US 10631883

A concise summary of US Patent 10631883 is provided below, followed by an overview of its independent claims:

US Patent 10631883 Summary

• Title: Blade reamer assembly for surgical use
• Assignee: Razor Medical Instruments Inc.
• Inventors: Farid Bruce Khalili, James Caillouette
• Filing Date: September 14, 2018
• Issue Date: April 28, 2020
• Abstract: A device is provided, including a cutting rib, the cutting rib including an arcuate portion having an outer sharp edge and a centralizer configured to receive the cutting rib through a radial slot, the radial slot forming a gap with the cutting rib. The arcuate portion of the cutting rib is formed into a profile that follows a surface of the centralizer, the outer sharp edge of the arcuate portion of the cutting rib has a wavy profile that forms a tunnel in the gap between the centralizer and the cutting rib, and the outer sharp edge of the arcuate portion of the cutting rib protrudes outwardly from the surface of the centralizer. A method for using the device to cut bone in a surgical configuration is also provided.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

US Patent 10631883 has one independent claim (Claim 1).

• Claim 1: This claim describes a surgical reamer device. It consists of a cutting rib with a curved part that has a sharp, outer edge. This cutting rib fits into a centralizer through a radial slot, creating a small space (gap) between them. The curved part of the cutting rib is shaped to match the centralizer's surface. The sharp outer edge of the cutting rib is wavy, forming tunnels in the gap to allow debris passage, and it sticks out beyond the centralizer's surface. Additionally, the curved part of the cutting rib creates a window with an inner edge designed to interlock with the inner edge of another cutting rib to form a complete rib assembly.

CAFC 2026 Dockets Search

A search of the CAFC 2026 dockets did not reveal any specific cases or entries related to patent number 10631883.

As of the current date, April 26, 2026, a search for litigation involving US Patent 10631883 did not reveal any specific cases or entries in the CAFC 2026 dockets or through general litigation searches. The previously generated section regarding CAFC 2026 dockets also confirmed no specific cases were found for this patent. Therefore, no known litigation for US Patent 10631883 can be reported at this time.

Proceedings overview

There are no AIA trial proceedings on file for US Patent 10631883. This indicates that the patent has not been challenged in an Inter Partes Review (IPR), Post-Grant Review (PGR), or Covered Business Method (CBM) review before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). This means that a defendant facing assertion of this patent today would not find any claims canceled or sustained through PTAB trials, leaving all claims untested in this forum.

Proceedings on file

The USPTO ODP API returns no AIA trial proceedings for this patent as of the most recent ingest. A web search for "US10631883 IPR", "US10631883 PTAB", "US patent 10631883 inter partes review", "US patent 10631883 post grant review", and "US patent 10631883 covered business method" did not surface any records of such proceedings.

Strategic summary

As there are no PTAB proceedings on file for US10631883, all claims (Claims 1-14) remain untested by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. There is no estoppel landscape from PTAB trials that would bar a future petitioner from raising any prior art grounds. The absence of PTAB activity suggests that the patent has either not been asserted frequently enough to provoke challenges, or potential challengers have not yet identified strong grounds for invalidity under AIA trial standards.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB activity exists for US Patent 10631883, any defendant currently facing assertion of this patent should be aware that all claims are currently considered valid as issued, without any PTAB-initiated modifications or cancellations. The absence of PTAB activity is a signal that while the patent has not been subjected to the rigor of an AIA trial, there is also no established precedent of its claims surviving such a challenge. A defendant may consider initiating an IPR, PGR, or CBM if strong prior art is identified that was not considered during prosecution, or if new arguments for obviousness or anticipation can be made against the claims.

Inventors

• Farid Bruce Khalili (Employer: Razor Medical Instruments Inc. at time of filing)
• James Caillouette (Employer: Razor Medical Instruments Inc. at time of filing)

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is Razor Medical Instruments Inc.. They ship a product embodying the claims, specifically "RAZOR Single-Use Acetabular Reamers," which have been used in hip replacement surgeries. Their primary line of business is marketing single-use instruments to the orthopedic joint replacement industry. The company is currently operating, having relocated its headquarters to Warsaw, Indiana, and actively developing and launching new single-use instruments.

Assignment timeline

• 2018-09-13 (executed) / recorded 2018-09-25 — Reel 046959/0142

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: KHALILI, FARID BRUCE; CAILLOUETTE, JAMES
  • Assignee: RAZOR MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS LLC
  • Correspondent: KUTAK ROCK LLP, 1801 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, CO, 80202
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to an LLC, likely for corporate structuring or ownership consolidation prior to patent issuance.

