2776 results about "Ball joint" patented technology

A polyaxial bone screw includes a head member and a shank member. The shank has a capture end and an opposite threaded end for threaded insertion into a vertebra. The head has a U-shaped cradle for receiving a spinal fixation rod and a central bore for receiving the capture end of the shank. An expandible retainer ring with a radial split is snapped onto the capture end of the shank to retain it within the head. The retainer ring has a spherical outer surface which forms a ball joint with a spherical socket cavity within the head to enable the head to be angled relative to the shank. A threaded closure plug is tightened within the cradle to clamp the rod into engagement with a knurled dome on the capture end of the shank to secure the rod relative to the vertebra.

A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an upper portion, a receiver member or head, a retaining and articulating structure, and a pressure insert disposed between the shank upper portion and a rod. The receiver has a U-shaped cradle defining a channel for receiving a spinal fixation rod. The channel communicates with a receiver cavity and further with a restrictive opening that allows for loading the shank upper portion into the receiver but prevents passage of the retaining and articulating structure out of the receiver. The retaining and articulating structure has an external substantially spherical surface that mates with an internal surface of the receiver cavity, providing a ball joint, enabling the receiver to be disposed at an angle relative to the shank body. The pressure insert presses upon the shank upper portion and not the retaining and articulating structure and is either side or top loadable. The insert engages with an inner surface of the receiver to provide for the setting of an angle of articulation between the shank and the receiver. In a ratcheted embodiment, the insert may be used to independently lock the angle of orientation between the shank and the receiver.

A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an upper capture structure, a head and a closed retainer ring. The external capture structure surface and retainer ring internal bore surface are both threaded for rotatable attachment within a cavity of the head. The head has a U-shaped cradle defining a channel for receiving a spinal fixation rod. The head channel communicates with the cavity and further with a restrictive opening that allows for loading the capture structure into the head but prevents passage of the closed retainer ring out of the head. The retainer ring has an external substantially spherical surface that mates with an internal surface of the head, providing a ball joint, enabling the head to be disposed at an angle relative to the shank body. The threaded capture structure or the closed retainer structure includes a tool engagement formation and gripping surfaces for non-slip engagement by a tool for driving the shank body into bone.

A spinal screw assembly providing an adjustable securement of a fixation rod across at least two vertebrae. The assembly includes a pedicle screw having a spherical head portion, a threaded shaft portion and a tool engagement surface in the head portion for use in driving the screw into a vertebrae. The head portion of the screw is positioned in a body member adjacent a curvilinear surface disposed about an aperture in the end of the body member such that the shaft portion of the screw extends therethrough and the curvilinear inner surface abuts and mates with the head portion of the screw so as to define a ball joint therewith. The body member additionally defines a pair of opposed parallel slots therein adapted to receive a portion of the fixation rod and a locking cap bears against the fixation rod to releasably secure the rod within the assembly.

A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an upper capture structure, a head and a multi-piece retainer, articulation structure. The geometry of the retainer structure pieces corresponds and cooperates with the external geometry of the capture structure to frictionally envelope the retainer structure between the capture structure and an internal surface defining a cavity of the head. The head has a U-shaped cradle defining a channel for receiving a spinal fixation or stabilization longitudinal connecting member. The head channel communicates with the cavity and further with a restrictive opening that receives retainer pieces and the capture structure into the head but prevents passage of frictionally engaged retainer and capture structures out of the head. The retainer structure includes a substantially spherical surface that mates with the internal surface of the head, providing a ball joint, enabling the head to be disposed at an angle relative to the shank body. Methods of installation are also provided.

A universal joint comprising a pair of circular waveguide ball-joints and a slip-joint allows for simultaneous 3-axis rotation and 3-dimensional translation between an antenna and a stationary source. As such, the universal joint does not have to be physically aligned with the azimuth, and elevation, rotation axis of the antenna and mounted on the gimbal support, greatly simplifying the antenna steering mechanism. The universal joint allows the antenna to be mass-balanced in relation to the azimuth and elevation axis without adding any additional counter weights, thus reducing the size and power requirements of the azimuth and elevation rotation drive systems. Additional ball-joints may be provided to increase the allowed range of motion of the antenna.

A polyaxial bone screw includes a head member and a shank member. The shank has a capture end and an opposite threaded end for threaded insertion into a vertebra. The head has a U-shaped cradle for receiving a spinal fixation rod and a central bore for receiving the capture end of the shank. An expandible retainer ring with a radial split is snapped onto the capture end of the shank to retain it within the head. The retainer ring has a spherical outer surface which forms a ball joint with a spherical socket cavity within the head to enable the head to be angled relative to the shank. A threaded closure plug is tightened within the cradle to clamp the rod into engagement with a knurled dome on the capture end of the shank to secure the rod relative to the vertebra.

