UNITARILY FORMED EXPANDABLE SPINAL IMPLANT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AND IMPLANTING SAME
First Claim
1. A unitarily formed expandable spinal implant for insertion into a disc space between two adjacent vertebrae, the implant comprising:
- a proximal end, an opposite distal end, a mid-longitudinal axis extending through the proximal end and the distal end, and a length along the mid-longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end;
an upper portion having a proximal end, an opposite distal end, an upper portion exterior surface, and an upper portion interior surface, the upper portion exterior surface and the upper portion interior surface extending from at least adjacent the upper portion proximal end to at least adjacent the upper portion distal end, the upper portion exterior surface being configured to contact one of the two adjacent vertebrae, the upper portion interior surface at least in part declining between the upper portion proximal end and the upper portion distal end, and at least one opening being provided in the upper portion between the upper portion interior surface and the upper portion exterior surface thereof;
a lower portion having a proximal end, an opposite distal end, a lower portion exterior surface, and a lower portion interior surface, the lower portion exterior surface and the lower portion interior surface extending from at least adjacent the lower portion proximal end to at least adjacent the lower portion distal end, the lower portion exterior surface configured to contact the other of the two adjacent vertebrae, the lower portion interior surface at least in part inclining between the lower portion proximal end and the lower portion distal end, and at least one opening being provided in the lower portion between the lower portion interior surface and the lower portion exterior surface thereof;
a proximal wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the proximal wall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the proximal wall having a maximum height, and an aperture provided in the proximal wall between the interior surface and the exterior surface thereof, the aperture provided in the proximal wall communicating with the chamber;
a chamber defined between portions of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall;
a first distal wall portion and a second distal wall portion, the first distal wall portion being attached to the upper portion at the distal end thereof, the second distal wall portion being attached to the lower portion at the distal end thereof, the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion having a first height less than the maximum height of the proximal wall; and
a separator including a leading portion, the separator being unitarily formed with one of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall;
wherein the separator is configured to be separated from the one of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall, and be moved along at least a portion of the lower portion interior surface and at least a portion of the upper portion interior surface toward the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion to move the upper portion and the lower portion apart from one another into an expanded configuration, the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion having a second height in the expanded configuration greater than the maximum height of the proximal wall.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A unitarily formed expandable spinal implant for insertion in a disc space between two adjacent vertebrae. The unitarily formed expandable spinal implant is moveable from an unexpanded configuration to an expanded configuration, and can be manufactured by a 3-dimensional printer. The unitarily formed expandable spinal implant includes an upper portion, a lower portion, a proximal wall, a first distal wall portion, a second distal wall portion, and a separator connected by at least one point of attachment to the spinal implant. A separation tool breaks the separator free from the at least one point of attachment, and moves the separator within the implant to force expansion thereof from the unexpanded configuration to the expanded configuration.
38 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A unitarily formed expandable spinal implant for insertion into a disc space between two adjacent vertebrae, the implant comprising:
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a proximal end, an opposite distal end, a mid-longitudinal axis extending through the proximal end and the distal end, and a length along the mid-longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end; an upper portion having a proximal end, an opposite distal end, an upper portion exterior surface, and an upper portion interior surface, the upper portion exterior surface and the upper portion interior surface extending from at least adjacent the upper portion proximal end to at least adjacent the upper portion distal end, the upper portion exterior surface being configured to contact one of the two adjacent vertebrae, the upper portion interior surface at least in part declining between the upper portion proximal end and the upper portion distal end, and at least one opening being provided in the upper portion between the upper portion interior surface and the upper portion exterior surface thereof; a lower portion having a proximal end, an opposite distal end, a lower portion exterior surface, and a lower portion interior surface, the lower portion exterior surface and the lower portion interior surface extending from at least adjacent the lower portion proximal end to at least adjacent the lower portion distal end, the lower portion exterior surface configured to contact the other of the two adjacent vertebrae, the lower portion interior surface at least in part inclining between the lower portion proximal end and the lower portion distal end, and at least one opening being provided in the lower portion between the lower portion interior surface and the lower portion exterior surface thereof; a proximal wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the proximal wall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the proximal wall having a maximum height, and an aperture provided in the proximal wall between the interior surface and the exterior surface thereof, the aperture provided in the proximal wall communicating with the chamber; a chamber defined between portions of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall; a first distal wall portion and a second distal wall portion, the first distal wall portion being attached to the upper portion at the distal end thereof, the second distal wall portion being attached to the lower portion at the distal end thereof, the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion having a first height less than the maximum height of the proximal wall; and a separator including a leading portion, the separator being unitarily formed with one of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall; wherein the separator is configured to be separated from the one of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall, and be moved along at least a portion of the lower portion interior surface and at least a portion of the upper portion interior surface toward the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion to move the upper portion and the lower portion apart from one another into an expanded configuration, the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion having a second height in the expanded configuration greater than the maximum height of the proximal wall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of manufacturing a unitarily formed expandable spinal implant for implantation in a disc space between two adjacent vertebrae, the method comprising:
