Instruments for stabilization of bony structures
DC CAFCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A brace installation instrument, comprising:
- first and second anchor extensions, each having at least one proximal end and at least one distal end for mounting with a corresponding anchor secured to a bony structure; and
a pivoting brace inserter having a proximal end and a distal end, and including support arms mounted adjacent the proximal end of said anchor extensions and a pivot arm extending to a brace mounting portion at the distal end of said inserter, said pivoting brace inserter pivotable about a pivot axis relative to said anchors.
2 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a brace installation instrument placement that is mounted to anchors secured in an animal subject. The installation instrument includes anchor extensions coupled to the anchors. The instrument is movable with respect to the anchors to position a brace in a position more proximate the anchors. The brace can be indexed for insertion at a predetermined orientation with respect to the installation instrument. Methods and techniques for using the installation instrument are also provided.
1113 Citations
98 Claims
-
1. A brace installation instrument, comprising:
-
first and second anchor extensions, each having at least one proximal end and at least one distal end for mounting with a corresponding anchor secured to a bony structure; and
a pivoting brace inserter having a proximal end and a distal end, and including support arms mounted adjacent the proximal end of said anchor extensions and a pivot arm extending to a brace mounting portion at the distal end of said inserter, said pivoting brace inserter pivotable about a pivot axis relative to said anchors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
said brace mounting portion is located at a predetermined radius from said pivot axis; and
a brace mounted in said brace mounting portion extends in a curve at a substantially constant radius relative to said pivot axis from said brace mounting portion.
-
-
7. The instrument of claim 1 and further comprising a brace coupler operable to selectively couple and release a brace from said inserter.
-
8. The instrument of claim 7, wherein said brace is a circular rod.
-
9. The instrument of claim 7, wherein said brace has two ends, one end being connectable to said brace coupler and the other end being adapted to puncture soft tissue of an animal body, said brace being curved in one plane and with one radius relative to said pivot axis.
-
10. The instrument of claim 9 and wherein said brace inserter includes a curved portion that lies in a circle centered on said pivot axis at said radius, and said brace is oriented to lie in said circle when connected with said brace coupler.
-
11. The instrument of claim 10 and wherein:
-
said brace has a maximum dimension measured in a direction parallel to said pivot axis; and
said curved portion tapers to a maximum dimension more than twice said maximum dimension of said brace when measured in a direction parallel to said pivot axis, to facilitate passage of said curved portion through soft tissue while moving behind said brace in said arc about said pivot axis during brace placement.
-
-
12. The instrument of claim 9, wherein the distal end of said brace is pointed to facilitate puncture of animal skin and soft tissue.
-
13. The instrument of claim 1, wherein each anchor includes a multi-axial screw and said anchor extensions are pivotably and rotatably mountable on said multi-axial screw.
-
14. A device for use in a surgical procedure on an animal subject, comprising:
-
a pair of anchors securable to the animal subject;
an installation instrument mountable on said pair of anchors, said installation instrument movable in a fixed geometrical relationship with respect to said pair of anchors; and
a connecting element coupled to said installation instrument, wherein said installation instrument moves said connecting element into a position more proximate to said pair of anchors. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A device for use in a surgical procedure on an animal subject, comprising:
-
a pair of anchors securable to the animal subject;
an installation instrument mountable on said pair of anchors, said installation instrument having a pivot axis in a fixed spatial relationship with respect to said pair of anchors when mounted thereto; and
a connecting element coupled to said installation instrument, wherein said installation instrument is rotatable about said pivot axis to guide said connecting element into a desired position relative to said pair of anchors. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A brace installation instrument, comprising:
-
first and second anchor extensions, each having at least one proximal end and at least one distal end for mounting with an anchor securable to a bony structure;
a brace inserter having a proximal end and a distal end, said brace inserter mounted to said first and second anchor extensions at said proximal end of said anchor extensions, said brace inserter movable about a pivot axis; and
a brace releasably coupled to said distal end of said brace inserter. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A minimally invasive surgical device, comprising:
-
at least a pair of anchors positionable within a body of a patient;
a connecting element positionable within the body; and
an instrument associated with the connecting element, the instrument being operable to percutaneously place the connecting element in a predetermined location relative to the pair of anchors. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
at least a pair of receiver members movably connected to a corresponding one of the pair of anchors, each of the pair of receiver members comprising a body having a passageway therethrough; and
an alignment mechanism percutaneously extendable within the body and connectable with the pair of receiver members, the alignment mechanism operable for controlling a position of the passageway of each respective receiver member.
