Mechanical Apparatus and Method for Artificial Disc Replacement
First Claim
1. A spinal disc device comprising:
- a flexible and expandable expansile loop, said expansile loop having an interior section in slidable cooperation with an outer section, said expansile loop composed of a woven, knitted, or braided material in a tubular or flatten form, said expansile loop further having an interior chamber, wherein said expansile loop is designed to be filled with a biocompatible material(s);
said outer section of said expansile loop having a inside surface and an outer opening;
said interior section of said expansile loop having an outside surface and a distal end;
a first flexible control element, said control element having a distal end, a distal section, and a proximal section, said distal end of said control element in communication with said distal end of said interior section of said expansile loop, said control element looping around said inside surface of said expansile loop whereby said distal section of said control element is located within said interior chamber and said proximal section of said control element exits said expansile loop at said outer opening;
a second flexible control element, said control element having a distal end, said distal end of said control element attached to said distal end of said interior section of said expansile loop, and said first and second flexible control elements in cooperation with said expansile loop, whereby said first and second flexible control elements are designed to mechanically expand said expansile loop without pressurization within an inter-vertebral disc.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a device and method to 1) facilitate disk fusion, 2) perform an artificial replacement of the nucleus, 3) perform an artificial replacement of the annulus, or 4, perform an artificial replacement of both the nucleus and annulus. The device is designed to be placed into the inter-vertebral space following discectomy. The invention includes a delivery catheter and an expandable continuous mesh loop that has a torus configuration with a lumen within the mesh and a central hole. The mesh loop can be diametrically increased or contracted in diameter by the control element acting on the mesh loop. The mesh loop may be formed of a woven or braided material from a polymer such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone), nylon, polyurethane, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or any other biocompatible polymer, or formed from a metallic braid of stainless steel, Elgiloy, Nitinol, or any other biocompatible metal.
16 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A spinal disc device comprising:
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a flexible and expandable expansile loop, said expansile loop having an interior section in slidable cooperation with an outer section, said expansile loop composed of a woven, knitted, or braided material in a tubular or flatten form, said expansile loop further having an interior chamber, wherein said expansile loop is designed to be filled with a biocompatible material(s); said outer section of said expansile loop having a inside surface and an outer opening; said interior section of said expansile loop having an outside surface and a distal end; a first flexible control element, said control element having a distal end, a distal section, and a proximal section, said distal end of said control element in communication with said distal end of said interior section of said expansile loop, said control element looping around said inside surface of said expansile loop whereby said distal section of said control element is located within said interior chamber and said proximal section of said control element exits said expansile loop at said outer opening; a second flexible control element, said control element having a distal end, said distal end of said control element attached to said distal end of said interior section of said expansile loop, and said first and second flexible control elements in cooperation with said expansile loop, whereby said first and second flexible control elements are designed to mechanically expand said expansile loop without pressurization within an inter-vertebral disc. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification