Patent ID: 7799183

Claim:
An apparatus for electro-polishing a medical implant, comprising: an electrolytic bath of fluid; an anode immersed in said electrolytic bath adapted to contact a surface of said medical implant when said medical implant is immersed in said electrolytic bath, thereby establishing an electrical contact between said anode and said medical implant; a roller immersed in said electrolytic bath and operably driven by a motor to contact said medical implant, said roller thereby being adapted to continuously rotate said medical implant when said medical implant is immersed in said electrolytic bath; a cathode immersed in said electrolytic bath and spaced away from said anode; a voltage potential; and an amp-hour meter measuring a cumulative current flow between said anode and said cathode; wherein an electrical circuit is formed between said cathode, said amp-hour meter, said voltage potential, said anode, said medical implant and said electrolytic bath, and said electrical contact between said anode and said medical implant continuously changes as an electrical voltage from said voltage potential is applied across said anode and said cathode and said roller is rotated by said motor, said medical implant thereby being electro-polished for a period of time in response to said amp-hour meter; and wherein said cathode comprises at least two cathodes elements, each of said cathode elements defining a loop wherein said loops are spaced apart from each other.