Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis, comprising: a generally planar plate; a shaft attached eccentrically to the underside of said plate; and a groove provided in the top side of the plate, wherein (a) the plate and attached shaft have a mirror symmetrical configuration with respect to at least one symmetry plane perpendicular to the plane of the plate and passing through the shaft; (b) the shaft is attached so that its contact surface with the plate is located on the symmetry plane of the plate, but is removed by at least one-half of the diameter of the shaft from the boundary area of the plate; (c) the groove is arranged on the top side of the plate in its front half and is aligned perpendicularly to the symmetry plane of the prosthesis; and (d) the prosthesis is comprised of a bioactive material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis, comprising: a generally planar plate; a shaft attached eccentrically to the underside of said plate; and a groove provided in the top side of the plate, wherein (a) the plate and attached shaft have a mirror symmetrical configuration with respect to at least one symmetry plane perpendicular to the plane of the plate and passing through the shaft; (b) the shaft is attached so that its contact surface with the plate is located on the symmetry plane of the plate, but is removed by at least one-half of the diameter of the shaft from the boundary area of the plate; (c) the groove is arranged on the top side of the plate in its front half and is aligned perpendicularly to the symmetry plane of the prosthesis; and (d) the prosthesis is comprised of a bioactive material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the plate has a generally rectangular shape and is arranged so that the longer side of the rectangle is parallel to the symmetry plane of the prosthesis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the plate has the configuration of an ellipsis and is arranged so that the longer axis of the ellipsis coincides with the symmetry plane of the prosthesis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the plate has a single symmetry plane perpendicular to it and said symmetry plane coincides with the symmetry plane of the prosthesis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the edges of the top side and the corners of the plate are generally rounded.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the plate increases continuously toward its front half.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the plate continuously increases toward its rear half.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the shaft is inclined at an angle of approximately 15°±5° with respect to the normal to the underside of the plate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the shaft is circular.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the shaft is ellipsoidal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the shaft continuously narrows from its contact surface on the underside of the plate to the distal end of the shaft.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the groove is substantially semicircular.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the groove has the configuration of a triangle with a round apex.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the edges formed by the groove with the top side of the plate are not parallel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the edges formed by the groove with the top side of the plate are rounded.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove is at the most one half of the thickness of the plate at its front edge.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the front edge of the top side and the first edge of the groove closest to said front edge is at least one half of the width of the groove.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the bioactive material is a composite.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the bioactive material comprises an apatite-containing sintered product.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the bioactive material comprises glass ceramic.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the bioactive material comprises a bioglass.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the prosthesis is comprised of two individual parts attached together.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, further comprising a supplemental covering layer on its surface, said layer comprising a bioactive material in powder form.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
An auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 23, wherein the covering layer comprises autologous or homologous bone particles.