1. A tamper-resistant device for terminating a coaxial cable to a threaded port comprising:
a housing having a first end and a second end, the first end of said housing including an inner wall bounding a first central bore, said inner wall having a first recess;
a connector body having a first end and a second end, the connector body being dimensioned to fit within the first central bore of the housing, the first end of the connector body having internal threads for connection to the threaded port, and the second end portion having a second recess,
a locking member located within one of said recesses movable between a first position in said one recess to a second position wherein the locking member is partially disposed within said first recess and partially disposed within said second recess.
2. The device of claim 1 including a sealing member disposed between the housing and the connector body.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the connector body includes a groove for seating the sealing member.
4. The device of claim 1 including a means for snap-engaging the connector body within the housing.
5. The device of claim 3 wherein the means for snap-engaging is a snap-ring.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the second end of the housing includes external threads for mating with a cable connector.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the connector body includes a resistor chamber.
8. The device of claim 1 including a biasing member disposed in one of the first and second recesses tending to retain the locking member in said first position.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein the biasing member is a magnet.
10. The device of claim 8 wherein the biasing member is a spring.
11. The device of claim 9 wherein the locking member is composed of ferrous material.
12. The device of claim 9 wherein the locking member comprises a magnet.
13. The device of claim 9 wherein the biasing member uses attractive magnetic force to retain the locking member in said first position.
14. The device of claim 9 wherein the biasing member uses repulsive magnetic force to retain the locking member in said first position.
15. The device of claim 1 wherein the locking member is disposed within the first recess in the connector body in said first position.
16. The device of claim 1 wherein the locking member is disposed within the second recess in the housing in said first position.
17. The device of claim 1 which includes a recess at the second end of the housing for insertion of a complementary tool comprising a magnet.
18. The device of claim 17 wherein at least a portion of the recess at the second end of the housing has a polygonal cross-section.
19. The device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a keyway engageable with a key of a complementary tool for applying rotational force to the housing.
20. The device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a key engageable with a keyway of a complementary tool for applying rotational force to the housing.
21. The device of claim 18 wherein the housing includes a keyway engageable with a key of a complementary tool for applying rotational force to the housing.
22. The device of claim 19 wherein the housing has a longitudinal axis and the keyway is offset from said longitudinal axis of the housing.
23. The device of claim 20 wherein the housing has a longitudinal axis and the key is offset from the longitudinal axis of the housing.
24. The device of claim 21 wherein the keyway is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the housing
25. The device of claim 21 wherein the keyway is the polygonal portion of the recess at the second end of the housing.
26. The device of claim 1 wherein the first recess is a bore in the second end of the connector body.
27. The device of claim 26 wherein the locking member is a cylindrical pin configured to fit within the first recess.
28. The device of claim 1 wherein the first recess is a longitudinal channel on the exterior surface of the connector body.
29. The device of claim 28 wherein the locking member comprises a spring with an attached magnet.
30. The device of claim 29 wherein the spring is a leaf spring.
31. The device of claim 28 wherein the body has at least two longitudinal recesses in the exterior surface of the body.
32. The device of claim 31 including at least two locking members.
33. The device of claim 1 wherein the housing has an opening at the second end thereof.
34. The device of claim 33 wherein the connector body includes a recess at the second end thereof for receiving at least a portion of a complementary tool.
35. The device of claim 33 wherein a second sealing member is disposed between the housing and the connector body.
36. The device of claim 33 wherein the housing includes a keyway engageable with a key of a complementary tool for applying rotational force to the housing.
37. The device of claim 33 wherein the housing includes a key engageable with a keyway of a complementary tool for applying rotational force to the housing.
38. The device of claim 36 wherein the keyway is at least a portion of the opening in the second end of the housing.
39. A tool for engaging a cable termination device having housing with a recess at one end of the device and a locking member selectively moved by the application of magnetic force between a first position and a second position, the tool comprising a magnet sized and configured for insertion into said recess.
40. The tool of claim 39 wherein the tool includes a key for cooperation with a keyway in said housing for applying rotational force to said housing.
41. The tool of claim 40 wherein the key is a protruding pin.
42. The tool of claim 41 wherein the protruding pin is substantially cylindrical.
43. The tool of claim 39 wherein the tool includes a keyway for cooperation with a key in said housing for applying rotational force to said housing.
