Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A method for securing cable around bone and comprising the steps of: taking a cable having one end with a stop thereon, and passing the other end of the cable around the bone and returning toward the stop; feeding the other end of the cable through an aperture in the stop; feeding the other end of the cable through an aperture in a manually closable and releasable cable clamp and resting the clamp on the stop; engaging a cable tensioning tool with the clamp and with a portion of the cable between the clamp and the other end of the cable after the other end was fed through the aperture in the clamp; using the tool for applying positioning tension on the cable; temporarily fixing in the clamp aperture, that portion of the cable residing in the clamp aperture when the applied tension on the cable is at a desired positioning value; and removing the tensioning tool from the cable.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
160 words
A method for securing cable around bone and comprising the steps of: taking a cable having one end with a stop thereon, and passing the other end of the cable around the bone and returning toward the stop; feeding the other end of the cable through an aperture in the stop; feeding the other end of the cable through an aperture in a manually closable and releasable cable clamp and resting the clamp on the stop; engaging a cable tensioning tool with the clamp and with a portion of the cable between the clamp and the other end of the cable after the other end was fed through the aperture in the clamp; using the tool for applying positioning tension on the cable; temporarily fixing in the clamp aperture, that portion of the cable residing in the clamp aperture when the applied tension on the cable is at a desired positioning value; and removing the tensioning tool from the cable.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 and wherein: the fixing step is performed by moving a lever on the clamp and thereby forcing a cam surface of the clamp into clamping relationship on the cable portion residing in the clamp aperture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 and wherein: the steps of passing and feeding and tensioning are performable without the cable contacting itself.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 and further comprising the step of: fixing the location of the stop on the cable before passing the cable around the bone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method of claim 1 and further comprising the steps of: after removing the tensioning tool from the cable, re-installing the tensioning tool on the cable; operating the tensioning tool to establish the desired final tension in the cable; crimping the stop onto the cable to hold the cable from slipping in the stop; removing the cable clamp and the tensioning tool from the cable; and cutting off the cable at the location where the cable clamp engaged the stop.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 5 and further comprising the step of: repeating steps of claim 1 on at least one other cable before the re-installing step of claim 3 on the first-mentioned cable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 5 and further comprising the step of: including an implant device; and passing the cable around the implant device before feeding the other end through the aperture in the stop.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 5 and further comprising the steps of: after re-installing the tensioning tool; applying at least the same amount of tension on the cable in the tool as was established previously when the cable was previously tensioned; and releasing from clamping relationship to the cable, a clamping member in the cable clamp.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A surgical cabling assembly comprising: a crimp having an apertured crimpable portion; a cable having an end portion fixed with respect to the crimp and an end portion receivable through the aperture in the crimp; and a cable clamp having a lever-operated cam clamped to a portion of the cable which has been passed through the aperture in the crimp.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
A surgical cabling assembly comprising: a crimp having an apertured crimpable portion; a cable having an end portion fixed with respect to the crimp and an end portion receivable through the aperture in the crimp; and a cable clamp having a lever-operated cam clamped to a portion of the cable which has been passed through the aperture in the crimp.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The cable assembly of claim 9 and wherein: the clamp cam is arranged to tighten itself on the cable upon initiation of movement of the clamp along the cable in a direction away from the crimp.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
The cable assembly of claim 10 and wherein: the clamp cam is arranged to release itself sufficiently to accommodate movement of the clamp along the cable in a direction toward the crimp when the cable is pulled and the clamp is pushed by a tensioning tool.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
The cable assembly of claim 11 and further comprising: a tensioning tool having a passageway therein receiving a portion of the cable through it, the tool being clamped to the cable and having a portion thereof received in a socket in the cable clamp.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The cable assembly of claim 12 and wherein: the tensioning tool has an elongate tip portion, with a tip thereon; the cable clamp has a socket therein slidably receiving the tip portion of the tool, the socket having a bottom abuttingly engaged by the tip of the tool.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The cable assembly of claim 13 and wherein: the cable clamp has an elongate tip portion having substantially the same maximum cross-sectional dimension as the tip portion of the tensioning tool.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The cable assembly of claim 14 and wherein: the cable clamp tip portion and socket portion have generally cylindrical outer surfaces.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The cable assembly of claim 14 and wherein: the cable clamp socket portion and tip portion are made of one homogeneous unit of cast metal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
75 words
Apparatus securing cables around bones and an implant in a spinal column and comprising: a first cable having one end with a stop thereon, the cable adapted to encircle one bone and a part of an implant and extending through the stop to another end; and a manually closable and releasable cable clamp means engaging the cable and the stop and holding tension in the cable for securing the cable to the bone and implant.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
75 words
Apparatus securing cables around bones and an implant in a spinal column and comprising: a first cable having one end with a stop thereon, the cable adapted to encircle one bone and a part of an implant and extending through the stop to another end; and a manually closable and releasable cable clamp means engaging the cable and the stop and holding tension in the cable for securing the cable to the bone and implant.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 17 and wherein the clamp means further comprises; a clamp having a cam with lever operator thereon, the cam engaging the cable and locking the cable in the clamp, the lever being operable to release the cam from the cable when desired.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 17 and wherein: the clamp means has a tool receiver means therein for reception of a cable tensioning tool.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 19 and wherein: the tool receiver means is a socket fox reception of part of a tensioning tool therein.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
88 words
The apparatus of claim 17 and further comprising: a second cable having one end with a stop thereon, the second cable adapted to encircle another bone and a part of the implant and extending through the stop on the second cable to another end of the second cable; and a second manually closable and releasable cable clamp means engaging the second cable and the stop on the second cable and holding tension in the second cable for securing the second cable to the second bone and the implant.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 21 and wherein the second clamp means further comprises; a clamp having a cam with lever operator thereon, the cam engaging the second cable and locking the second cable in the clamp, the lever being operable to release the cam from the second cable when desired.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 21 and wherein: the second clamp has a tool receiver means therein for reception of the cable tensioning tool.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 23 and wherein: the tool receiver means in the second clamp means is a socket for reception of part of the tensioning tool therein.