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US 11,974,795 B2Granted
Surgical rod bending system and method
AssigneeDignity Health
InventorsNeil R. Crawford, Nicholas Theodore, Philip M. Reyes, Anna G. U. S. Newcomb, Seungwon Baek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
System and method for automatically bending a surgical rod are provided. The system includes a linear movement device configured to axially feed the surgical rod, a rotational movement device configured to rotate the surgical rod as it is axially fed, and a bending device including a roller to impose bending forces against the rod. The rod is free from contact with the bending device after it is axially fed past the roller.
Claims13
An automated method for bending a surgical rod, the automated method comprising:
- receiving the surgical rod into a plurality of guide rollers;
- axially moving the surgical rod in a vertical first direction between the plurality of guide rollers;
- applying bending forces against the surgical rod adjacent to the plurality of guide rollers and in a bending plane extending in a second direction perpendicular to the vertical first direction as the surgical rod is engaged with the plurality of guide rollers to cause the surgical rod to bend against a curve of one of the plurality of guide rollers, wherein the surgical rod is unsupported along the bending plane as the rod crosses the bending plane;
- and
- rotating the surgical rod as it is axially moved between the plurality of guide rollers and within a contact-free space adjacent the bending plane that allows rotation of the surgical rod independent of any bends made in the surgical rod.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.