44. The tool of claim 40 wherein the keyway is a substantially cylindrical recess.
45. The tool of claim 39 wherein the magnet has a polygonal cross-section.
46. The tool of claim 45 wherein the polygonal cross-section is hexagonal.
47. The tool of claim 39 wherein the tool includes a polygonal shank coaxial with said magnet.
48. The tool of claim 47 wherein the polygonal shank is at least a portion of the magnet.
49. The tool of claim 39 wherein the leading edge of the magnet tapered,
50. The tool of claim 49 wherein the taper of the leading edge of the magnet is asymmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the magnet.
51. A method for selectively engaging and disengaging a coaxial cable termination device comprising the steps of:
providing a housing having a first end and a second end, the first end of said housing including an inner wall bounding a first central bore, said inner wall having a first recess;
providing a connector body having a first end and a second end, the connector body being dimensioned to fit within the first central bore of the housing, the first end of the connector body having internal threads for connection to a threaded port, and the second end portion having a second recess;
providing a locking member located within one of said first recess and said second recess disposed for movement by application of magnetic force from a first position in said recess to a second position wherein the locking member is partially disposed within said first recess and partially disposed within said second recess;
providing a tool for engagement with the second end of the housing said tool comprising a magnet; and
engaging the tool with the second end of the housing to apply a magnetic force to move the locking member from said first position to said second position whereby rotation of the tool selectively engages and disengages the internal threads with the threaded port.
52. The method of claim 51 comprising the additional step of providing a termination device with a biasing member located within one of said first and second recesses tending to retain the locking member in said first position.
53. The method of claim 52 wherein said biasing member is a magnet and the magnetic force applied by the tool is sufficient to overcome the magnetic force of the biasing member and move the locking member from said first position to said second position.
54. The method of claim 53 wherein upon removal of said tool, the magnetic force applied by the biasing member returns the locking member to said first position.
55. The method of claim 51 wherein the magnetic force applied by the tool to the locking member is attractive magnetic force.
56. The method of claim 51 wherein the magnetic force applied by the tool to the locking member is repulsive magnetic force.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A dynamic supporting system for the spine, the system comprising:
A part including a first portion and a second portion;
At least two pedicle screws, the pedicle screws each having a shaft and a head, each head having a pair of spaced lugs that form a channel extending from an open head feeding end of the head to a base of the head, the open head feeding end of one of the pedicle screws configured for insertion of the second portion of the part therein;
a support element including a non-rigid elastically yielding support body positionable between the pedicle screws, wherein the first portion of the part is arranged between the elastically yielding support body and the head of one of the pedicle screws, and the second portion of the part is positioned within the channel of one of the pedicle screws, and
a securing element sized for engagement with one of the pedicle screw heads to couple the part to the head of one of the pedicle screws and wherein the support element is connected between the pedicle screws.
2. The dynamic supporting system of claim 1 further comprising:
an arrangement on an exterior surface of each head and configured for engagement with an implantation instrument.
3. The dynamic supporting system of claim 2 wherein the arrangement is a notch.
4. The dynamic supporting system of claim 2 wherein the arrangement is a pair of notches spaced diametrically on the head.
5. The dynamic supporting system of claim 2 wherein the arrangement is elongate and axially oriented generally parallel with the pedicle screw shaft.
6. The dynamic supporting system of claim 1, wherein the part includes a lumen extending from a first side of the part to a second side of the part.
7. The dynamic supporting system of claim 6, wherein the support element further comprises:
an elastic band contained partially within an axial lumen of the support body;
wherein the elastic band extends through the lumen of the part.
8. The dynamic supporting system of claim 7, wherein the elastic band extends through the channel of the head of one of the pedicle screws.
9. The dynamic supporting system of claim 7, wherein the first side of the part has a planar surface and the support body abuts the first side of the part.
10. The dynamic support system of claim 1, wherein a first surface of the part is configured to abut a side surface of the head of one of the pedicle screws, and a second surface of the part is configured to abut an end surface of the support body.
11. The dynamic support system of claim 10, wherein the first surface is a concave surface.
12. The dynamic support system of claim 1, wherein the part spaces the support body from direct contact with the head of one of the pedicle screws.