Expandable intervertebral spacer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Instrumentation for treatment of the spine, comprising:
- an elongate member extending along a longitudinal axis and including a deformable distal end portion having an expandable length along said longitudinal axis and defining an initial configuration for placement adjacent a spinal structure and a deformed configuration defining a plurality of transverse projections, wherein each of said transverse projections is offset from an adjacent one of said transverse projections along said longitudinal axis, said transverse projections being positioned axially adjacent one another to define an expanded height of said deformable distal end portion along said expandable length for transverse engagement with at least a portion of the spinal structure,wherein said deformable distal end portion is at least partially formed of a flexible material and said deformable distal end portion is reformed from said initial configuration toward said deformed configuration in response to the imposition of stress, and is reformed toward said initial configuration upon removal of said stress, andwherein between three and eight of said transverse projections define an expanded height of said deformable distal end portion extending entirely over said expandable length.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An expandable spacer, comprising: an axial tube having a surface, a proximal end and a distal end and a length, wherein, said surface defines a plurality of slits, said plurality of slits defining at least two axially displaced extensions, such that when said tube is axially compressed, said extensions extend out of said surface and define a geometry of an expanded spacer. Preferably the spacer is adapted to be inserted between two spinal vertebrae of a human.
246 Citations
56 Claims
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1. Instrumentation for treatment of the spine, comprising:
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an elongate member extending along a longitudinal axis and including a deformable distal end portion having an expandable length along said longitudinal axis and defining an initial configuration for placement adjacent a spinal structure and a deformed configuration defining a plurality of transverse projections, wherein each of said transverse projections is offset from an adjacent one of said transverse projections along said longitudinal axis, said transverse projections being positioned axially adjacent one another to define an expanded height of said deformable distal end portion along said expandable length for transverse engagement with at least a portion of the spinal structure, wherein said deformable distal end portion is at least partially formed of a flexible material and said deformable distal end portion is reformed from said initial configuration toward said deformed configuration in response to the imposition of stress, and is reformed toward said initial configuration upon removal of said stress, and wherein between three and eight of said transverse projections define an expanded height of said deformable distal end portion extending entirely over said expandable length. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 50, 51)
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10. Instrumentation for treatment of the spine, comprising:
- a first member;
a second member having a distal end portion engaged with said first member, said distal end portion having an expandable length along a longitudinal axis and defining an initial configuration for placement adjacent a spinal structure and an expanded configuration including a plurality of transverse projections, wherein each of said transverse projections is offset from an adjacent one of said transverse projections along said longitudinal axis, said transverse projections being positioned axially adjacent one another to define an expanded height of said distal end portion along said expandable length for transverse engagement with at least a portion of the spinal structure; wherein relative displacement between said first and second members causes said distal end portion to reform from said initial configuration toward said expanded configuration and said instrumentation further comprises an actuator mechanism coupled between said first and second members and being operable to impart said relative displacement therebetween, and wherein said deformable distal end portion defines a non-expanded height when in said initial configuration and wherein said expanded height is at least two times larger than said non-expanded height. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54)
- a first member;
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55. An expandable implant for use in a human spine comprising:
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a first member; a second member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion being engaged with the first member and including a body portion having an upper surface, a longitudinal axis, and an expandable length along the longitudinal axis for engagement with a portion of a spinal structure of the human spine, the upper surface having a plurality of elevation portions being defined in the upper surface, each of the plurality of elevation portions having opposing first and second sides and opposing first and second ends, and a first one and a second one of the plurality of elevation portions each being configured to be expanded away from the longitudinal axis in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis from an initial configuration to respectively form a first transverse projection and a second transverse projection in an expanded configuration, the opposing first and second sides of each of the plurality of elevation portions being formed by opposing first and second slits defined in at least the upper surface, the opposing first and second slits of each of the plurality of elevation portions extending at least between the opposing first and second ends, the first transverse projection and the second transverse projection being axially adjacent one another, and being offset from one another along the longitudinal axis; and an actuator mechanism coupled between the first member and the second member, the actuator mechanism being operable to impart relative displacement between the first member and the second member; wherein the relative displacement of the first member and the second member causes the first one and a second one of the plurality of elevation portions to expand from the initial configuration to the expanded configuration; and wherein, when the first one and a second one of the plurality of elevation portions are in the initial configuration, the distal end portion has a non-expanded height, and, when the first one and the second one of the plurality of elevation portions are in the expanded configuration, the distal end portion has an expanded height, the expanded height being at least two times larger than the non-expanded height.
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56. An expandable implant for use in a human spine comprising:
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a first member; a second member having a first proximal end portion and a second distal end portion, the second distal end portion being engaged with the first member and including a body portion having an upper surface, a longitudinal axis, and an expandable length along the longitudinal axis, the upper surface including at least a first elevation portion and a second elevation portion, each of the first elevation portion and the second elevation portion including opposing first and second sides and opposing first and second ends, the first elevation portion and the second elevation portion each being moveable from an initial unexpanded position substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis to an expanded position substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis to respectively form a first transverse projection and a second transverse projection, the first transverse projection and the second transverse projection being axially adjacent one another, and being offset from one another along the longitudinal axis; an actuator mechanism coupled between the first member and the second member, the actuator mechanism being operable to impart relative displacement between the first member and the second member; wherein the relative displacement of the first member and the second member causes the first elevation portion and the second elevation portion to expand from the initial unexpanded configuration to the expanded configuration; and wherein, when the first elevation portion and the second elevation portion are in the initial unexpanded configuration, the second distal end portion has a non-expanded height, and, when the first elevation portion and the second elevation portion are in the expanded configuration, the second distal end portion has an expanded height, the expanded height being at least two times larger than the non-expanded height.
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Specification