TODAY’S PATENT – SURGICAL INSTRUMENT 

The said invention (US5618294A) was invented by Gilbert M. Aust and Timothy E. Taylor and patented by USPTO on April 8^th, 1997. Currently, it is also assigned to Zimmer Spine Inc.

This innovation concerns a unique surgical instrument, particularly for procedures carried out inside the body’s tight places, including joints. In procedures like arthroscopy or endoscopy, it assists medical professionals in removing or treating tissue.

The surgical instrument features a mechanism that bends the bendable portion of the second stem section so as to change the orientation of the tissue engaging member with respect to the axis and the first stem section from a first orientation to a second orientation.

The surgical tool has three main parts: a handle, a part that grabs tissue, and a long section called a stem. The stem has two sections, with the second one being flexible. This flexibility helps the tissue-grabbing part move around easily in different directions.