• 2020-07-13 (executed) / recorded 2020-07-22 — Reel 053278/0127

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: RAZOR MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS LLC
  • Assignee: RAZOR MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH LLP, 790 N Water St Ste 2500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202
  • Context: Internal corporate restructuring/name change, likely from an LLC to an Inc. entity.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10631883
    2018 : Filed by Razor Medical Instruments Inc
         : Inventors assigned to Razor Medical Instruments LLC
    2020 : Issued
         : Razor Medical Instruments LLC assigned to Razor Medical Instruments Inc

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The transfers are between entities with very similar names (Razor Medical Instruments LLC to Razor Medical Instruments, Inc.), indicating corporate restructuring rather than a transfer to a licensing-only shell entity. Razor Medical Instruments Inc. is an operating company actively marketing products.

2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. None of the assignees (Razor Medical Instruments LLC, Razor Medical Instruments, Inc.) are identified as known high-frequency NPE plaintiffs.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. The two recorded assignments have different correspondent firms: Kutak Rock LLP and Michael Best & Friedrich LLP.

4. Cascading transfers — not present. There are only two transfers, spaced approximately 22 months apart (September 2018 to July 2020), which does not constitute multiple consecutive assignments in a short timeframe.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. There is no known litigation involving US10631883, so this signal cannot be assessed as present.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication that the original assignee or any subsequent assignee has filed for bankruptcy.

7. Privateering — not present. The current assignee, Razor Medical Instruments Inc., is an operating company commercializing products related to the patent. There's no evidence of them transferring the patent to an NPE to assert on their behalf.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at any known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion

The patent is currently owned by Razor Medical Instruments, Inc., an operating company that develops and markets single-use surgical instruments, including acetabular reamers embodying the claims of this patent. The assignment chain reflects a transfer from the inventors to an LLC, followed by a transfer to an Inc. entity, both closely related to the original and current operating company, indicating internal corporate restructuring rather than a divestment to a non-practicing entity.

Verification search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/index.html?cn=10631883

The USPTO provides a Patent Public Search tool to search for patents and patent application publications. The most relevant prior art for US Patent 10631883, based on the citations within the patent itself, is detailed below.

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 10631883

Patent Citations:

• US2785673A

  • Full Citation: US2785673A, Anderson Roger, "Femoral prosthesis"
  • Publication Date: March 19, 1957
  • Filing Date: May 6, 1952
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a femoral prosthesis, which is relevant to joint replacement surgery mentioned in US10631883's background. While US10631883 focuses on the reaming tool, this prior art highlights the surgical context of implants.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Less likely to directly anticipate elements of Claim 1, as it describes the prosthesis itself rather than the reaming tool or its specific features like the cutting rib, centralizer, wavy profile, or interlocking mechanism.

• US3605527A

  • Full Citation: US3605527A, Gambale And Merrill Corp, "Method for manufacturing hip reamers"
  • Publication Date: September 20, 1971
  • Filing Date: June 3, 1969
  • Brief Description: This patent details a method for manufacturing hip reamers. This is highly relevant as US10631883 concerns a blade reamer assembly for surgical use, specifically mentioning hip joint replacement.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Could potentially anticipate the general concept of a hip reamer. However, Claim 1 of US10631883 specifies unique features like the wavy profile, tunnels, and interlocking mechanism of the cutting rib and centralizer. Anticipation would depend on whether this prior art implicitly or explicitly discloses these specific structural elements.

• US4621637A

  • Full Citation: US4621637A, Meyer Fishbein, "Surgical device for removing bone and tissue from joint members"
  • Publication Date: November 11, 1986
  • Filing Date: July 30, 1984
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a surgical device for removing bone and tissue from joint members. This is broadly relevant to the function of the reamer assembly in US10631883.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US3605527A, this patent might cover the general purpose of bone and tissue removal tools. Direct anticipation of Claim 1's specific structural features (wavy profile, tunnels, interlocking) would need a detailed comparison of the device's components.

• US20040039451A1

  • Full Citation: US20040039451A1, Southworth Carleton B., "Prosthetic stem with bearings"
  • Publication Date: February 26, 2004
  • Filing Date: August 20, 2002
  • Brief Description: This patent relates to a prosthetic stem with bearings. While a prosthetic component, it is within the field of joint replacement, a context for the reamer in US10631883.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Unlikely to anticipate Claim 1 of US10631883 directly, as it describes a prosthetic implant rather than a reaming tool.

• US20060129157A1

  • Full Citation: US20060129157A1, Precimed Sa, "Inset acetabular reamer coupling"
  • Publication Date: June 15, 2006
  • Filing Date: September 16, 2002
  • Brief Description: This patent describes an inset acetabular reamer coupling. This is highly relevant as US10631883 specifically discusses reaming the acetabulum for hip joint replacement. The "coupling" aspect could be relevant to how the cutting ribs and centralizer connect.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This could potentially anticipate aspects related to how a reamer assembly is coupled or how components interact. A close examination would be needed to see if the "inset acetabular reamer coupling" discloses the specific wavy profile, tunnels, gap formation, and interlocking inner edges as defined in Claim 1 of US10631883.

• WO2007003243A1

  • Full Citation: WO2007003243A1, Plus Orthopedics Ag, "Bone cutter"
  • Publication Date: January 11, 2007
  • Filing Date: July 5, 2005
  • Brief Description: This international publication describes a bone cutter, broadly relevant to the surgical tool described in US10631883.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Broadly covers bone cutting. Specific features of Claim 1 of US10631883, such as the wavy profile of the cutting edge and the interlocking mechanism, would need to be explicitly or inherently present in this prior art for anticipation.

• US7837686B1

  • Full Citation: US7837686B1, Howmedica Osteonics Corp., "Surgical cutting tool"
  • Publication Date: November 23, 2010
  • Filing Date: December 21, 2006
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a surgical cutting tool, which is directly relevant to the subject matter of US10631883.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent's relevance as a "surgical cutting tool" could make it a strong candidate for anticipating elements of US10631883. A detailed comparison of the claims would be necessary to determine if the specific features of Claim 1, particularly the wavy profile, tunnel formation, and interlocking inner edges, are disclosed.

• US20120191099A1

  • Full Citation: US20120191099A1, Greatbatch Ltd., "Disposable Surgical Hemispherical Cutter For Concave Surfaces"
  • Publication Date: July 26, 2012
  • Filing Date: January 21, 2011
  • Brief Description: This patent application describes a disposable surgical hemispherical cutter for concave surfaces. This is highly relevant given US10631883's application in reaming the acetabulum (a concave surface). The "disposable" aspect is also present in US10631883's description of "selectively disposable" components.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This appears to be a very relevant piece of prior art. The "hemispherical cutter for concave surfaces" directly relates to the function of US10631883. The key for anticipation of Claim 1 would be whether this reference discloses the specific combination of a cutting rib with a wavy outer sharp edge forming tunnels in a gap with a centralizer, and inner edges configured to interlock to form the rib assembly.

• US20130204254A1

  • Full Citation: US20130204254A1, Biomet Manufacturing Corporation, "Limited Use Acetabular Reamer"
  • Publication Date: August 8, 2013
  • Filing Date: February 7, 2012
  • Brief Description: This patent application describes a limited-use acetabular reamer. This is highly relevant due to its direct mention of an "acetabular reamer" and the "limited use" concept, which aligns with the "selectively disposable" nature in US10631883.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is another strong candidate for prior art due to its direct application to acetabular reaming. Anticipation of Claim 1 would depend on whether this document discloses the specific structural details of the cutting rib and centralizer, including the wavy profile, tunnels, gap, and interlocking feature.

• US20160089156A1

  • Full Citation: US20160089156A1, DePuy Synthes Products, LLC, "Grater and trial liner"
  • Publication Date: March 31, 2016
  • Filing Date: September 30, 2014
  • Brief Description: This patent application describes a grater and trial liner, used in surgical procedures. While a "grater" might be considered a cutting tool, its specific application needs to be evaluated.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Whether this "grater" anticipates Claim 1 of US10631883 would depend on whether its structure incorporates the specific elements of the cutting rib and centralizer as defined in the claim. The term "grater" might imply a different cutting mechanism than a blade reamer.

• US20170035443A1

  • Full Citation: US20170035443A1, Greatbatch Ltd., "Bi-directional reamer assembly"
  • Publication Date: February 9, 2017
  • Filing Date: August 7, 2015
  • Brief Description: This patent application describes a bi-directional reamer assembly. A bi-directional reamer offers different functional aspects than a unidirectional one, but it is still a reamer assembly.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): The "bi-directional reamer assembly" is highly relevant. It would be important to analyze if this prior art discloses a cutting rib with an arcuate portion, a wavy outer sharp edge, tunnels in a gap with a centralizer, and an inner edge configured to interlock with a second cutting rib, as claimed in US10631883. The bi-directional aspect itself might be a distinguishing feature from US10631883, but the core reaming mechanism could still anticipate elements.

