Patent ID: 6644087
Filing Date: 2003-11-11
Classification: A61B,B21D

Abstract:
A rod bender for bending a surgical rod for use in spine surgery, comprising:a ram shaft having a distal end having an arcuate rod contact surface, the ram shaft extending parallel to a plane and being moveable, along a shaft path that is parallel to the plane, through a plurality of positions including a ram shaft proximal position and a ram shaft distal position, the ram shaft distal position being a position in which the arcuate rod contact surface is in a distal contact surface position; and a pair of cylindrical rollers, each having a curved roller surface, the rollers being disposed relative to the plane such that the shaft path passes between the rollers, each roller being rotatably mounted relative to the plane such that a rotation axis of each roller is perpendicular to the plane, each roller being moveable relative to the distal contact surface position, along a respective roller path that is parallel to the plane, through a plurality of positions including a roller proximal position and a roller distal position; wherein a straight rod, disposed perpendicular to the shaft path when the ram shaft is in the ram shaft proximal position, is bendable by movement of the ram shaft toward the ram shaft distal position as the arcuate rod contact surface pushes the rod while the curved roller surfaces resist movement of the rod; and wherein each roller is rotatably mounted at a distal end of a respective roller shaft, each roller shaft extending parallel to the plane, such that the rotation axis of each roller is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of its respective roller shaft, wherein each roller shaft has a proximal end, and the proximal ends of the roller shafts are hinged to one another about a roller shaft hinge axis, the roller shaft hinge axis being perpendicular to the plane, at a roller shaft hinge point between the rollers and forward of the shaft path, whereby rotation of each roller shaft about the roller shaft hinge axis moves its associated roller along the roller path of the associated roller.