Spinal interbody device

• US 9,144,502 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medgem, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medgem, LLC
• Inventors: Morrison, Thomas J. III, Morrison, Mara, Pruitt, Joseph William, Ellis, Thomas Richard, Brockway, George Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sevilla, Christian
• Application Number:
  US14/799,148
• Time in Patent Office: 77 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30965 Reinforcing the prosthesis by embedding particles or fibres during moulding or dipping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• 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 2002/30014 differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30242 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30245 Partial spheres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30448 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30563 having elastic means or damping means, different from springs, e.g. including an elastomeric core or shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30565 having spring elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30616 Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes or orientations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/444 for replacing the nucleus pulposus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0071 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0018 differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00017 Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00029 Cobalt-based alloys, e.g. Co-Cr alloys or Vitallium

Abstract

A spinal interbody device includes a compliant inner dampener in combination with outer shells. An inner dampener includes a rim with pillars and heads coupled to a complementary structure of the outer shells.

Claims

1. A spinal interbody device comprising:

four upper convex core portions and four lower convex core portions;

an equatorial rim between said upper and lower convex core portions; and

a pillar extending from each convex core portion and terminating at a head portion having a greater diameter than a main pillar portion of the pillar, wherein each head portion couples a respective pillar to an outer shell of one of an upper and lower convex core portion.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each head portion provides a head face in an outer shell.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein each head face is slanted.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein an outer shell includes polyetheretherketone molded to a convex core portion that includes thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an outer shell includes carbon reinforced polyetheretherketone molded to a convex core portion that includes thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a convex core portion has more compressibility than an outer shell.

7. The device of claim 6 including an outer surface shape selected from the group consisting of a sphere, an oblate spheroid, a prolate spheroid, and a scalene ellipsoid.

8. The device of claim 1 including an outer surface shape selected from the group consisting of a sphere, an oblate spheroid, a prolate spheroid, and a scalene ellipsoid.

9. The device of claim 2 including an outer surface shape selected from the group consisting of a sphere, an oblate spheroid, a prolate spheroid, and a scalene ellipsoid.

10. The device of claim 3 including an outer surface shape selected from the group consisting of a sphere, an oblate spheroid, a prolate spheroid, and a scalene ellipsoid.

11. The device of claim 2, wherein a convex core portion has more compressibility than an outer shell.

12. The device of claim 3, wherein a convex core portion has more compressibility than an outer shell.

13. The device of claim 4, wherein a convex core portion has more compressibility than an outer shell.

14. The device of claim 5, wherein a convex core portion has more compressibility than an outer shell.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein said interbody device bears over 700 pounds of load without damaging alteration of the device.

16. The device of claim 6, wherein said interbody device bears over 700 pounds of load without damaging alteration of the device.

17. The device of claim 2, wherein said interbody device bears over 700 pounds of load without damaging alteration of the device.

18. The device of claim 7, wherein said interbody device bears over 700 pounds of load without damaging alteration of the device.