A user interface for a portable continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device comprises a gas delivery member releasably mountable to a manifold member. The CPAP device comprises a motor blower unit contained in a wearable vest which is connectable by a patient hose to the user interface. Alternative embodiments of the gas delivery member include a nasal mask or a pair of nasal prongs which are interchangeably mountable to the manifold member. Ball joints on opposing ends of the patient hose swivelably interconnect the patient hose to the user interface and to the motor blower unit. Cheek pads extend from opposing ends of the manifold member and are freely orientatable relative thereto. Six-way adjustable head gear stabilizes the user interface on the patient's face and comprises side straps and head straps which are pivotably joined to one another and which are adjustable lengthwise to fit a wide range of patient

An intermediate element for a detachable, lockable, ball joint-like connection in a device for the dynamic fixation of bones has a longitudinal axis, an outer wall concentric with the longitudinal axis, and an inner wall forming a coaxial cavity. Either the outer wall or the inner wall comprises one of two contact zones that form the ball joint-like connection. The intermediate element is at least partly made of a super-elastic or visco-elastic material.

A four-wheel pool cleaner (20) motivated by water flow to move along a pool surface, and having: a body (24); the four wheels rotatably mounted thereon and including two sets of two wheels (22) each, one wheel of each set on each side; a drive mechanism (36) in position to be moved by water flow and having a rotatable drive member (76); a drive train extending to the first wheel set (22a, b) and to the second wheel set (22c, d), to drive all four wheels. Preferred embodiments include: wheel-to-wheel drive links (88) along the side; a turbine (36) as drive mechanism; a pair of spaced wheelgears (32, 34), preferably integrally formed with the wheel, facilitating drive linkages and steering; a pair of end-to-end drive shafts (80, 82) joined by a coupler (84c), one shaft end (80a) being a ball joint allowing fore-and-aft movement of a drive-shaft distal end; a spring (102) and cam (100) for alternately moving that distal end between a driving position engaging one of the spaced wheelgears (32), and a steering position engaging the other of the spaced wheelgears (34); wheel treads (108) with radial fingers (110), some (110a-c) of longer length; and a segmented articulated skirt (56) to help enclose a plenum beneath the pool cleaner.

The present invention comprises a nasal cannula (2), shaped to fit within a user's nares, where the nasal cannula includes at least one prong (24, 25) allowing high flow delivery of humidified gases and creates positive airway pressure in the patient's airway. The prongs have angled ends (31, 32), such that in use, gases flowing through the prongs are directed to the user's nasal passages. The nasal cannula body is partially swivelling and preferably has a ball joint connector (37, 39). In another embodiment the nasal cannula may have at least one flared end prong (31, 32) that preferably seals within a patient's nare.

A damping element for the dynamic stabilization of two bones, particularly of two adjacent bodies of the vertebra, has a central axis, a first end intersecting the central axis, a second end intersecting the central axis, and a spring element between the two ends and coaxial with the central axis. The damping element also has a ball-joint connection at at least one end that is concentric with the central axis. The ball-joint connection operative to receive and releasably lock a rod-shaped longitudinal support therein.

A head mounted virtual image display unit is provided which is compact in size and weight, and incorporates a high performance optical system offering a clear see-through capability. A sliding light shield may be incorporated for those instances when see-through capability is not desired. A focus adjustment may be incorporated to permit the focusing of the image, for example, at a distance of approximately 18 inches to infinity. An adjustable headband may be incorporated that adapts to fit the users head. A flexible boom structure may be incorporated to facilitate fine positional adjustment of the optical assembly. A slider and ball joint mechanism may also be incorporated to facilitate positional adjustment of the optical assembly. A built-in microphone may be incorporated to enable speech input by the user. The head mounted virtual image display unit may be used comfortably in conjunction with eye or safety glasses, and provides a useful image to the user without blocking his view of the surrounding environment. The unit is designed to have a pleasing appearance so as to greatly enhance user acceptability.

A positional arm device is a series of multiple rods connected to each other by a spherical housing and ball joint with a spring-loaded locking piston providing a multiple position holding device serving as an anchor to hold tools in a certain position, and also as a connector between two object where a certain secure fixed position between the two objects is desired. The arm device has a spherical terminal rod, a plurality of intermediate rods and a terminal housing rod connected together by a spherical housing adjustably positioned and locked by a spring-loaded piston shaft engaging a sphere end retained within the housing, the piston shaft lockingly engaging one of a multiplicity of grooved indentations on the surface of the sphere end.

A pedicle screw assembly includes pedicle screw having a plurality of spaced-apart posts. A ball collet having a ball collet bore is seated on the pedicle screw between the posts and a rod is gripped by an inner surface of the ball collet bore. The assembly also includes a cap that is coupled to the posts, the cap applying a compressive force to the ball collet against a seat of said pedicle screw. A free end of the rod may be provided with various structures to enable such free end to be retained by another pedicle screw.

