US 11,304,817 B2Granted

Expandable interbody spacer

AssigneeNeurostructures, Inc.

InventorsMoti Altarac, Joey Reglos

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

An expandable interbody spacer for the spine is provided. The interbody spacer includes a housing, upper and lower endplates, an anterior actuator, a posterior actuator, an anterior drive screw, and a posterior drive screw. The anterior and posterior drive screws are independently or simultaneously rotated with respect to each other by a driver to wedge one or more of the anterior and posterior actuators between the endplates moving them into parallel and/or angular expansion.

Claims34

Dependent claims

An expandable interbody spacer having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, comprising:

a housing having two sides interconnected by a distal endwall and a proximal endwall defining a hollow interior;
the distal endwall having a threaded distal opening and the proximal endwall having a threaded proximal opening;
an upper endplate and a lower endplate each having a posterior end and an anterior end, a bone-engaging surface and an interior surface opposite to the bone-engaging surface;
the interior surface of each of the upper and lower endplates having an anterior ramp surface extending at an angle with respect to the interior surface and a posterior ramp surface extending at an angle with respect to the interior surface;
an anterior actuator located between the interior surfaces of the upper endplate and the lower endplate near the distal end of the spacer;
the anterior actuator comprising an upper anterior actuator segment and a lower anterior actuator segment;
the upper anterior actuator segment having a curved inner surface and an angled leading surface for contact with the anterior ramp surface of the upper endplate;
the lower anterior actuator segment having a curved inner surface and an angled leading surface for contact with the anterior ramp surface of the lower endplate;
a posterior actuator located between the interior surfaces of the upper endplate and the lower endplate near the proximal end of the spacer;
the posterior actuator comprising an upper posterior actuator segment and a lower posterior actuator segment;
the upper posterior actuator segment having a curved inner surface and an angled leading surface for contact with the posterior ramp surface of the upper endplate;
the lower posterior actuator segment having a curved inner surface and an angled leading surface for contact with the posterior ramp surface of the lower endplate;
an anterior drive screw comprising a proximal ball head connected to a distal threaded shank;
the proximal ball head of the anterior drive screw being located between the curved inner surfaces of the upper and lower anterior actuator segments;
the distal threaded shank being threadingly connected to the threaded distal opening;
the anterior drive screw having an anterior drive bore extending from a proximal opening along a longitudinal drive axis;
and
a posterior drive screw comprising a proximal threaded shank connected to a distal ball head;
the distal ball head of the posterior drive screw being located between the curved inner surfaces of the upper and lower posterior actuator segments;
the proximal threaded shank being threadingly connected to the threaded proximal opening;
the posterior drive screw having a posterior drive bore extending along the longitudinal drive axis between a proximal opening in the threaded shank and a distal opening in the distal ball head;
wherein rotation of the posterior drive screw in a first direction relative to the proximal end of the spacer around the longitudinal drive axis translates the posterior drive screw distally to wedge apart and expand the distance between the posterior ends of the upper and lower endplates;
wherein rotation of the anterior drive screw in the first direction relative to the proximal end of the spacer around the longitudinal drive axis translates the anterior drive screw proximally to wedge apart and expand the distance between the anterior ends of the upper and lower endplates;
wherein rotation of the posterior drive screw in a second direction relative to the proximal end of the spacer around the longitudinal drive axis translates the posterior drive screw proximally to reduce the distance between the posterior ends of the upper and lower endplates;
and
wherein rotation of the anterior drive screw in the second direction relative to the proximal end of the spacer around the longitudinal drive axis translates the anterior drive screw distally to reduce the distance between the anterior ends of the upper and lower endplates.

23 more elements

A method comprising:

providing an expandable interbody spacer having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end;
the spacer including:
a housing having a threaded proximal opening and a threaded distal opening;
an upper endplate having an anterior end and a posterior end, an anterior angled surface and a posterior angled surface;
a lower endplate having an anterior end and a posterior end, an anterior angled surface and a posterior angled surface;
an anterior drive screw threadingly connected to the distal opening;
the anterior drive screw having an anterior ball head connected to a threaded anterior shaft and an anterior drive bore having a bore diameter and a cross-sectional shape taken perpendicular to and extending along a longitudinal drive axis;
an anterior actuator coupled to the anterior drive screw;
the anterior actuator having an upper drive surface for mating with the anterior angled surface of the upper endplate and a lower drive surface for mating with the anterior angled surface of the lower endplate;
a posterior drive screw threadingly connected to the proximal opening;
the posterior drive screw having a posterior ball head connected to a threaded posterior shaft and a posterior drive bore having a bore diameter and cross-sectional shape taken perpendicular to and extending along the longitudinal drive axis;
the posterior drive bore being coaxially aligned with the anterior drive bore along the longitudinal drive axis;
a posterior actuator coupled to the posterior drive screw;
the posterior actuator having an upper drive surface for mating with the posterior angled surface of the upper endplate and a lower drive surface for mating with the posterior angled surface of the lower endplate;
providing a driver having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end;
the driver including:
a first drive portion having a first length extending along a longitudinal axis of the driver;
the first drive portion having a first diameter and a non-circular cross-sectional first shape taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis extending along the first length;
the first shape being sized and configured to matingly engage the anterior drive bore and the posterior drive bore;
a second drive portion having a second length extending along the longitudinal axis;
the second drive portion having a second diameter and a non-circular cross-sectional second shape taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis extending along the second length;
the second shape being sized and configured to matingly engage the posterior drive bore;
a middle portion located between the first drive portion and the second drive portion;
the middle portion having a middle length extending along the longitudinal axis;
the middle portion having a middle diameter and a cross-sectional middle shape taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis extending along the middle length;
a handle located at the proximal end;
the handle having a handle length extending along the longitudinal axis and a handle diameter;
wherein the first drive portion extends from the distal end of the driver to a distal end of the middle portion;
the middle portion extends from a proximal end of the first drive portion to a distal end of the second drive portion;
and the handle extends from a proximal end of the second drive portion to the proximal end of the driver.