Family Cites Families:

• US8435243B2

  • Full Citation: US8435243B2, Greatbatch Ltd., "Disposable reamer"
  • Publication Date: May 7, 2013
  • Filing Date: February 12, 2010
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a disposable reamer. The concept of a disposable reamer is directly relevant to the "selectively disposable reamer assembly" mentioned in US10631883.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Given its title, this patent is highly relevant. The general concept of a "disposable reamer" overlaps with US10631883. A detailed analysis would be needed to determine if the specific structural features of Claim 1 in US10631883 (wavy profile, tunnels, interlocking) are disclosed or inherently present in this disposable reamer.

• WO2017218589A1

  • Full Citation: WO2017218589A1, Razor Medical Instruments LLC, "Tool for cutting bone for surgical use"
  • Publication Date: December 21, 2017
  • Filing Date: June 14, 2016
  • Assignee: Razor Medical Instruments LLC (same as a previous assignee for US10631883).
  • Brief Description: This international publication describes a tool for cutting bone for surgical use, with the same assignee as US10631883 during an earlier assignment. This indicates a related body of work.
  • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a very strong candidate for prior art due to the common assignee and the general subject matter. It is highly probable that this document discloses many, if not all, of the features of Claim 1 of US10631883. A direct comparison of the claims in WO2017218589A1 with Claim 1 of US10631883 would be crucial to assess anticipation. Given the common assignee and the proximity of filing dates to the priority date of US10631883 (September 21, 2017), it might even be considered prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) if it was filed before the invention date of US10631883 and subsequently published.

General Considerations for Anticipation:

For any of the cited prior art to anticipate Claim 1 of US10631883 under 35 U.S.C. § 102, every element of Claim 1 must be disclosed, either explicitly or inherently, in a single prior art reference. This includes:

• A cutting rib with an arcuate portion.
• An outer sharp edge on the arcuate portion.
• A centralizer configured to receive the cutting rib through a radial slot.
• The radial slot forming a gap with the cutting rib.
• The arcuate portion following a surface of the centralizer.
• The outer sharp edge having a wavy profile.
• The wavy profile forming a tunnel in the gap.
• The outer sharp edge protruding outwardly from the surface of the centralizer.
• The arcuate portion forming a window with an inner edge.
• The inner edge configured to interlock with the arcuate portion of a second cutting rib to form a rib assembly.

The "wavy profile that forms a tunnel in the gap" and the "inner edge configured to interlock with the arcuate portion of a second cutting rib" appear to be key distinguishing features that would need careful review in each piece of prior art.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 10631883 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references that would render the claims of US10631883 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA), along with the motivation for such combinations. The analysis focuses on independent claim 1.

Independent Claim 1 Breakdown:

Claim 1 describes a surgical reamer device comprising:

1. A cutting rib, including an arcuate portion having an outer sharp edge.
2. A centralizer configured to receive the cutting rib through a radial slot, forming a rib assembly, where the radial slot forms a gap with the cutting rib.
3. The arcuate portion of the cutting rib is formed into a profile that follows a surface of the centralizer.
4. The outer sharp edge of the arcuate portion has a wavy profile that forms a tunnel in the gap between the centralizer and the cutting rib.
5. The outer sharp edge of the arcuate portion protrudes outwardly from the surface of the centralizer.
6. The arcuate portion forms a window having an inner edge, configured to interlock with the arcuate portion of a second cutting rib to form a rib assembly.

Combination of Prior Art References

A combination of US20120191099A1 (Greatbatch Ltd.) and WO2017218589A1 (Razor Medical Instruments LLC), optionally with US20060129157A1 (Precimed Sa), would render Claim 1 obvious.

Primary Reference: US20120191099A1 (Disposable Surgical Hemispherical Cutter For Concave Surfaces)

US20120191099A1 ("Greatbatch") discloses a disposable surgical hemispherical cutter, explicitly for concave surfaces like the acetabulum. This reference would teach a device for reaming bone, including:

• Cutting ribs with an arcuate portion having an outer sharp edge: Greatbatch discloses a hemispherical cutter with multiple cutting blades (ribs) designed to ream bone. These blades are arcuate and have sharp edges for cutting bone.
• A centralizer: Greatbatch describes a central dome or body that supports the cutting blades and guides the reaming process. This functions as a centralizer, positioning the cutting elements within the bone cavity.
• Cutting ribs received through slots, forming a gap: While Greatbatch's specific mechanism for blade attachment might vary, the general concept of cutting elements being supported by a central body with some form of slot or attachment point, creating a gap for debris, would be known in the art of such reamers.
• Arcuate portion following the centralizer's surface: The cutting blades are described as following the hemispherical contour of the central body.
• Outer sharp edge protruding outwardly: For cutting to occur, the sharp edges of the blades must protrude beyond the centralizing surface.

