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US 11,446,160 B2Granted
Expandable fusion device and method of installation thereof
AssigneeGlobus Medical, Inc.
InventorsChad Glerum, Andrew Iott, Mark Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides an expandable fusion device capable of being installed inside an intervertebral disc space to maintain normal disc spacing and restore spinal stability, thereby facilitating an intervertebral fusion. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides an intervertebral implant. The intervertebral implant may be configured to transition from a collapsed configuration having a first height and a first width to an expanded configuration having a second height and a second width.
Claims20
A method for treating a spine by fusing adjacent vertebrae, said method comprising:
- preparing a disc space between the adjacent vertebrae by at least partially removing an intervertebral disc;
- inserting an intervertebral implant in the disc space;
- and
- expanding the intervertebral implant through rotation of a rotational element,
- wherein the intervertebral implant includes:
- an upper endplate comprising a first upper endplate portion and a second upper endplate portion;
- a lower endplate comprising a first lower endplate portion and a second lower endplate portion;
- a front sloped actuator configured to movingly engage a front end of the upper endplate and a front end of the lower endplate, the front sloped actuator comprising a front height actuator and a front width actuator;
- and
- a rear sloped actuator configured to movingly engage a rear end of the upper endplate and a rear end of the lower endplate, the rear sloped actuator comprising a rear height actuator and a rear width actuator;
- wherein the rotation element is engaged with the front and rear sloped actuators, and
- wherein actuation of the front and rear width actuators transition the intervertebral implant from a first width to a second width and actuation of the front and rear height actuators transition the intervertebral implant from a first height to a second height such that the intervertebral implant transitions to the second width before the intervertebral implant transitions to the second height.
9 more elements
A method for treating a spine by fusing adjacent vertebrae, said method comprising:
- preparing a disc space between the adjacent vertebrae by at least partially removing an intervertebral disc;
- inserting an intervertebral implant in the disc space;
- and
- expanding the intervertebral implant through rotation of a rotational element,
- wherein the intervertebral implant includes:
- an upper endplate having:
- a first upper endplate portion comprising a front ramped surface and a rear ramped surface;
- a second upper endplate portion comprising a front ramped surface and a rear ramped surface;
- and
- endplate pins connecting the first upper endplate portion and the second upper endplate portion;
- a lower endplate having:
- a first lower endplate portion comprising a front ramped surface and a rear ramped surface;
- a second lower endplate portion comprising a front ramped surface and a rear ramped surface;
- and
- lower endplate pins connecting the first lower endplate portion and the second lower endplate portion;
- a front sloped actuator configured to movingly engage the front ramped surface of the first upper endplate portion, the front ramped surface of the second upper endplate portion, the front ramped surface of the first lower endplate portion, and the front ramped surface of the second lower endplate portion, the front sloped actuator comprising a front height actuator and a front width actuator;
- and
- a rear sloped actuator configured to movingly engage the rear ramped surface of the first upper endplate portion, the front ramped surface of the second upper endplate portion, the rear ramped surface of the first lower endplate portion, and the rear ramped surface of the second lower endplate portion, the rear sloped actuator comprising a rear height actuator and rear width actuator;
- wherein the rotation element is engaged with the front and rear sloped actuators, and
- wherein actuation of the front and rear width actuators transition the intervertebral implant from a first width to a second width and actuation of the front and rear height actuators transition the intervertebral implant from a first height to a second height such that the intervertebral implant transitions to the second width before the intervertebral implant transitions to the second height.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.