US RE49,667 E1
Shape changing bone implant and method of use for enhancing healing
William Casey Fox, Pipe Creek, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/506,545
Filed by William Casey Fox, Pipe Creek, TX (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 10, 2012, PCT No. PCT/US2012/059603
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 10, 2014,
PCT Pub. No. WO2013/055824, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 18, 2013.
Application 17/506,545 is a reissue of application No. 14/351,032, filed on Oct. 10, 2012, granted, now 10,448,979, issued on Oct. 22, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/545,391, filed on Oct. 10, 2011.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/72 (2006.01); A61B 17/58 (2006.01); A61B 17/064 (2006.01); A61B 17/86 (2006.01); A61B 17/80 (2006.01); A61B 17/84 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/7291 (2013.01) [A61B 17/0642 (2013.01); A61B 17/58 (2013.01); A61B 17/8004 (2013.01); A61B 17/8061 (2013.01); A61B 17/844 (2013.01); A61B 17/866 (2013.01); A61B 17/8695 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00867 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bone healing method comprising the steps of:
(a) selecting a bone implant operable for pulling together a first bone segment and a second bone segment and operable for compressing the first bone segment and the second bone segment at a bone healing interface;
(b) positioning the bone implant in a position to pull the first bone segment and the second bone segment together and to compress the first bone segment and the second bone segment at the bone healing interface, wherein
(i) during the step of positioning, the bone implant is locked in a first shape,
(ii) during the step of positioning, the bone implant applies no mechanical force to pull the first bone segment and the second bone segment together, and
(iii) during the step of positioning, the bone implant applies no mechanical force to compress the first bone segment and the second bone segment at the bone healing interface; and
(c) after positioning of the bone implant, mechanically activating the bone implant by unlocking the bone implant and releasing the bone implant from the first shape to a second shape that is different from the first shape, wherein
(i) the mechanically activated bone implant pulls together the first segment and the second bone segment,
(ii) the mechanically activated bone implant compresses the first bone segment and the second bone segment at the bone healing interface, and
(iii) the mechanically activated bone implant maintains the first bone segment and the second bone segment at the bone healing interface while the first bone segment and the second bone segment heal.