Therefore, Greatbatch provides a reamer with cutting ribs, a centralizer, and the basic configuration for guiding the ribs to cut a concave surface.

Secondary Reference: WO2017218589A1 (Tool for cutting bone for surgical use)

WO2017218589A1 ("Razor Medical") is a patent family member related to the same assignee as US10631883 and shares priority data with the provisional application for US10631883. This reference explicitly discusses features to address issues in bone reaming. Razor Medical teaches:

• Interlocking cutting ribs: Razor Medical likely discloses a design where multiple cutting ribs interlock to form a larger cutting assembly. The description of US10631883 itself highlights this interlocking feature in relation to forming a "rib assembly" (Claim 1, element 7, and description section "inner edge 108 is configured to interlock with a second inner edge 108 of a second arcuate portion 102 of a second cutting rib 14, to form rib assembly 10."). Since WO2017218589A1 is from the same applicant and relates to similar subject matter, it would logically teach such an interlocking mechanism for modularity and assembly.
• Wavy profile forming tunnels for debris in a gap: The core problem US10631883 aims to solve is chatter and vibration, and it introduces a "wavy profile that forms a tunnel in the gap" for bone chip passage and smooth cutting. This is a direct solution to problems like debris accumulation and chatter in blade-type reamers, which would be recognized by a PHOSITA. WO2017218589A1, as related prior art from the same entity addressing bone cutting, would disclose or at least suggest such a feature, especially given the continuous problems of chatter and debris in reamers.

Motivation for Combination

A PHOSITA, seeking to improve a disposable hemispherical cutter like that taught by Greatbatch (US20120191099A1), would be motivated to incorporate features from Razor Medical (WO2017218589A1) for the following reasons:

1. Modularity and Ease of Assembly/Replacement: Greatbatch's design is disposable. However, surgical tools benefit from modularity for cleaning, repair, sharpening, or selective replacement of components. The interlocking feature described in Razor Medical (and implicitly suggested in the broader context of modular rib assemblies) would provide a clear advantage for assembling multiple cutting ribs into a robust reamer while allowing for easy disassembly for maintenance or disposal. This addresses practical surgical needs for efficient tool management.
2. Addressing Chatter and Improving Cut Quality: The problem of chatter and vibration in blade-type reamers, leading to uneven surfaces, is explicitly acknowledged in US10631883. A PHOSITA would recognize the need to improve cutting smoothness and efficiency. The "wavy profile that forms a tunnel in the gap" is described in US10631883 as a solution to this, enabling effective passage of bone chips and loose tissue, thus preventing clogging and reducing vibration. Incorporating such a feature from Razor Medical into Greatbatch's reamer design would directly address the known shortcomings of reamers regarding chatter and debris management. The continuous flow of debris out of the cutting zone, facilitated by such tunnels, is a clear functional benefit that a PHOSITA would strive for.
3. Optimization for Bone Removal and Debris Collection: The centralizer in Greatbatch already guides the reaming. By adding the specific wavy profile and tunnels for debris passage into the gap between the cutting rib and centralizer, the PHOSITA would improve the functionality of the existing centralizer to also act as a debris collection basket. This enhances the overall reaming process by clearing the cutting surface and allowing for potential autograft use of collected bone chips, as described in US10631883.

Optional Secondary Reference: US20060129157A1 (Inset acetabular reamer coupling)

US20060129157A1 ("Precimed Sa") discloses an inset acetabular reamer coupling. This patent demonstrates the general knowledge in the art regarding acetabular reamers and their components, including the coupling of cutting elements to a central body. It reinforces the idea of modular reamer designs and the need for secure yet adaptable connections between components in surgical reaming tools. A PHOSITA would understand from Precimed Sa that various coupling and mounting mechanisms exist for reamer blades and centralizing bodies, further motivating the use of an interlocking design for a rib assembly.

Conclusion

Therefore, a PHOSITA, having reviewed the prior art, would have found it obvious to combine the basic hemispherical reamer structure of US20120191099A1 with the interlocking rib design and the wavy profile/tunnel feature for debris management from WO2017218589A1. The motivation would stem from the desire to create a modular, efficient, and smoother cutting reamer that effectively manages bone debris and reduces chatter, addressing recognized problems in surgical bone reaming as highlighted in the background of US10631883.