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US 10,517,653 B2Granted
Surgical instruments and methods
AssigneeStryker European Holdings I, LLC
InventorsBryan D. Milz, Frank Pinal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various surgical instruments, implants, and their methods of use are disclosed. The surgical instruments are usable to insert various implants into a patient through an access portal in a minimally-invasive manner. The implants are rotatable between different orientations using the instruments to change the footprint of the implant and allow the implant to be inserted through the minimally-invasive access portal.
Claims6
A method of performing surgery comprising:
- engaging a first surgical instrument with an implant;
- moving a pivoting member of the first surgical instrument from a first distal position to a second relatively more proximal position;
- rotating the pivoting member from a first orientation in which the pivoting member occupies a first footprint in a horizontal direction to a second orientation in which the pivoting member occupies a second footprint in the horizontal direction smaller than the first footprint;
- rotating the implant from a first orientation in which the implant occupies a first footprint in the horizontal direction to a second orientation in which the implant occupies a second footprint in the horizontal direction smaller than the first footprint;
- subsequently biasing a surface of the pivoting member against the implant so that the pivoting member and the implant are secured in their second orientations;
- inserting the instrument with the implant attached in its second orientation through an access portal extending through skin and tissue of a patient;
- after the implant passes through the access portal, rotating the pivoting member from its second orientation back to its first orientation;
- engaging the pivoting member with the implant so that the implant is rotated from its second orientation back to its first orientation;
- and
- engaging the implant to anatomy in the patient.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.