There are provided an artificial joint device that can realize an artificial limb enabling twisting motion without a drive source, and when with the drive source, reduce the size and costs of the device, and a parallel linkage that can realize the device. The linkage connects a foot portion and a mounting plate spaced from each other. A fixed link has one end fixed to the plate, and the other end connected to the foot portion via a ball joint, making the angle of the fixed link relative to the foot portion changeable in any direction. Expansible links extend between the foot portion and the plate in an expansible/contractible manner and each have opposite ends connected to the plate and the foot portion via respective upper and lower ball joints, making respective angles thereof relative to the foot portion and the plate changeable in any direction.

A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an upper portion with a capture structure thereon, a retaining and articulating structure, a compression structure and a receiver for holding the capture structure, retaining and articulating structure, compression structure and a rod. The receiver includes arms that define a channel for receiving the rod. The arms have inner surfaces with a discontinuous flange form thereon for mating with a cooperating continuous flange form of a closure structure for capturing the rod within the receiver. The shank capture structure and the retaining and articulating structure are threadably attached and secured to one another with a buttress stop. In operation, the compression structure is disposed within the receiver between the shank upper portion and a rod but presses only upon the retaining and articulating structure. The retaining and articulating structure has an external substantially spherical surface that mates with an internal surface of the receiver, providing a ball joint, enabling the receiver to be disposed at numerous angles relative to the shank body. The shank upper portion includes a tool engagement formation for driving the shank body into bone.

A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an upper capture structure, a head, a retaining ring and a nut. The external capture structure surface includes a threaded portion and a smooth portion; the smooth portion for slidably mating with the retaining ring and the threaded portion for rotatable attachment to the nut within a cavity of the head. The head has a U-shaped cradle defining a channel for receiving a spinal fixation rod. The head channel communicates with the cavity and further with a restrictive opening that allows for loading the capture structure into the head but prevents passage of the retaining ring out of the head. The retaining ring has an external substantially spherical surface that mates with an internal surface of the head, providing a ball joint, enabling the head to be disposed at an angle relative to the shank body. The nut fixes the retaining ring to the shank and also provides a tool engagement formation for driving the shank body into bone. The nut further includes a weakened area, providing for deformation and interlocking of threaded portions of the capture structure and the nut.

A device and method useful for guiding insertion of a surgical device with image guided surgery. The device includes a base that may be connected to a fixation device to hold the device in place, and a guide for the surgical device. The guide is connected to the base by a semispherical ball joint, which allows the trajectory of the guide to be adjusted. The device includes an adjustable depth stop that controls the distance the surgical device is inserted into the patient. A positional indicator is attached to the depth stop. An insertion indicator signals when the depth stop is set so as to limit the insertion distance to that necessary to treat the target tissue within the patient.

A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an upper portion with a laterally extending lug and a retainer having an inner cam track for receiving the lug and thus attaching the shank upper portion to the retainer within a receiver. The retainer may be a closed or open ring. The receiver has a cavity and a U-shaped cradle defining a channel for receiving a longitudinal connecting member such as a spinal fixation rod. The retainer has an external surface that mates with an internal surface of the receiver, providing a ball joint.

A surgical instrument system includes a cutting instrument, an anchoring structure, a guide structure and an articulating linkage. The anchoring structure can be fixed to a reference or benchmark, such as a location on the patient's bone. The articulating linkage connects the anchoring structure to the guide structure and includes a plurality of lockage ball joints arranged in series. Each ball joint provides for freedom of movement about three axes of rotation. The articulating linkage may include other structures allowing for additional rotational and translational degrees of freedom of movement for the guide structure with respect to the reference or benchmark. The system is useful in positioning, aligning and orienting a cutting block in joint arthroplasty, and may be useful in conjunction with computer assisted surgery. The system may also include computer navigation trackers for use in such computer assisted surgery.

A retractor-distractor system comprising a frame with slidably coupled superior and inferior arms extending therefrom. The superior arm comprises a superior clamp arm pivotally coupled to a lateral end of the superior arm, a superior ball joint received between the superior clamp arm and the superior arm, and a superior ball joint lock operable to pivot the superior clamp arm proximate to the superior arm, thereby locking the orientation of the superior ball joint. The inferior arm comprises an inferior clamp arm pivotally coupled to a lateral end of the inferior arm, an inferior ball joint received between the inferior clamp arm and the inferior arm, and an inferior ball joint lock operable to pivot the inferior clamp arm proximate to the inferior arm, thereby locking the orientation of the inferior ball joint. The superior and inferior arms are operable to receive a modular blade to retract and distract tissue.

Protection of a solder ball joint is disclosed in which the solder ball joint is located below the surface level of the encapsulating buffer layer. The buffering layer is etched to expose one or more electrode posts, each of which may be made up of a single column or multiple columns. A top layer resulting either from a top conductive cap or a plating layer around the electrode posts also lies below the buffer layer. When the solder ball is placed onto the posts, the solder/ball joint is protected in a position below the surface of the buffer layer, while still maintaining an electrical connection between the various solder balls and their associated or capping/plating material, electrode posts, wiring layers, and circuit layers. Therefore, the entire ball joint is protected from direct stress.