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utilizing a 3-dimensional printer to lay down sequential layers of an upper portion having a proximal end and an opposite distal end, the upper portion having an upper portion exterior surface and an upper portion interior surface, the upper portion exterior surface and the upper portion interior surface extending from at least adjacent the upper portion proximal end to at least adjacent the upper portion distal end, the upper portion exterior surface being configured to contact one of the two adjacent vertebrae, the upper portion interior surface at least in part declining between the upper portion proximal end and the upper portion distal end, and at least one opening being defined between the upper portion interior surface and the upper portion exterior surface; utilizing the 3-dimensional printer to lay down sequential layers of a lower portion having a proximal end and an opposite distal end, the lower portion having a lower portion exterior surface and a lower portion interior surface, the lower portion exterior surface and the lower portion interior surface extending from at least adjacent the lower portion proximal end to at least adjacent the lower portion distal end, the lower portion exterior surface being configured to contact the other of the two adjacent vertebrae, the lower portion interior surface at least in part inclining between the lower portion proximal end and the lower portion distal end, and at least one opening being defined between the lower portion interior surface and the lower portion exterior surface; utilizing the 3-dimensional printer to lay down sequential layers of a proximal wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the proximal wall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the proximal wall having a maximum height, and an aperture provided in the proximal wall between the interior surface and the exterior surface thereof, the aperture provided in the proximal wall communicating with a chamber formed between portions of the upper portion interior surface and the lower portion interior surface; utilizing the 3-dimensional printer to lay down sequential layers of a first distal wall portion and a second distal wall portion, the first distal wall portion being attached to the upper portion at the distal end thereof, the second distal wall portion being attached to the lower portion at the distal end thereof, the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion having a first height less than the maximum height of the proximal wall; and utilizing the 3-dimensional printer to lay down sequential layers of a separator including a leading portion, the separator being unitarily formed with one of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall by at least one point of attachment; wherein the separator is configured to be separated from the at least one point of attachment, and be moved along at least a portion of the lower portion interior surface and at least a portion of the upper portion interior surface toward the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion to move the upper portion and the lower portion apart from one another into an expanded configuration, the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion having a second height in the expanded configuration greater than the maximum height of the proximal wall. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method of implanting a unitarily formed expandable spinal implant into a disc space between two adjacent vertebrae, the method comprising:
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utilizing the unitarily formed expandable spinal implant comprising; an upper portion having a proximal end, an opposite distal end, an upper portion exterior surface, and an upper portion interior surface, the upper portion exterior surface and the upper portion interior surface extending from at least adjacent the upper portion proximal end to at least adjacent the upper portion distal end, the upper portion exterior surface being configured to contact one of the two adjacent vertebrae, the upper portion interior surface at least in part declining between the upper portion proximal end and the upper portion distal end, and at least one opening being defined between the upper portion interior surface and the upper portion exterior surface; a lower portion having a proximal end, an opposite distal end, a lower portion exterior surface, and a lower portion interior surface, the lower portion exterior surface and the lower portion interior surface extending from at least adjacent the lower portion proximal end to at least adjacent the lower portion distal end, the lower portion exterior surface being configured to contact the other of the two adjacent vertebrae, the lower portion interior surface at least in part inclining between the lower portion proximal end and the lower portion distal end, and at least one opening being defined between the lower portion interior surface and the lower portion exterior surface; a proximal wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the proximal wall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the proximal wall having a maximum height, and an aperture provided in the proximal wall between the interior surface and the exterior surface thereof; a chamber formed between portions of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall, the aperture formed in the proximal wall communicating with the chamber; a first distal wall portion and a second distal wall portion, the first distal wall portion being attached to the upper portion at the distal end thereof, the second distal wall portion being attached to the lower portion at the distal end thereof, the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion having a first height less than the maximum height of the proximal wall; and a separator including a leading portion, the separator being unitarily formed with the spinal implant by at least one point of attachment; wherein the separator is configured to be separated from the at least one point of attachment and be moved along at least a portion of the lower portion interior surface and at least a portion of the upper portion interior surface toward the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion to move the upper portion and the lower portion apart from one another into an expanded configuration, the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion having a second height in the expanded configuration greater than the maximum height of the proximal wall; inserting the spinal implant into the disc space; inserting an insertion tool through the aperture defined in the proximal wall and into contact with the separator; applying force to the separator with the insertion tool to break the at least one point of attachment; and forcing the separator along the upper portion interior surface and the lower portion interior surface toward the first distal wall portion and the second distal wall portion to move the upper portion and the lower portion apart from one another into the expanded configuration. - View Dependent Claims (14, 16, 17, 18, 20)
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15. The method of dam 13, wherein the separator is separably attached via the at least one point of attachment to the one of the upper portion interior surface, the lower portion interior surface, and the interior surface of the proximal wall.
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19. The method of dam 13, wherein the spinal implant is formed at least in part by titanium powder.
Specification