-
-
73. The minimally invasive surgical device of claim 72, wherein the connecting element comprises a predetermined geometry, and wherein an aligned position of the pair passageways matches the predetermined geometry.
-
74. A minimally invasive surgical system, comprising:
-
at least a pair of anchors positionable within a body of a patient;
a connecting element having a geometry configured for connection with the pair of anchors, the connecting element movable between a first position corresponding to a percutaneous insertion position of the connecting element with respect to the body, and a second position within the body, the second position having a predetermined relationship with respect to the position of the pair of anchors; and
an inserter referenced to the pair of anchors, the inserter being operable to move the connecting element along a predetermined path between the first position and the second position. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77)
-
-
78. A minimally invasive surgical system, comprising:
-
a connecting element having a predetermined geometry comprising at least a first connector point and a second connector point;
an instrument having a coupling mechanism for holding the connecting element in a predetermined relationship with the instrument, and wherein the instrument is operable to guide the connecting element along a predetermined path, the predetermined path comprising at least a first path point, a second path point and a third path point, the first path point and the second path point respectively positionable in a predetermined orientation within a body of a patient, the third path point positionable external to the body, wherein the predetermined path comprises a percutaneous insertion path; and
at least a first anchor and a second anchor, the first anchor at a first position corresponding to the first path point and affixable to a first structure within the body, the second anchor at a second position corresponding to the second path point and affixable to a second structure within the body. - View Dependent Claims (79)
-
-
80. A minimally invasive surgical system, comprising:
-
at least a pair of anchors positionable within a body of a patient;
a connecting element, the connecting element being positionable within the body to a predetermined location relative to the pair of anchors; and
an instrument coupled to the connecting element, the instrument being operable to percutaneously guide the connecting element along a predetermined path to the predetermined location. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
-
-
86. A minimally invasive surgical system, comprising:
-
at least a pair of anchors positionable within a body of a patient;
a connecting element positionable within the body at a predetermined location relative to the pair of anchors, the connecting element having a longitudinal axis; and
an inserter in contact with the connecting element along the longitudinal axis, the inserter operable to percutaneously position the connecting element at the predetermined location. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
an attachment mechanism connected to the first contact portion and the second contact portion; and
a release mechanism connected to the attachment mechanism the release mechanism being operable to release the connection between the attachment mechanism and the first contact portion.
-
-
94. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 86, wherein the connecting element comprises a first contact portion and the inserter comprises a second contact portion, wherein a connection between the first contact portion and the second contact portion defines an external geometry, and further comprising a release mechanism operable to release the connection without expanding the external geometry.
-
95. A minimally invasive surgical system for spinal stabilization, comprising:
-
at least a pair of anchors positionable within at least a corresponding pair of vertebral bone portions;
a connecting element, the connecting element being positionable to a predetermined location relative to the pair of anchors; and
an instrument associated with the connecting element, the instrument being operable to percutaneously place the connecting element in the predetermined location.
-
-
96. A minimally invasive surgical system for spinal stabilization, comprising:
-
at least a pair of anchors positionable within at least a corresponding pair of vertebral bone portions within a body;
a connecting element having a geometry configured for connection with the pair of anchors, the connecting element having a first position corresponding to a percutaneous insertion position of the connecting element with respect to the body, and a second position within the body, the second position having a predetermined relationship with respect to the position of the pair of anchors; and
an inserter referenced to the pair of anchors, the inserter being operable to move the connecting element along a predetermined path between the first position and the second position.
-
-
97. A minimally invasive surgical system, comprising:
-
at least a pair of anchors positionable within a body of a patient;
at least a pair of receiver members movably connectable to a corresponding one of the pair of anchors, each of the pair of receiver members comprising a body having a passageway therethrough; and
an alignment mechanism percutaneously extendable within the body and connectable with the pair of receiver members, the alignment mechanism operable for controlling a position of the passageway of each respective receiver member. - View Dependent Claims (98)
a connecting element positionable within the body to a predetermined location relative to each of the passageways; and
an instrument associated with the connecting element, the instrument being operable to percutaneously place the connecting element in the predetermined location.
-
Specification