Devices for limiting the movement of material introduced between layers of spinal tissue

• US 7,666,227 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IZI Medical Products LLC (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Benvenue Medical, Inc. (Halma PLC)
• Inventors: Schaller, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Robert; Eduardo C
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARVEY, JULIANNA NANCY
• Application Number:
  US11/464,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 606/90, 606/92, 606/105, 623 1711- 1716
• US Class Current: 623/17.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/70 Spinal positioners or stabilisers ; Bone stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7097 Stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant, e.g. balloon; devices for inserting or filling such implants disc prostheses made of inflatable chambers or pockets filled with fluid A61F2/441; replacing the nucleus pulposus A61F2002/444
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8852 capable of being assembled or enlarged, or changing shape, inside the bone or disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 for the spine
• 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 2/442 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 2/4455 for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages intervertebral discs A61F2/442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2835 Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30092 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30153 rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30235 tubular, e.g. sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30263 cubical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30289 helically-coiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3052 unrestrained in only one direction, e.g. moving unidirectionally
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30594 slotted, e.g. radial or meridian slot ending in a polar aperture, non-polar slots, horizontal or arcuate slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30601 telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30677 : Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics, into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30772 : Apertures or holes, e.g. of circular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4415 : elements of the prosthesis being arranged in a chain like manner
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/448 : comprising multiple adjacent spinal implants within the same intervertebral space or within the same vertebra, e.g. comprising two adjacent spinal implants
• 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 2002/4635 : using minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4683 : by applying ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4688 : having operating or control means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 : using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0085 : hardenable in situ, e.g. epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 : Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 : sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0019 : rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0084 : cubical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 : helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 : Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00293 : containing a phosphorus-containing compound, e.g. apatite

Abstract

Devices for limiting the movement of flowable material introduced into or between tissue layers of the human spine. The devices can include at least one generally elongated member having a pre-deployed configuration for insertion into or between tissue layers of the human spine and a deployed configuration in which the elongated member forms a barrier that limits the movement of flowable material introduced into or between the tissue layers.

Claims

1. An intravertebral implant limiting the movement of flowable material introduced into a human vertebral body having an interior region defined by a superior endplate, an inferior endplate and a cortical rim, and containing cancellous bone therewithin, the implant comprising:

at least one elongated guide member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, said distal end portion changeable in configuration between a pre-deployed configuration and a deployed configuration, in the pre-deployed configuration said distal end portion being sized for insertion into the vertebral body, and in the deployed configuration said distal end portion defining a selected shape sufficiently small to reside within the interior region of the vertebral body;

an elongated intravertebral implant having opposed proximal and distal ends and a plurality of slots spaced apart along the intravertebral implant, the intravertebral implant slidably mounted on the guide member for longitudinally advancing the intravertebral implant distally along the guide member for insertion into the vertebral body, said intravertebral implant substantially conforming to the selected shape defined by the distal end portion of the guide member to form a vertically extending structure that has a transverse dimension which is sufficiently small to reside within the interior region of the vertebral body, the structure defining an internal resident volume for containing cancellous bone;

the structure including a passageway adapted to receive flowable material, the passageway being in communication with the slots, wherein flowable material may flow from the passageway through the slots and into the resident volume; and

the structure defining a barrier that limits the movement of flowable material out of the resident volume.

2. The implant of claim 1 in which the barrier reduces undesired extravasation of the flowable material into vertebral tissue.

3. The implant of claim 1 in which the barrier substantially limits the movement of flowable material only to desired locations within the vertebral body.

4. The implant of claim 1 in which the passageway adapted to receive flowable material is a guide lumen that slidably receives the guide member so that the intravertebral implant may be longitudinally slidable on the guide member.

5. The implant of claim 1 in which the structure is formed in a manner that leaves substantially undisturbed a portion of cancellous bone and the resident volume is for containing substantially undisturbed cancellous bone.

6. The implant of claim 1 in which flowable material introduced into the resident volume of the structure is substantially contained within the resident volume.

7. The implant of claim 1 in which flowable material introduced outside of the resident volume of the structure is substantially prevented from flowing into the resident volume.

8. The implant of claim 1 in which the passageway is formed from a groove located along the intravertebral implant.

9. The implant of claim 1 in which the pre-deployed configuration of the guide member is generally linear.

10. The implant of claim 1 in which the distal end portion of the guide member self-forms into the deployed configuration.

11. The implant of claim 1 in which at least the distal end portion of the guide member is comprised of shape memory material.