tapered-pyramid shape, multiple split shaft parts being formed by providing a slit that extends from the end surface of the pyramid-shaped drill part to midway up the shaft part. The tip of the split shaft part incorporate connected multiple drill bits that are formed by splitting the pyramid-shaped drill part.

An insert for receiving a bone screw includes an elongate sleeve having opposed proximal and distal ends and a wall defined by an outer peripheral surface configured for engaging bone and an inner peripheral surface configured for receiving a bone screw extended therethrough. At least one elongate slot is formed in the wall of the sleeve for promoting flexure of the insert. A tool for affixing an orthopedic screw insert within bone tissue includes a socket portion configured and adapted to engage a proximal section of an outer peripheral surface of an orthopedic screw insert. A driver extends distally from the socket portion. The driver is configured and adapted to engage a section of an inner peripheral surface of the orthopedic screw insert distal from the socket portion.

A dual bar code for detecting contamination. When no contamination is present, a first bar code identifies the product. When contamination is present a second bar code identifies the presence of contaminants.

A bioabsorbable rivet and pin fastener is formed as an elongated unit that may be used for anchoring, or for attachment of a fixation plate. The rivet has a head mechanically connected to two or more legs that extend generally distally from the head and may flex outwardly from a central rivet axis. The pin is integral with the rivet and oriented along the central axis by a connection such as a web or a plurality of braces, forming an integral, aligned, one-piece assembly that may, for example, be molded as a single piece. The connection breaks under force as the pin is driven into the rivet, so that the pin contacts internal surfaces of the legs and pushes the legs outward into frictional engagement with the surrounding bone. The one-piece assembly may be formed in a gated mold having a central pin with a relief passage that defines the braces between upper and lower portions of the rivet. The braces so formed at the weld line readily part from the mold, and are easily sheared when the pin is advanced during installation of the rivet.

A fastener for connecting plate members includes a male member, and a female member to be inserted into mounting holes of the plate members. The female member includes a cylinder body for receiving the main body therein, a projecting portion formed on an outer periphery of the cylinder body at one end thereof, and protruding portions formed at the other end thereof. A first engaging portion is formed on an outer surface of a main body of the male member or an inner surface of the cylinder body, and a second engaging portion engaging the first engaging portion is formed on the inner surface or the outer surface. The second engaging portion has two engaging sections and a smooth surface portion interposed therebetween. When the male member is inserted into the female member, the male member can be easily engaged with the female member.