Thursday, April 21, 2005
Tri-Power Principal, Anthony La Rosa, Awarded US Patent

We at Tri-Power are pleased to announce that Anthony La Rosa has been awarded a US Patent through Stryker Osteonics (formerly Howmedica Osteonics Corp.). For the past three years, Tony has been part of a team working to develop a monomer vial breaker. While the nature of the project is still quite confidential, the patent is available for public review. The following is a copy of the abstract used by the patent organization:

A cover for fracturing the neck of a glass ampoule or vial of the type having a glass body, a glass top and a glass neck joining the body to the top and dispensing fluid therefrom. The cover has a first portion with a hollow interior sized to sealingly receive and resiliently capture the body portion of the ampoule. The device has a second portion including a first hollow interior section sized to engage and capture the top of the ampoule. The second portion of the device has a second section in the form of a pouring spout in fluid communication with the ampoule neck and includes an opening for dispensing the liquid contents of the ampoule which opening is covered by a filter. A resiliently expandable portion connects the first and second portions. The expandable portion is in a contracted position before the neck of the glass ampoule is broken and expands upon breaking the neck thereby moving the top of the ampoule away from the ampoule body.

The website for the United States Patent and Trademark Organization is www.uspto.gov and the patent number is 6,832,703.

Congratulations, Tony!