# US 11,439,444 B1 · Screw tower and rod reduction tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,439,444 B1 - Document ID: US11439444B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/382,782 - Filed: 2021-07-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-07-22 - Assignees: Globus Medical, Inc. - Applicants: Globus Medical, Inc. - Inventors: Matthew Bechtel; Caelan Allen; Neil R. Crawford; Thomas Calloway; Steven Chang; Norbert Johnson; Jeffrey Forsyth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439444B1 ## CPC - A61B 17/708: {with tubular extensions coaxially mounted on the bone anchors} - A61B 17/7082: {for driving, i.e. rotating, screws or screw parts specially adapted for spinal fixation, e.g. for driving polyaxial or tulip-headed screws} - A61B 17/7083: {Tools for guidance or insertion of tethers, rod-to-anchor connectors, rod-to-rod connectors, or longitudinal elements} - A61B 17/7085: {for insertion of a longitudinal element down one or more hollow screw or hook extensions, i.e. at least a part of the element within an extension has a component of movement parallel to the extension's axis} - A61B 17/7086: {Rod reducers, i.e. devices providing a mechanical advantage to allow a user to force a rod into or onto an anchor head other than by means of a rod-to-bone anchor locking element; rod removers} - A61B 17/7091: {for applying, tightening or removing longitudinal element-to-bone anchor locking elements, e.g. caps, set screws, nuts or wedges} - A61B 90/39: {Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers} - A61B 90/92: coded with colour - A61B 90/94: coded with symbols, e.g. text - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems} - A61B 2034/2065: {Tracking using image or pattern recognition} - A61B 2090/309: {using white LEDs} - A61B 2090/3945: {Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes} - A61B 2090/3966: {Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image} - A61B 2090/3979: {infrared} - A61B 2090/3983: {Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A system includes a screw tower, an instrument, and a housing. The instrument includes a driver shaft extendable longitudinally through the screw tower, and a threaded sleeve mounted on a proximal portion of the driver shaft. The housing includes one or more retention members coupleable to the screw tower, and a threaded button threadably coupleable to the threaded sleeve. The threaded sleeve is rotatable about a longitudinal axis to urge the driver shaft longitudinally relative to the screw tower. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a screw tower; an instrument comprising a driver shaft extendable longitudinally through the screw tower, and a threaded sleeve mounted on a proximal portion of the driver shaft; and a housing comprising one or more retention members coupleable to the screw tower, and a threaded button threadably coupleable to the threaded sleeve, wherein the threaded sleeve is rotatable about a longitudinal axis to urge the driver shaft longitudinally relative to the screw tower, wherein the screw tower comprises an outer sleeve including a wall and a longitudinal slot defined in the wall, and an inner sleeve including a protrusion configured to extend radially outward through the longitudinal slot, the wall configured to deflect such that the protrusion is removed from the longitudinal slot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the screw tower comprises an outer sleeve defining an opening, an inner sleeve defining a longitudinal slot, and a pin extendable through the opening and the longitudinal slot. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the screw tower comprises an inner sleeve and an inner nut configured to move the inner sleeve along the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the screw tower comprises an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve, and an inner nut threadably coupled to the outer sleeve, the inner nut selectively rotatable about the longitudinal axis to translate the inner sleeve along the longitudinal axis relative to the outer sleeve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the screw tower comprises an inner sleeve including a mating portion configured to engage a head feature of a screw. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument comprises a cap pusher and a biasing member between the cap pusher and the driver shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument comprises a cap pusher mounted on a distal portion of the driver shaft, and a concealing cap defining an opening, the cap pusher and the driver shaft extending through the opening. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the threaded button is moveable between an engaged position in which the threaded button is coupled to the threaded sleeve and a disengaged position in which the threaded button is spaced from the threaded sleeve. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises one or more biasing members that urge the threaded button toward an engaged position in which the threaded button is coupled to the threaded sleeve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the screw tower includes a plurality of tracking markers, each tracking marker of the plurality of tracking markers including a plurality of stripes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument includes a plurality of tracking markers, each tracking marker of the plurality of tracking markers including a plurality of stripes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a plurality of tracking markers, each tracking marker of the plurality of tracking markers including a plurality of stripes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a first tracking marker having a first inter-stripe spacing and a second tracking marker having a second inter-stripe spacing different from the first inter-stripe spacing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a first plurality of tracking markers having a first inter-cluster spacing and a second plurality of tracking markers having a second inter-cluster spacing different from the first inter-cluster spacing. ### Claim 15 A system comprising: a screw tower; an instrument comprising a driver shaft extendable longitudinally through the screw tower, and a threaded sleeve mounted on a proximal portion of the driver shaft; and a housing comprising one or more retention members coupleable to the screw tower, and a threaded button threadably coupleable to the threaded sleeve, wherein the threaded sleeve is rotatable about a longitudinal axis to urge the driver shaft longitudinally relative to the screw tower, wherein the screw tower comprises an outer sleeve defining a longitudinal slot, and an inner sleeve including a protrusion configured to extend radially outward through the longitudinal slot, the protrusion configured to move radially inward such that the protrusion is removed from the longitudinal slot. ### Claim 16 A system comprising: a screw tower; an instrument comprising a driver shaft extendable longitudinally through the screw tower, and a threaded sleeve mounted on a proximal portion of the driver shaft; and a housing comprising one or more retention members coupleable to the screw tower, and a threaded button threadably coupleable to the threaded sleeve, wherein the threaded sleeve is rotatable about a longitudinal axis to urge the driver shaft longitudinally relative to the screw tower, wherein the housing comprises one or more biasing members that urge the one or more retention members toward an engaged position in which the one or more retention members are rigidly coupled to the screw tower.