Apparatus and Methods for Repairing Craniomaxillofacial Bones Using Customized Bone Plates

• US 20100256641A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illuminoss Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illuminoss Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Rabiner, Robert A., Crisco, Joseph John III
• Granted Patent: US 8,403,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/70
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8061 specially adapted for particular bones A61B17/70 and A61B17/74 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8085 with pliable or malleable elements or having a mesh-like structure, e.g. small strips A61B17/8071, A61B17/8076 take precedence

Abstract

Bone plates and methods of using the bone plates for adjoining bone fragments are disclosed herein. A device for adjoining at least two bone fragments includes a delivery catheter having an elongated shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, wherein the delivery catheter has an inner void for passage of at least one filling material and an inner lumen for passage of a light source; a conformable bone plate releasably engaging the distal end of the delivery catheter, wherein the conformable bone plate has a first surface, a second surface, a proximal end, and a distal end and at least one aperture extending from the first surface to the second surface for receiving a fastener; and an adapter releasably engaging the proximal end of the delivery catheter for receiving the light source and a delivery system housing the at least one filling material.

Claims

1. A bone plate for adjoining at least two bone fragments comprising:

a flexible pad capable of expanding, the pad having a first surface and a second surface; and

at least one aperture for receiving a fastener, the at least one aperture extending from the first surface to the second surface,

wherein the bone plate is able to move from a first compact position to a second expanded position and is contoured to passively engage against the at least two bone fragments.

2. The bone plate of claim 1 wherein the adjoining of the at least two bone fragments occurs at an exterior surface of the bone fragments.

3. The bone plate of claim 1 wherein the at least two bone fragments are bones of the face.

4. The bone plate of claim 1 wherein the pad is constructed from a polymer material.

5. The bone plate of claim 1 wherein the bone plate moves from the first compact position to the second expanded position by the addition of a UV curable glue to the pad.

6. A device for adjoining at least two bone fragments comprising:

a delivery catheter having an elongated shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, wherein the delivery catheter has an inner void for passage of at least one filling material and an inner lumen for passage of light from a light source;

a conformable bone plate releasably engaging the distal end of the delivery catheter, wherein the conformable bone plate has a first surface, a second surface, a proximal end, and a distal end and at least one aperture extending from the first surface to the second surface for receiving a fastener; and

an adapter releasably engaging the proximal end of the delivery catheter for receiving the light source and a delivery system housing the at least one filling material.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the adjoining of the at least two bone fragments occurs at an exterior surface of the bone fragments.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the at least two bone fragments are bones of the face.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein the conformable bone plate is constructed from a polymer material.

10. The device of claim 6 wherein the conformable bone plate has an opening at the proximal end so that the at least one filling material can pass from the inner void of the delivery catheter into the conformable bone plate.

11. The device of claim 6 wherein the conformable bone plate has an opening at the proximal end so that the light source can pass from the inner lumen of the delivery catheter into the conformable bone plate.

12. The device of claim 6 wherein the at least one filling material is a curable UV glue.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein a UV light source is used to cure the UV glue.

14. The device of claim 10 wherein the conformable bone plate expands when the at least one filling material passes from the inner void of the delivery catheter into the conformable bone plate.

15. The device of claim 6 wherein the light source includes a light pipe and an optical lens.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the light pipe emits energy through the optical lens and guides the energy into the conformable bone plate.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the energy emitted from the light pipe causes the at least one filling material in the conformable bone plate to harden.

18. A method for adjoining at least two bone fragments comprising:

providing a device for adjoining at least two bone fragments, the device including a conformable bone plate engaged to a delivery catheter having an elongated shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, wherein the conformable bone plate has at least one aperture extending from a first surface of the bone plate to a second surface of the bone plate for receiving a fastener to affix the bone plate to the at least two bone fragments;

positioning the conformable bone plate over an exterior surface spanning the at least two bone fragments;

attaching a delivery system housing at least one filling material to the delivery catheter, wherein the elongated shaft of the delivery catheter has an inner void for passage of the at least one filling material to the conformable bone plate;

inserting a light source into the delivery catheter, wherein the elongated shaft of the delivery catheter has an inner lumen for passage of the light source to the conformable bone plate;

infusing the at least one filling material through the elongated shaft of the delivery catheter and into the conformable bone plate to expand the conformable bone plate;

activating the light source to harden the at least one filling material in the expanded conformable bone plate;

releasing the hardened conformable bone plate from the delivery catheter; and

affixing the conformable bone plate to the exterior surfaces of the at least two bone fragments to adjoin the bone fragments.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least two bone fragments are bones of the face.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising removing the light source from the delivery catheter after at least one filling material has been hardened.