Joint simulator testing machine
First Claim
1. An apparatus for testing an implant having first and second components coupled together by an articulating ball and socket joint comprising:
- a support structure in contact with the first component of said implant for supporting said implant;
an adapter coupled to the second component of said implant, said adapter having a semispherical surface facing away from said support structure;
a load assembly in contact with coupled with said adapter for applying a load onto the semispherical surface of said adapter; and
a drive assembly coupled with said adapter, said drive assembly comprising a first drive shaft having a first end connected with a center of a rotatable wheel, said first drive shaft being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof for causing rotation of said wheel, a second drive shaft having a first end connected with an outer region of said wheel and a second end connected to said adapter, said second drive shaft having a longitudinal axis that is at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said first drive shaft, wherein rotation of said first shaft about the longitudinal axis thereof causes articulating movement of said adapter, which in turn causes articulating movement of the first and second components of said implant about the ball and socket joint of said implant.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for testing an implant having first and second components coupled together by an articulating ball and socket joint includes a support structure in contact with the first component of the implant for supporting said implant, an adapter coupled to the second component of the implant, and a load assembly in contact with the adapter for applying a load onto a semispherical surface of the adapter. The apparatus includes a drive assembly coupled with the adapter having a first drive shaft having a first end connected with a center of a rotatable wheel and a second drive shaft having a first end connected with an outer region of the wheel and a second end connected to the adapter. The second drive shaft has a longitudinal axis that is at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first drive shaft. In operation, rotation of the first drive shaft about the longitudinal axis thereof causes articulating movement of the adapter, which in turn causes articulating movement of the first and second components of the implant under load.
29 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for testing an implant having first and second components coupled together by an articulating ball and socket joint comprising:
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a support structure in contact with the first component of said implant for supporting said implant;
an adapter coupled to the second component of said implant, said adapter having a semispherical surface facing away from said support structure;
a load assembly in contact with coupled with said adapter for applying a load onto the semispherical surface of said adapter; and
a drive assembly coupled with said adapter, said drive assembly comprising a first drive shaft having a first end connected with a center of a rotatable wheel, said first drive shaft being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof for causing rotation of said wheel, a second drive shaft having a first end connected with an outer region of said wheel and a second end connected to said adapter, said second drive shaft having a longitudinal axis that is at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said first drive shaft, wherein rotation of said first shaft about the longitudinal axis thereof causes articulating movement of said adapter, which in turn causes articulating movement of the first and second components of said implant about the ball and socket joint of said implant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for testing an implant having first and second components coupled together by an articulating ball and socket joint comprising:
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a support structure for supporting one of the first and second components of said implant;
a load assembly in communication with one of the first and second components of said implant for applying a load to said implant; and
a drive assembly coupled with one of the first and second components of said implant, said drive assembly including a rotatable wheel and a drive shaft connected with an outer region of said wheel, said drive shaft having a longitudinal axis that is angularly offset from an axis of rotation of said rotatable wheel, said drive assembly being coupled with one of the first and second components of said implant, wherein rotation of said wheel causes articulating movement one of the first and second components of said implant relative to the other one of the first and second components of said implant while under a load of said load assembly, and wherein the articulating movement follows an articulating pattern determined by the angular offset relationship. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for testing an implant having first and second components coupled together by an articulating ball and socket joint comprising:
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a rotatable wheel having an axis of rotation and an outer region spaced from the axis of rotation;
a drive shaft having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis extending between the first and second ends, the first end of said drive shaft being connected to the outer region of said wheel so that the longitudinal axis of said drive shaft is angularly offset from the axis of rotation of said wheel, the first end of said drive shaft being connected to the outer region of said wheel by a coupling that allows said drive shaft to freely rotate about and translate along the longitudinal axis of said drive shaft;
a support structure in contact with the first component of said implant for securing the first component;
a head adapter having a cap portion and a stem portion depending therefrom, the stem portion being engageable with the second component of said implant, the cap portion of said adapter having a rim and an upper surface having a convex semispherical contour, the second end of said drive shaft being connected with said rim of said adapter;
a compression loader including a load adapter in contact with said head adapter for applying a compressive load against the upper surface of said head adapter, which in turn transfers the compressive load to the second component of said implant, wherein rotation of said wheel causes a circular traveling of the first end of said drive shaft about the axis of rotation of said wheel, which in turn causes articulating movement of said head adapter in an articulation pattern determined by the offset angle. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification