Expandable cage
First Claim
1. An intervertebral implant configured to iterate between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the implant comprising:
- a first plate and a second plate spaced from one another along a first direction, the first plate defining a first bone-contacting surface, the second plate defining a second bone-contacting surface facing away from the first bone-contacting surface along the first direction;
an expansion assembly disposed between the first and second plates with respect to the first direction, the expansion assembly including;
a first support wedge supporting the first plate, the first support wedge defining a first ramp;
a second support wedge supporting the second plate, the second support wedge defining a second ramp and a third ramp; and
an expansion wedge defining a fourth ramp,wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth ramps is inclined with respect to a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and at least one of the first and second support wedges is slidable along the respective supported first or second plate; and
an actuator configured to apply a drive force to the expansion wedge so as to cause
1) the fourth ramp to ride along the third ramp so as to increase a distance between the first and second bone-contacting surfaces along the first direction, and
2) the second ramp to ride along the first ramp, thereby further increasing the distance, thereby iterating the implant from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration,wherein the first and second support wedges and the expansion wedge are translatable relative to each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An intervertebral implant that iterates between collapsed and expanded configurations includes first and second plates spaced from one another along a first direction and defining bone-contacting surfaces facing away from each other along the first direction. An expansion assembly is positioned between the plates with respect to the first direction and includes a first support wedge that supports the first plate and defines a first ramp and a second support wedge that supports the second plate and defines second and third ramps. The expansion assembly includes an expansion wedge defining a fourth ramp. The first, second, third, and fourth ramps are each inclined with respect to a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. At least one of the first and second support wedges is slidable along the respective supported first or second plate. The implant includes an actuator configured to apply a drive force to the expansion wedge so as to cause 1) the fourth ramp to ride along the third ramp so as to increase a distance between the bone-contacting surfaces along the first direction, and 2) the second ramp to ride along the first ramp, thereby further increasing the distance, thereby iterating the implant from the collapsed to the expanded configuration.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An intervertebral implant configured to iterate between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the implant comprising:
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a first plate and a second plate spaced from one another along a first direction, the first plate defining a first bone-contacting surface, the second plate defining a second bone-contacting surface facing away from the first bone-contacting surface along the first direction; an expansion assembly disposed between the first and second plates with respect to the first direction, the expansion assembly including; a first support wedge supporting the first plate, the first support wedge defining a first ramp; a second support wedge supporting the second plate, the second support wedge defining a second ramp and a third ramp; and an expansion wedge defining a fourth ramp, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth ramps is inclined with respect to a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and at least one of the first and second support wedges is slidable along the respective supported first or second plate; and an actuator configured to apply a drive force to the expansion wedge so as to cause
1) the fourth ramp to ride along the third ramp so as to increase a distance between the first and second bone-contacting surfaces along the first direction, and
2) the second ramp to ride along the first ramp, thereby further increasing the distance, thereby iterating the implant from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration,wherein the first and second support wedges and the expansion wedge are translatable relative to each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An intervertabral implant configured to iterate between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the implant comprising:
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a first plate and a second plate spaced from one another along a first direction, the first plate defining a first bone-contacting surface, the second plate defining a second bone-contacting surface facing away from the first bone-contacting surface along the first direction; an expansion assembly disposed between the first and second plates with respect to the first direction, the expansion assembly including; a first support wedge supporting the first plate, the first support wedge defining a first ramp; the second support wedge supporting the second plate, the second support wedge defining a second ramp and a third ramp; and an expansion wedge defining a fourth ramp, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth ramps is inclined with respect to a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and at least one of the first and second support wedges is slidable along the respective supported first or second plate; and an actuator configured to apply a drive force to the expansion wedge so as to cause
1) the fourth ramp to ride along the third ramp so as to increase a distance between the first and second bone-contacting surfaces along the first direction, and
2) the second ramp to ride along the first ramp, thereby further increasing the distance, thereby iterating the implant from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration,wherein; when the implant is in the collapsed configuration, an entirety of the first support wedge is spaced from an entirety of the expansion wedge with respect to the second direction, and at least a portion of the second support wedge is disposed between the first support wedge and the expansion wedge with respect to the second direction; and when the implant is in the expanded configuration, the first support wedge underlies an entirety of the expansion wedge with respect to the first direction, and an entirety of the second support wedge is spaced from an entirety of the first support wedge with respect to the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An implant for lateral insertion into an intervertebral space, the implant comprising:
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an expansion mechanism disposed between a first endplate and a second endplate with respect to a vertical direction, the first endplate defining a first-bone contacting surface, the second endplate defining a second bone-contacting surface facing away from the first bone-contacting surface along the vertical direction, the expansion mechanism comprising; an anterior actuation assembly arranged along a first axis; and a posterior actuation assembly arranged along a second axis, the first and second axes each oriented along a longitudinal direction that is substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction, the first and second axes spaced from one another along a transverse direction that is substantially perpendicular to the vertical and longitudinal directions, wherein a first distance between the first and second bone-contacting surfaces along the vertical direction intersects the first axis, and a second distance between the first and second bone-contacting surfaces along the vertical direction intersects the second axis, the anterior and posterior actuation assemblies each comprising; a first support wedge that supports the first endplate; a second support wedge that supports the second endplate, the second support wedge slidable with respect to the first support wedge; and an expansion wedge slidable with respect to the second support wedge; and a drive shaft coupled to the expansion wedge, the drive shaft rotatable about the respective first or second axis so as to cause
1) the expansion wedge to ride along the second support wedge, and
2) the second support wedge to ride along the first support wedge, thereby varying the respective first or second distance;wherein the drive shafts of the anterior and posterior actuation assemblies are rotatable independently of each other so as to provide a difference between the first and second distances. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification