Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
219 words
An implanter, comprising: an implanter body (11) having a forward portion and a rearward portion and forming a central bore, an elongated slot (12) formed between the outer surface of the body and the central bore, a rectangular opening (20) adjacent the forward portion of the body between the central bore and the outer surface of the body, said rectangular opening having a central axis that is transverse to the elongated slot and central bore, the forward portion of the implanter body being adapted so as to be capable of detachably engaging a hollow tube (25) having a sharpened forward end (25a) so as to position its bore in alignment with the axis of the central bore of the implanter body (11), and a plunger, including an elongated rod (14) and a web (15) extending transversely through said slot, slidably carried in the implanter body and having a surface of the web (16) outside of the implanter body, the central bore guiding the forward end of the elongated rod along an axis extending through the positioned bore of the hollow tube (25) when the plunger slides forwardly within the implanter body, and the forward end of the elongated rod lying rearwardly of the rectangular opening (20) of the implanter body when the plunger slides rearwardly within the implanter body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
219 words
An implanter, comprising: an implanter body (11) having a forward portion and a rearward portion and forming a central bore, an elongated slot (12) formed between the outer surface of the body and the central bore, a rectangular opening (20) adjacent the forward portion of the body between the central bore and the outer surface of the body, said rectangular opening having a central axis that is transverse to the elongated slot and central bore, the forward portion of the implanter body being adapted so as to be capable of detachably engaging a hollow tube (25) having a sharpened forward end (25a) so as to position its bore in alignment with the axis of the central bore of the implanter body (11), and a plunger, including an elongated rod (14) and a web (15) extending transversely through said slot, slidably carried in the implanter body and having a surface of the web (16) outside of the implanter body, the central bore guiding the forward end of the elongated rod along an axis extending through the positioned bore of the hollow tube (25) when the plunger slides forwardly within the implanter body, and the forward end of the elongated rod lying rearwardly of the rectangular opening (20) of the implanter body when the plunger slides rearwardly within the implanter body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
111 words
An implanter as claimed in claim 1 in which the forward portion of the implanter body comprises a split, conical, and threaded outer surface (22, 22a) surrounding the central bore, and a coaxial inner surface adapted to engage the hollow tube and to position its bore (21a, 23) in alignment with the axis of the central bore of the implanter body, and a threaded cap (24) having an inner conical surface (24a) which mates with the split, conical, and threaded surface of the body to compress the surface as the cap is threaded on the forward end of the implanter body to engage and retain the hollow tube (25) in position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
91 words
An implanter as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the implanter body comprises, at its central slot, and the web (15) of the plunger, interengaging surfaces (llc, lld) to retain the plunger with the forward end of the elongated rod lying rearwardly of the rectangular opening and having interengaging surfaces at a mid-point of the central slot to impede the travel of the plunger and hold the plunger with the forward portion of the elongated rod within and spaced rearwardly of the forward end of the hollow tube .-
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
An implant container comprising: a cartridge (30), including a rectanqular tray-like portion (31), containing a plurality of implants (50) and a slotted top (32) and an implant pusher (33) between the tray-like portion and top with an outwardly projecting button (34) extending throuqh the slotted top to permit movement of the pusher, the tray-like portion forming two sides having aligned openings (37, 38) larger than the cross-sectional area of the implants.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
An implant container comprising: a cartridge (30), including a rectanqular tray-like portion (31), containing a plurality of implants (50) and a slotted top (32) and an implant pusher (33) between the tray-like portion and top with an outwardly projecting button (34) extending throuqh the slotted top to permit movement of the pusher, the tray-like portion forming two sides having aligned openings (37, 38) larger than the cross-sectional area of the implants.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
An implant container as claimed in claim 4 wherein the pusher comprises a surface which forms a pointer (33b) and the cartridge comprises a sequence of numbers (32b) related to the number of implants within the cartridge whereby said pointer indicates the number of implants remaining within the cartridge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
The container as claimed in anv one of claims 4-5 wherein the cartridge tray-like portion, the top, and the pusher are adapted to impede the advancement (31e, 33a) and retraction of the implant pusher and to retain the pusher against movement by gravity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
The container of claim 6 wherein the tray-like portion includes a plurality of detents (31e) spaced equally in a row a distance equal to the thickness of an implant, said implant pusher including ratchet teeth (33a) to engage the detents.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The implant container of claims 4-7 comprising a projecting tab (31c, 31d) on the sides of the cartridge tray-like portion adjacent the aligned openings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
90 words
An implant system comprising an implanter as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 fitted with said hollow tube, and an implant container as claimed in any one of claims 4-8 said implanter and container having interfitting surfaces (27, 28a, 28b, 31c, 31d) to position the container so that its aligned openings (37, 38) lie along the central axis of the hollow tube whereby operation of the plunger is effective to remove, one at a time, the implants from the container through the opening and out of the hollow tube.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
87 words
A system of claim 9 in which a side of the cartridge tray-like portion includes a projecting tab adjacent the aligned openings (31c, 31d), and the implanter bodv includes a detent (28a, 28b) at the side of the rectangular opening into which a projectinq side tab of the cartridge extends with the cartridge in position in the implanter body, and the implanter body has a boss (27) opposite its rectangular opening upon which the end (39) of the cartridge seats when in position in the implanter body.