1123 results about "Joint surface" patented technology

A replacement device for resurfacing a joint surface of a femur and a method of making and installing such a device is provided. The custom replacement device is designed to substantially fit the trochlear groove surface, of an individual femur. Thereby creating a "customized" replacement device for that individual femur and maintaining the original kinematics of the joint. The replacement device may be defined by four boundary points, and a first and a second surface. The first of four points is 3 to 5 mm from the point of attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament to the femur. The second point is near the bottom edge of the end of the natural articulatar cartilage. The third point is at the top ridge of the right condyle and the fourth point at the top ridge of the left condyle of the femur. The top surface is designed so as to maintain centrally directed tracking of the patella perpendicular to the plane established by the distal end of the femoral condyles and aligned with the center of the femoral head.

A method for the effective treatment of articulating joint surface cartilage in an animal by the transplantation of an implantable article including chondrocyte cells retained to an absorbable support matrix. An instrument for placing and manipulating the implantable article at the site of implantation, and a retention device for securing the implantable article to the site of implantation. An implantable article for cartilage repair in an animal, the implantable article including chondrocyte cells retained on an absorbable support matrix, and a method of making same. An article comprising an absorbable flexible support matrix for living cells grown and adhered thereto.

A method of manufacturing an arthroplasty jig is disclosed herein. The method may include the following: generate a bone model, wherein the bone model includes a three dimensional computer model of at least a portion of a joint surface of a bone of a patient joint to undergo an arthroplasty procedure; generate an implant model, wherein the implant model includes a three dimensional computer model of at least a portion of a joint surface of an arthroplasty implant to be used in the arthroplasty procedure; assess a characteristic associated with the patient joint; generate a modified joint surface of the implant model by modifying at least a portion of a joint surface of the implant model according to the characteristic; and shape match the modified joint surface of the implant model and a corresponding joint surface of the bone model.

Osteochondral repair of damaged articular joint surfaces is achieved using implants in the form of cylindrical osteochondral plugs. The plugs have an articular surface formed on at least one end. If articular surfaces are provided on both ends of the implant, the articular surfaces have differently curved surfaces. The defective cartilage is removed to create a recipient socket for the implant. An implant sized to fit the recipient socket is chosen from a plurality of implants provided to the surgeon. The implants are preferably formed of a hydrogel material such as Salubria™, although metal or allograft implants can also be used.

An expandable implant is disclosed having an adjustable height for insertion between two adjacent bony structures or joint surfaces, for example between two adjacent spinal vertebrae. The implant includes at least one gear associated with at least one threaded shaft. Rotation of the gear engages the threaded shaft to expand the implant. The implant can be inserted in a collapsed configuration and expanded in situ. The invention also provides methods for using the implant to facilitate arthrodesis or fusion of adjacent joint surfaces or spinal vertebrae.

A prosthesis suited for orthopedic implantation possesses a multi-piece stem component that supports an artificial joint surface that can articulate with another artificial joint surface in various ways. The prosthesis can be assembled in a snap fit and/or interlocking fashion that provides positive locking means without the use of screws or other fasteners. The prosthesis can accommodate fitment of a plastic joint surface made, e.g., from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. The prosthesis is well suited for use in an ankle replacement system that can be installed using minimally invasive intramedullary guidance established with respect to the major axis of the tibia by minimally invasive access through the calcaneus, through an incision in the bottom of the foot. The prosthesis makes possible the installation of a total ankle system using minimally invasive anterior access to the ankle joint for making bony cuts and to install prosthesis components.

A system is disclosed for repairing and reconstructing a joint which has been injured by trauma, and especially an acromioclavicular joint. Means are disclosed to strengthen the repair or reconstruction and to maintain alignment while the ligaments in the joint heal, thus allowing more aggressive rehabilitation. A new joint repair tool is disclosed which is inserted into two separated bones adjacent to their respective articular joint surfaces to connect the two bones and approximate the adjacent bearing articular joint surfaces while still allowing motion between the two bones. Instruments to perform the methods are also disclosed.

