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US 9,168,066 B2Granted
Ball and socket assembly
AssigneeMoximed, Inc.
InventorsAlan C. Regala, Clinton N. Slone, Michael E. Landry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball and socket assembly including a ball component with a notch formed therein. The socket is a one-piece structure including an opening sized to receive the ball component.
Claims13
A ball and socket assembly of an implantable medical device, comprising:
- a ball component including a ball and a shaft extending from the ball, the ball component formed from a unitary piece of biocompatible material and including an undercut extending from the shaft about less than a full circumference of the ball component, the undercut having a longitudinal length parallel to the shaft that is less than an undercut circumferential width transverse to the longitudinal length;
- and
- a socket component, the socket component being formed from a single piece of biocompatible material wherein the ball component is held in the socket assembly by the socket component.
A ball and socket assembly, comprising:
- a hook shaped ball component including a ball and shaft configured as a single one-piece component with a bottom half of the ball surrounding the shaft and including an undercut on a bottom half of the ball component, the undercut extending about less than a full circumference of the ball component to form the hook shape;
- and
- a one-piece socket component including an opening;
- wherein the ball component is inserted in the opening of the socket component in a non-operating orientation and is constrained to operate in various orientations distinct from the non-operating orientation whereby the ball component and socket component will not dislocate from each other.
1 more element
A joint for use in a patient, comprising:
- a substantially spherical head component having a shaft extending therefrom, the head component and the shaft formed as a one-piece component;
- and
- a substantially spherical chamber with an opening to allow insertion of the head component, wherein the spherical head component has a cavity defined by a volume that is removed from a non-load bearing portion of the head component on a half of the head component closest to the shaft to allow insertion of the head component through the opening, wherein the volume that is removed extends about less than a full circumference of the spherical head component.
An assembly comprising:
- two at least partial spherical bodies, a first at least partial spherical body having an internal surface area having a discontinuity defining an opening, and a second at least partial spherical body having a volume;
- wherein a maximum diameter of the second at least partial spherical body is smaller than a maximum diameter of the first at least partial spherical body and the maximum diameter of the second at least partial spherical body is larger than a dimension of the discontinuity;
- and
- wherein the second at least partially spherical body includes a spherical portion and a shaft portion configured as a single one-piece component and including an undercut extending from the shaft portion about less than a full circumference of the second at least partial spherical body, the undercut having a longitudinal length parallel to the shaft portion that is less than an undercut circumferential width transverse to the longitudinal length.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.