Connectors for elongated surgical members and methods of use
AssigneeWarsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
InventorKeith Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present application relates to connectors for coupling together two surgical members of different materials while inhibiting galvanic corrosion. The connector may include a first coupling element composed of a material with a similar galvanic potential to one of the surgical members, and a second coupling element composed of a material with a similar galvanic potential to the second surgical member. Each of the first and second coupling elements may be configured to connect to the respective surgical member. The connector may also include a coupling medium disposed between the first and second coupling elements. The coupling medium may function to connect together the two coupling elements, and isolate the coupling elements to inhibit galvanic corrosion.
Claims23
A connector for coupling together first and second surgical members of different materials, comprising:
- a first surgical member and a second surgical member having different galvanic potentials to one another;
- a first coupling element composed of a material with a same or similar galvanic potential to said first surgical member and including at least one male linking element along a coupling side;
- a second coupling element composed of a material with a same or similar galvanic potential to said second surgical member and including at least one female linking element along a corresponding coupling side;
- and
- a coupling medium of non-metallic material configured to have varying thickness disposed between said coupling side of said first coupling element and said corresponding coupling side of said second coupling element and connecting together said first and second coupling elements, said coupling medium preventing direct contact between the first and second coupling elements.
A connector for coupling together first and second surgical members of different materials, comprising:
- a first surgical member and a second surgical member having different galvanic potentials to one another;
- a first coupling element constructed of a first material that substantially matches a galvanic potential of the first surgical member, the first coupling element including a first opening to receive the first surgical member and a second opening in communication with the first opening to receive a constraining member, the first coupling element further including a contact surface;
- a second coupling element constructed of a second material that substantially matches a galvanic potential of the second surgical member, the second coupling element including a first opening to receive the second surgical member and a second opening in communication with the first opening to receive a constraining member, the second coupling element further including a contact surface;
- and
- a non-metallic coupling medium configured to have varying thickness positioned between the first and second coupling elements and in contact with the contact surfaces, the coupling medium including a width to space apart the contact surfaces.
A system comprising:
- a first surgical member and a second surgical member having different galvanic potentials to one another;
- a first coupling element with a galvanic potential similar to one of the first and second surgical members;
- a second coupling element with a galvanic potential similar to the other surgical members;
- and
- a non-metallic coupling medium made of at least two different materials disposed between and separating said first and second coupling elements and joining the first and second coupling elements together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.