Laser Type Fixation Member Securement Device and Activation System, and Related System and Methods
AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
InventorsSamuel Leuenberger, Dieter Schmidli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser device having a proximal end and a distal end spaced from the proximal end, the distal end configured to receive a fixation member to be affixed to a target surgical site. The laser device includes a laser source supported by the laser device body and capable of emitting a laser beam to the distal end, wherein the laser source is responsive to at least one input so as to selectively switch between an inactive configuration whereby the laser source does not emit the laser beam, and an active configuration whereby the laser source emits the laser beam.
Claims19
A fixation member configured to be implanted at a target surgical location, the fixation member comprising:
- a fixation member body that is configured to receive energy from a Class 2, 3, or 4 laser beam and, in response to the received energy from the laser beam, soften at the target surgical location, wherein the fixation member body is configured to absorb a sufficient quantity of the received energy so as to emit no more than the energy of a Class 1 laser beam.
A method of implanting a fixation member at a target surgical location, the method comprising steps of:
- receiving energy from a Class 2, 3, or 4 laser beam at a fixation member body of the fixation member so as to soften the fixation member body at the target surgical location;
- absorbing a quantity of the energy by the fixation member body;
- and
- emitting no more than the energy of a Class 1 laser beam from the fixation member body in response to the absorbing step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.