VERTEBRAL DEVICE FOR RESTORATION OF VERTEBRAL BODY HEIGHT

• US 20090240334A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marc Richelsoph
• Original Assignee: Marc Richelsoph
• Inventors: Richelsoph, Marc E.
• Application Number:
  US12/051,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.160
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30744 End caps, e.g. for closing an endoprosthetic cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/441 made of inflatable pockets or chambers filled with fluid, e.g. with hydrogel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30062 (bio)absorbable, biodegradable, bioerodable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/302 toroidal, e.g. rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30235 tubular, e.g. sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30289 helically-coiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30448 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30451 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3055 for adjusting length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30583 filled with hardenable fluid, e.g. curable in-situ
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30584 filled with gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30586 having two or more inflatable pockets or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30599 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30672 temporary
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4495 having a fabric structure, e.g. made from wires or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4632 using computer-controlled surgery, e.g. robotic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0085 : hardenable in situ, e.g. epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 : using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 : soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0065 : toroidal, e.g. ring-shaped, doughnut-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 : helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0059 : temporary
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 : Nested prosthetic parts

Abstract

An intra-vertebral body height restoring device includes a body for insertion into an intra-vertebral space. The body includes top and bottom surfaces for engaging opposing vertebral surfaces defining the intra-vertebral space. The body includes at least two layers extending along a width of the body and having a fully expanded and fully collapsed height relative thereto. A reversible expansion mechanism selectively and reversely expands and collapse the height of the layers and including the fully expanded and collapsed heights to restore a selected height to the intra-vertebral space.

Claims

1. An intra-vertebral body height restoring device comprising:

a body for insertion into an intra-vertebral space and including top and bottom surfaces for engaging opposing vertebral surfaces defining the intra-vertebral space, said body including at least two layers extending along a width of said body and having a fully expanded and fully collapsed height relative thereto; and

reversible expansion means for selectively and reversibly expanding and collapsing the height of said layers between and including said fully expanded and collapsed heights to restore a selected height of the intra-vertebral space.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said body includes a chamber defining said layers.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said body includes a helically spiraling inner surface defining said chamber.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3, including fluid inlet means for selectively and reversibly supplying a fluid to said inner chamber and expand or collapse said body.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said inlet means includes a supply tube in fluid communication with said inner chambers.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said body includes an inner wall defining a open space therein for receiving a hardenable fluid therein.

7. The device as set forth in claim 6, including a second fluid inlet in fluid communication with said open space for delivering the hardenable fluid to said open space.

8. The device as set forth in claim 7, including dual filling means including said first and second fluid inlets for providing a single tube assembly for filling both said inner chamber and said open space.

9. The device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said dual filling means includes a second tube in fluid communication with said open space molded inside of said first mentioned tube which is in fluid communication with said inner chamber.

10. The device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said body further includes manifold means for allowing fluid flow between said layers.

11. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said manifold means includes a web of strengthening material extending through said layers for strengthening a connector between said fluid inlet means and said body.

12. The device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said open space opens into said top and bottom surfaces defining a body around a hollow core.

13. The device as set forth in claim 12, wherein said body includes end caps seal over said hollow core proximate to said top and bottom surfaces for containing the hardenable material injected into said hollow core.

14. The device as set forth in claim 13, wherein said end caps are porous for allowing selective leakage of the hardenable material injected into said hollow core, from said hollow core and into adjacent vertebral surfaces.

15. The device as set forth in claim 1, including lordosis restoring means for restoring proper lordosis to a spine.

16. The device as set forth in claim 15, wherein said layer adjacent one of said top and bottom surfaces is angled relative to said remaining layers defining said lordosis restoring means.

17. The device as set forth in claim 15, wherein both of said top and bottom surfaces are angled relative to said remaining layers defining said lordosis restoring means.

18. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said body includes porous top and bottom surfaces for containing a hardenable fluid in said inner chamber while allowing selective leakage of hardenable fluid through said top and bottom surfaces into the opposing vertebral surfaces.

19. The device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said body includes a single tube member, said tube member being a helical spiral defining said layers.

20. The device as set forth in claim 19, including at least top and bottom layers each of said layers including top and bottom surfaces, said top and bottom surfaces being operatively connected to adjacent top and bottom surfaces.

21. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said body includes a plurality of stacked independent chambers defining said at least two layers.

22. The device as set forth in claim 21, including inlet means operatively connected to each of said chambers for selectively expanding and/or collapsing each of said chambers independently of each other.

23. The device as set forth in claim 22, wherein said inlet means includes a supply tube in fluid communication with said inner chambers.

24. The device as set forth in claim 23, wherein said body includes an inner wall defining a open space therein for receiving a hardenable fluid therein.

25. The device as set forth in claim 24, including a second fluid inlet in fluid communication with said open space for delivering the hardenable fluid to said open space.

26. The device as set forth in claim 25, including dual filling means including said first and second fluid inlets for providing a single tube assembly for filling both said inner chamber and said open space.

27. The device as set forth in claim 26, wherein said dual filling means includes a second tube in fluid communication with said open space molded inside of said first mentioned tube which is in fluid communication with said inner chamber.

28. The device as set forth in claim 25, wherein said body further includes manifold means for allowing fluid flow between said layers.