A method for treating a non-weight bearing arthritic joint involves resecting at least one of the opposed joint surfaces to expose a cancellous bone surface. A bioresorbable implant is mounted to one of the joint surfaces so that the resected joint surface rubs against the surface of the implant. This causes the fibroblast to change into fibrocartilage at the resected bone surface as the implant is resorbed thereby effectively replacing the implant with fibrocartilage during such resorption.

An improved implant for use primarily within the first metatarsophalangeal joint. The implant includes an elliptical, concave, joint surface positioned on a stem and is designed to be placed into a prepared proximal face of the phalanx. The implant is sized according to the patient and may be provided in a number of standard incremental sizes. The improvements relate primarily to the structure, size, and position of the stem that extends into the phalanx to support the implant. The stem is off-set from a center axis of the elliptical joint surface. This off-center placement allows for a longer stem. Single deep indentations on each side of the stem facilitate retention within the bone. A size selection tool is provided to facilitate the selection and placement of an appropriately sized implant. The tool further provides a template for positioning and placing the stem in the phalanx. A method for sizing and selecting the appropriate implant, and positioning and fixing the implant as a partial joint replacement, especially for the first metatarsophalangeal joint, is also described.

A medical treatment apparatus includes an energy source which applies energy to living tissues, a first treating portion which joins the living tissues together, a second treating portion which is interposed between the living tissues and which removes surface portions of tissues in the joint surfaces of the living tissues, a detecting portion, and a controller. The first treating portion includes at least a pair of holding members having holding surfaces to hold the living tissues, and an energy output unit which is provided on the holding surfaces of the holding members and which join the living tissues together when energy is applied thereto from an energy source. The detecting portion detects biological information regarding the living tissues held by the pair of holding members. The controller controls outputs from the energy output unit in accordance with the biological information regarding the living tissues obtained by the detecting portion.

To obtain a semiconductor substrate having a high-quality Ge-based epitaxial film in a large area, a SiGe mixed crystal buffer layer and a Ge epitaxial film is grown on a main surface of a Si substrate 10. Although high-density defects are introduced in the Ge epitaxial film 11 from an interface between the Ge epitaxial film 11 and the Si substrate 10, the Ge epitaxial film is subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature of not less than 700° C. and not more than 900° C. to cause threading dislocations 12 to change into dislocation-loop defects 12′ near the interface between the Ge epitaxial film 11 and the Si substrate. A main surface of at least one of the Ge epitaxial film 11 with an ion implanted layer and a support substrate 20 is then subjected to a plasma treatment or ozone treatment for the purpose of surface cleaning, surface activation, and the like, after which the main surfaces of the Ge epitaxial film 11 and the support substrate 20 are appressed against and bonded to each other with their surfaces being determined as the joint surfaces. An external impact is then applied to the bonding interface, causing the Ge epitaxial film to be delaminated along a hydrogen ion implanted interface 13, thus obtaining a Ge thin film 14. A surface of the Ge thin film 14 is subsequently subjected to a final surface treatment (for example, CMP) to remove the damage caused by the hydrogen ion implantation, thus resulting in a GeOI substrate having the Ge thin film 14 on the surface thereof.

A modular endoprosthetic radial head implant includes an end cap secured to a cannulated body held to bone by a fixation element. The fixation element supports the cannulated body on a resected radial bone end, for example. The fixation element of one embodiment features a threaded stem with a spherical head. The stem fits distally into the cannulated body and extends through a hole formed by the distal end of the cannulated body. The spherical head nests inside the cannulated body. Polyaxial alignment between the cannulated body and the fixation element is locked using a jam nut tightened inside the cannulated body. An end cap fits into place proximally on the cannulated body. The end cap is formed of a joint surface material to provide a bearing surface.

A storage box modular structure fastened by a biaxial positioning method is provided to facilitate assembling and disassembling a storage box manually and quickly. The storage box is formed by combining panels, and the modular structure is installed between two adjacent panels. A first joint surface and a second joint surface are disposed on the two panels respectively. The modular structure includes a containing hole formed on the first joint surface, a through hole formed between the second joint surface of the panel and an external wall. A fastener and a spring are installed in the containing hole, and the spring drives the fastener to be implemented into the through hole to fasten two panels. An external object is inserted from the external wall into the through hole to push the fastener to resume its original position, so as to separate the two panels and improve the convenience of use.

An intervertebral implant with a central axis, a top part, a bottom part, a joint comprising a joint part and a joint shell, and a joining means. The top part has a top apposed surface that is suitable for placing it on a vertebra situated above it; The bottom part has a bottom apposed surface, that is suitable for placing it on a vertebra situated below it. One of the two parts is operatively associated with a convex joint part and the other part to a matching joint shell. The joint part and the joint shell are mounted against one another in a sliding manner such that the top part and the bottom part can rotate relative to one another at least about one axis of rotation. The joining means holds the top part and the bottom part together without impairing the capability of the joint to pivot while allowing a clearance between the joint part and the joint shell.

A seeding machine includes at least one seed metering system and at least one seed placement system. Each seed placement system is in communication with a corresponding seed metering system. Each seed placement system includes a housing having a seed slide, and a wheel at least partly disposed within the housing. The wheel has a circumferential periphery with a plurality of contiguous disc joint surfaces. The periphery is positioned adjacent to at least part of the seed slide. The invention comprises, in another form thereof, a method of placing seeds with a seeding machine in a trench formed in soil. Seeds are received at a predetermined rate at a seed placement system. The seed placement system includes a seed slide, and a wheel having a conferential periphery position closely adjacent to at least part of the seed slide. The seeds are engaged at the predetermined rate against the wheel periphery. The seeds are carried past a closely adjacent area of the seed slide using the wheel periphery. The seeds are released from the wheel periphery.

Aging, injury and/or other pathologies of joints, especially weight bearing joints, contribute to changes in natural biomechanics. Deviations from optimal biomechanics lead to acceleration of the natural history of joint pathology and ultimately osteoarthritis. A Magnetic Vector Control System made up of an assembly of magnetic field sources can be disposed at or near a joint typically on or in adjacent bones of the joint, on one side of a first mechanical axis that creates a torque or moment about a second different axis of the joint, that intersects the first mechanical axis, to decrease the joint reactive force at the joint surface or equivalently substantially shift the first mechanical axis to a new or preferred position.

A method for aligning an orthopedic implant in a joint replacement includes determining the bone and cartilage deficiency from an undegenerated state caused by wear of a joint. Then a resection of a bone in the joint is made based on the deficiency of bone and cartilage from the undegenerated state and the size of a joint implant so as to locate the joint surface of the implant in the undegenerated cartilage location. The condylar wear from the undegenerated states may be assessed at a distal and posterior location on each of a medial and a lateral femoral condyle. A distal cut is made on the femur at a location adjusting for the condylar wear from the undegenerated state. The distal cut varus-valgus angle is oriented parallel to a plane across the distal femur after adjusting for wear in the distal location on the medial and lateral condyle.

To provide a composite conductor suitable as a connecting conductor capable of reducing generation of Joule heat in a joint part between a conductor on a system side and a conductor on a power-supply side, while using a superconductor with less thermal invasion to a superconductive apparatus system.

A composite conductor 10 comprises a superconductor 12 provided continuously in the flowing direction of the electric current, and a metal conductor 11 joined with the superconductor 12 and provided at least at a joint part with mating conductors 50, 60 to be joined, wherein the electric current is fed and received between the metal conductor 11 and the mating conductors 50, 60 by joining the metal conductor 11 and the mating conductors 50, 60, and wherein the superconductor 12 is arranged in the metal conductor 11 so as to be approximately parallel to the joint surface (joint interface) between the metal conductor 11 and the mating conductors 50, 60.

One embodiment of the present invention relates to an ankle prosthesis. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a total ankle replacement prosthesis. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to an ankle replacement (partial or total) which is adapted, for example: (a) to treat arthritis of the ankle (e.g., ankle arthritis of any cause: after precious trauma; primary; malalignment induced; after hindfoot fusion; from recurrent ankle instability; rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis; gout; local growth; dysplasia; growth plate arrest; avascular necrosis; hemophilia; distant septic event); (b) to revise a fused ankle; and/or (c) to treat trauma. The ankle replacement may be carried out by replacing one or more joint surfaces of an ankle joint. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for inserting an ankle prosthesis.