27 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/894,308Filed 5 Jun 2020
Published: US 2021/0378832 A19 Dec 2021
Granted: 19 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

A61F 2/442
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient
A61F 2/4455
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion…
A61F 2/447
For the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages: substantially parallelepipedal, e.g.…
A61F 2/4611
For insertion or extraction of endoprosthetic joints or of accessories thereof: of spinal prostheses

Family

US 2021/0378832 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Dec 2021
US 11,304,817 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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Abstract

An expandable interbody spacer having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, comprising:

a housing having two sides interconnected by a distal endwall and a proximal endwall defining a hollow interior;
the distal endwall having a threaded distal opening and the proximal endwall having a threaded proximal opening;
an upper endplate and a lower endplate each having a posterior end and an anterior end, a bone-engaging surface and an interior surface opposite to the bone-engaging surface;
the interior surface of each of the upper and lower endplates having an anterior ramp surface extending at an angle with respect to the interior surface and a posterior ramp surface extending at an angle with respect to the interior surface;
an anterior actuator located between the interior surfaces of the upper endplate and the lower endplate near the distal end of the spacer;
the anterior actuator comprising an upper anterior actuator segment and a lower anterior actuator segment;
the upper anterior actuator segment having a curved inner surface and an angled leading surface for contact with the anterior ramp surface of the upper endplate;
the lower anterior actuator segment having a curved inner surface and an angled leading surface for contact with the anterior ramp surface of the lower endplate;
a posterior actuator located between the interior surfaces of the upper endplate and the lower endplate near the proximal end of the spacer;
the posterior actuator comprising an upper posterior actuator segment and a lower posterior actuator segment;
the upper posterior actuator segment having a curved inner surface and an angled leading surface for contact with the posterior ramp surface of the upper endplate;
the lower posterior actuator segment having a curved inner surface and an angled leading surface for contact with the posterior ramp surface of the lower endplate;
an anterior drive screw comprising a proximal ball head connected to a distal threaded shank;
the proximal ball head of the anterior drive screw being located between the curved inner surfaces of the upper and lower anterior actuator segments;
the distal threaded shank being threadingly connected to the threaded distal opening;
the anterior drive screw having an anterior drive bore extending from a proximal opening along a longitudinal drive axis;
and
a posterior drive screw comprising a proximal threaded shank connected to a distal ball head;
the distal ball head of the posterior drive screw being located between the curved inner surfaces of the upper and lower posterior actuator segments;
the proximal threaded shank being threadingly connected to the threaded proximal opening;
the posterior drive screw having a posterior drive bore extending along the longitudinal drive axis between a proximal opening in the threaded shank and a distal opening in the distal ball head;
wherein rotation of the posterior drive screw in a first direction relative to the proximal end of the spacer around the longitudinal drive axis translates the posterior drive screw distally to wedge apart and expand the distance between the posterior ends of the upper and lower endplates;
wherein rotation of the anterior drive screw in the first direction relative to the proximal end of the spacer around the longitudinal drive axis translates the anterior drive screw proximally to wedge apart and expand the distance between the anterior ends of the upper and lower endplates;
wherein rotation of the posterior drive screw in a second direction relative to the proximal end of the spacer around the longitudinal drive axis translates the posterior drive screw proximally to reduce the distance between the posterior ends of the upper and lower endplates;
and
wherein rotation of the anterior drive screw in the second direction relative to the proximal end of the spacer around the longitudinal drive axis translates the anterior drive screw distally to reduce the distance between the anterior ends of the upper and lower endplates.

23 more elements

Facts

Application

16/894,308Filed 5 Jun 2020

Published

US 2021/0378832 A19 Dec 2021

Granted

19 Apr 2022

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

A61F 2/442
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient
A61F 2/4455
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion…
A61F 2/447
For the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages: substantially parallelepipedal, e.g.…
A61F 2/4611
For insertion or extraction of endoprosthetic joints or of accessories thereof: of spinal prostheses