Intervertebral prosthesis

• US 6,660,037 B1
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zimmer GmbH (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sulzer Orthopaedie AG
• Inventors: Baumgartner, Walter, Freudiger, Stefan, Husson, Jean-Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/249,945
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 623/17, 623/17.11, 606/61, 606/200
• US Class Current: 623/17.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3201 Scissors for biopsy A61B10/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00469 for insertion of instruments, e.g. guide wire, optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/442 Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3008 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30225 Flat cylinders, i.e. discs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30293 Cylindrical body made by spirally rolling up a sheet or a strip around itself
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30573 2-D spiral springs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4415 elements of the prosthesis being arranged in a chain like manner
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/444 for replacing the nucleus pulposus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4622 having the shape of a forceps or a clamp
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4627 with linear motion along or rotating motion about the instrument axis or the implantation direction, e.g. telescopic, along a guiding rod, screwing inside the instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4628 with linear motion along or rotating motion about an axis transverse to the instrument axis or to the implantation direction, e.g. clamping
• 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 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/907 Composed of particular material or coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/91 Polymer

Abstract

An implant, in particular an intervertebral prosthesis, which consists of an elongated elastic body which is form-elastic and takes on the form of a spiral S in the force free state. The spiral can be drawn by a reverse winding up into an insertion instrument which is only insubstantially larger in the insertion region than the cross-section of the elongated elastic body in order to reach the inner space of an intervertebral disc through a small opening in the annulus fibrosus and to push in and sever off the self winding spiral when the interior is filled. This has the advantage that inner spaces of differing sizes can be filled with the same spiral.

Claims

1. A process for the manufacture of an intervertebral prosthesis, the prosthesis comprising an elongated elastic body that is form-elastic and that rolls up by itself to the form of at least one plane spiral in the force-free state, the process comprising manufacturing the spiral by an injection molding process wherein an injection takes place into a snail-shaped mold at the interior of the spiral.