Natural joint interfaces wear out and/or are damaged causing pain and disability. They can be currently replaced by artificial surfaces made of materials or in the near future by magnetic fields. They would benefit from a PVES (paramagnetic visco-viscoelastic supplement) that can replace or augment natural joint interfaces or augment total joint replacements. Joint replacement components can be modular and would benefit from a PVES to decrease wear and damp impact between modular parts of a single component. The PVES is a dynamic interface allowing components to be less rigid. Energy transmission is reduced. PVES can act as an interface between natural damaged joint surfaces obviating the need for classic total joint replacement or between the surfaces of artificial joint components to improve or supplement their function. These PVES can be controlled by magnetic fields with respect to their location, physical properties, loads, etc. PVES are typically made of paramagnetic ions and a substrate molecule. One such PVES can be made of gadolinium ions and hyaluronic acid to form gadolinium hyaluronate.

A system and method for laser beam welding at least two adjacent superalloy components involves substantially simultaneous formation of a base weld with a first filler metal placed between the components and cap weld with second filler metal formed over the base weld. A shim is inserted between the components, which may optionally be formed with a groove along the joint surface. A filler wire is fed to a location over the given surface or within the optional groove. Two lasers or a laser and coupled beam splitter supply first and second laser beams that are applied at focal points separated by a predetermined distance (e.g., 0.05-1.5 cm). The first laser beam is used to form a base weld with the first filler metal between the components, and the second laser beam is used to form a cap weld with the second filler metal on top of the base weld.

The invention provides a method for determining normal contact rigidity of a loaded joint part by considering the interaction effect of micro-bulges on rough surfaces. The method comprises the following steps of: measuring microstructure data of contact surfaces, acquiring micro-profile data of contact surfaces of the joint part by using a three-dimensional profile measuring instrument, extracting the position coordinate of each micro-bulge peal in the length direction, and simulating micro-bulge forms of the rough surfaces; building a relation between a normal load and the contact rigidity; computing fractal parameters of the contact surfaces, theoretically computing the extracted data by using a structure function method, and acquiring fractal dimensions and scale coefficients of the surfaces; and according to the above steps, putting each parameter value of the material to finally compute the normal contact rigidity of the joint part. The new method for determining the normal contact rigidity of the joint surfaces provided by the invention overcomes the defect that the traditional method based on a fractal theory is inaccurate in computation result in the case of heavy load, and has the advantages of strong reliability, being close to actual situation, small computation amount and improved computation efficiency.

The invention relates to the technical field of medical machinery, in particular to a first tread wedge joint plate. The first tread wedge joint plate comprises a plurality of fixing holes which are used for fixing the first tread wedge joint plate on a first metatarsal bone and an internal side wedge bone; a sliding hole which enables pressing between bones to be convenient during fusion of the first tread wedge joint is formed in the first tread wedge joint plate. According to the first tread wedge joint plate, tender moving of the first tread wedge joint surface is allowed when the bridge first tread wedge joint plate is fixed, namely, the first tread wedge joint surface gristle is kept and the joint is limited from moving; when the first tread wedge joint fuses the first tread wedge joint plate to be fixed, bone grafting after joint surface gristle is removed, pressing of the first tread wedge joint surface is achieved through a sliding hole at a far end of the first tread wedge joint plate, and accordingly the fusion rate is improved; the first tread wedge joint plate is in an anatomy type design, anatomical reduction is convenient, pre-bending of the first tread wedge joint plate during operation is not required, and the intensity of the first tread wedge joint plate is avoided from being influenced by bending during the operation.

A method of forming an optical module includes mounting an image sensor to a base of a substrate and bonding a lens housing to a sidewall of the substrate. A mounting surface of the lens housing includes a locking feature having a horizontal surface and a vertical surface. The sidewall of the substrate includes a joint surface. To bond the lens housing to the sidewall of the substrate, a bond is formed between the horizontal surface of the locking feature of the lens housing and the joint surface of the sidewall. Further, a bond is formed between the vertical surface of the locking feature of the lens housing and an interior surface of the sidewall.

The invention provides a non-contact type magnetic adsorption wall-climbing robot adaptive to complex wall surface operations. The wall-climbing robot comprises a vehicle body, an adsorption device, moving modules, a mechanical arm, a nondestructive inspection module, a polishing and welding module, a paint spraying module and a control sensing module. In the operation process of the wall-climbing robot, crawler belts of the moving modules can be attached to the inner wall of a steel pipe in a self-adaptive mode; and meanwhile, a frame of the vehicle body is provided with the moving modules, the adsorption device, the mechanical arm and the control sensing module, and hence the nondestructive inspection module, the polishing and welding module and the paint spraying module can be replaced according to different functions of the wall-climbing operation of the robot. The non-contact type magnetic adsorption wall-climbing robot has the characteristics that modular design is adopted, various detection and maintenance operations can be executed, loads are large, and no power source is required in the adsorption device; and the functions of pressure steel pipe wall climbing, welded joint nondestructive inspection, welded joint repair and welded joint surface coating corrosion resistance can be provided.

Implant apparatus and methods directed toward treating conditions involving the knee joint and the patella specifically are disclosed. Full range of motion of the knee joint and tissue integrity are maintained in treatment approaches involving implanting a joint surface load reducing implant proximate the joint to change the direction of the tendons or muscles exerting forces on the joints.

The invention discloses a manufacturing technique for a composite board and belongs to the technical field of composite metal strip rolling. The manufacturing technique comprises the following steps implemented successively: joint surface machining, end surface machining, press fit, blank assembly, vacuum pumping and inert gases filling, heating, hot rolling and verifying. By means of the manufacturing technique, the machining accuracy is improved, and volume production of carbon steel-stainless steel composite boards is achieved; simultaneously, air in a combination blank is replaced through vacuum pumping and inert gases filling, oxidization of interfaces of the combination blank is prevented in a subsequent heating process, a little of residual air between the composite interface and two layers of stainless steel interfaces can be squeezed into an air storage bag gradually along with the moving of a roller and the composite blank simultaneously, and the residual air is prevented from expelling a separating agent or oxidizing the composite interfaces, accordingly, the joint of the finished composite slab is improved effectively, and the quality of the composite slab is further improved.

A recoil starter capable of preventing vibration of a damper spring due to vibrations of an engine caused during running of the engine, to thereby restrain abrasion of a rope reel, a cam and the like which are made of a plastic material, resulting in the durability of the recoil starter being enhanced. The recoil starter includes a drive section comprised of a rope reel which is rotated by pulling a recoil rope and a cam for transmitting the rotational force of the reel to a crankshaft of the engine through a one-way rotative transmission mechanism. A damper spring in the shape of a torsion coil spring is held in annular recesses formed in joint surfaces of the rope reel and cam to face each other while the damper spring is resiliently distorted, so that the rope reel and the cam are rotatingly coupled with each other through the damper spring.

A method of fabricating a substrate placing stage includes the step of providing a plate-shaped ceramic base having a substrate placing surface on a side of the ceramic base. The method includes the step of providing a plate-shaped ceramic base formed of a composite material containing components of a ceramic material and an aluminum alloy. The method includes the step of inserting a joint material including an aluminum alloy layer between the ceramic base and the cooling member. The method includes the step of heating the joint material at a temperature in a range from TS ° C. to (TS-30) ° C. (TS ° C.: a solidus temperature of the aluminum alloy). The method includes the step of pressing substantially normally joint surfaces of the ceramic base and the cooling member, thereby joining the ceramic base and the cooling member via the joint material to obtain a joint layer including the aluminum alloy layer having a thickness in a range from 50 μm to 200 μm after joining.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer formed on an insulating layer; a gate electrode disposed on said semiconductor layer via a gate insulating film; a source/drain layer composed by including an alloy layer or a metal layer with a bottom surface in contact with the insulating layer, with joint surfaces to a channel region disposed along crystal orientation faces of said semiconductor layer; and impurity-doped layers formed in a self-aligned manner along interfaces of the alloy layer or the metal layer, and said semiconductor layer.