29. The device as set forth in claim 26, wherein said manifold means includes a web of strengthening material extending through said layers for strengthening a connector between said fluid inlet means and said body.

30. The device as set forth in claim 24, wherein said open space opens into said top and bottom surfaces defining a body around a hollow core.

31. The device as set forth in claim 30, wherein said body includes end caps seal over said hollow core proximate to said top and bottom surfaces for containing the hardenable material injected into said hollow core.

32. The device as set forth in claim 31, wherein said end caps are porous for allowing selective leakage of the hardenable material injected into said hollow core, from said hollow core and into adjacent vertebral surfaces.

33. An intra-vertebral body height restoring device comprising:

a body defining a width and height and including an inner portion defining at least two layers extending along a width of said body; and

expansion means for selectively and reversibly expanding said height of said layers.

34. An intra-vertebral body height restoring device comprising:

a body;

reversible expansion means for selectively and reversibly expanding and collapsing said body; and

containment means within said body for containing a hardenable fluid therein.

35. An inter-vertebral body height restoring device comprising:

a body;

containment means within said body for containing a hardenable fluid therein and;

porous surface means for allowing a selective amount of flow of the hardenable material from said containing means out through at least one surface of said body for contact with a vertebral surface adjacent to said one surface.

36. A method of restoring height to a collapsed intra-vertebral space by:

inserting a body into the intra-vertebral space defined by opposing intra-vertebral surfaces; and

selectively and reversibly expanding layers of the body causing top and bottom surfaces of the body to contract and separate the opposing vertebral surfaces thereby expanding the intra-vertebral space.

37. The method as set forth in claim 36, wherein said expanding step is further defined as supplying fluid through a fluid inlet to an inner chamber of the body to expand the layers of the body.

38. The method as set forth in claim 37, wherein said supplying step is further defined as delivering fluid simultaneously to all layers of the body from a single fluid inlet.

39. The method as set forth in claim 37 further including the step of expanding the layers of the body around a hollow central core of the body and then delivering a hardenable fluid to the hollow central core.

40. The method as set forth in claim 39, including a further step of collapsing the body after the delivered hardenable fluid has become hard and then removing the body from the intra-vertebral space.

41. The method as set forth in claim 39, further including a step of flowing the hardenable fluid out of ends of the hollow central core to contact adjacent opposing vertebral surfaces.

42. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein said flowing step is further defined as containing the hardenable fluid within the hollow central core and allowing selective leakage of the contained hardenable fluid onto the adjacent vertebral surfaces.

43. The method as set forth in claim 36, including the further step of restoring lordosis to the spine.

44. The method as set forth in claim 43, wherein said restoring step is further defined as expanding an angled top and/or bottom layer of the body to apply an angulated pressure and the adjacent vertebral surfaces.

45. A method of restoring height to a collapsed intra-vertebral space by:

expanding a body disposed within the intra-vertebral space to separate opposing vertebral surfaces defining the space;

injecting bone cement into the expanded body; and

containing the bone cement within the body.

46. A method of restoring height to a collapsed intra-vertebral space by:

injecting a hardenable material into layers of a body;

expanding the height of the body with the hardenable material to separate adjacent vertebral surfaces defining the intra-vertebral space; and

hardening the hardenable material to fixedly space the vertebral surface.

47. A method of restoring height to an intra-vertebral space by:

expanding a body containing a hardenable fluid within the intra-vertebral space to separate opposing vertebral surfaces defining the space; and

selectively leaking the hardenable fluid through permeable??? top and bottom surfaces of the body to contact the hardenable fluid with selected portions of the adjacent vertebral surfaces.

48. A method of restoring height to a collapsed intra-vertebral space by:

inserting a cannula containing an oriented collapsed body into an intra-vertebral space;

ejecting the oriented collapsed body from the cannula and into the intra-vertebral space with the top and bottom surfaces of layers of the body being oriented to face opposing vertebral surfaces defining the intra-vertebral space; and

expanding the layers of the body to engage the top and bottom surfaces with the opening vertebral surfaces to expand the height of the intra-vertebral space.

49. A device for restoring the height of a collapsed intra-vertebral space comprising:

an expandable body; and

programmable control means for controlling expansion of said body to a predetermined height in view of a pre-selected height.

50. The device as set forth in claim 49, wherein said programmable control means includes sensing means for sensing the height of the collapsed intra-vertebral space;

and

feedback means for controlling expansion of said body and stopping expansion of said body when said body restored the height of the inter-vertebral space to said predetermined height.

51. The device as set forth in claim 50, further including fluid inlet means for supplying fluid to an inner chamber of said body to expand said body, said feedback means controlling the supply of fluid through said fluid inlet means based on information from said sensing means.

52. The device as set forth in claim 51, further including:

pumping means for injecting the hardenable fluid into said body operatively connected to said fluid inlet means and said feedback means; and

processor means operatively connected between said sensor means and said feedback means for comparing sensed height from said sensor means with a predetermined height and actuating said feedback means to actuate said pressuring means to increase flow of hardenable fluid into said body to increase the sensed height to said desired height.

53. An intra-vertebral body height restoring device comprising:

at least two enlargable chambers having an expanded condition and collapsed condition.