Patent ID: 9364262
Filing Date: 2016-06-14
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A coupling assembly used to selectively couple a bone screw having an elongate shaft and a head to an elongate rod, the coupling assembly comprising: a coupling element having a top, a bottom, and a central axis extending substantially centrally through the top and bottom, wherein a portion of the coupling element defines a saddle with a first side having an exterior surface and a second side having an exterior surface, the saddle defines a rod receiving channel with a longitudinal axis substantially transverse to the central axis, wherein the bottom of the coupling element defines an aperture through which the elongate shaft of the bone screw is received; and an outer housing having a first slider that is slidable in a direction toward and substantially transverse to the central axis, from a first position where the saddle is substantially open, thereby permitting ingress or egress of the elongate rod with respect to the rod receiving channel, to a second position where at least a portion of the slider frictionally engages an exterior surface of the saddle, biasing the respective side of the saddle toward the longitudinal axis to engage the elongate rod, thereby substantially retaining the elongate rod therein the rod receiving channel.