# US 11,801,146 B2 · Artificial intervertebral disc

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- Number: US 11,801,146 B2
- Document ID: US11801146B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/550,889
- Filed: 2021-12-14
- Published: 2023-06-08
- Granted: 2023-10-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-03
- Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Applicants: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Inventors: Fang-Chieh Chang; Pei-I Tsai; Shih-Ping Lin; Ming-Jun Li; Chih-Chieh Huang; Hsin-Hsin Shen; Meng-Huang Wu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11801146B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/4425: {made of articulated components}
- A61F 2/30771: {applied in original prostheses, e.g. holes or grooves}
- A61F 2/30907: {Nets or sleeves applied to surface of prostheses or in cement}
- A61F 2/30942: {for designing or making customized prostheses, e.g. using templates, CT or NMR scans, finite-element analysis or CAD-CAM techniques}
- A61F 2002/30225: {Flat cylinders, i.e. discs}
- A61F 2002/30227: {arched, domed or vaulted}
- A61F 2002/30326: {differing in height or in length}
- A61F 2002/30354: {Cylindrically-shaped protrusion and recess, e.g. cylinder of circular basis}
- A61F 2002/30369: {Limited lateral translation of the protrusion within a larger recess}
- A61F 2002/30528: {Means for limiting said movement}
- A61F 2002/30599: {stackable}
- A61F 2002/30649: {Ball-and-socket joints}
- A61F 2002/30658: {having a central conforming area surrounded by a peripheral annular non-conforming area}
- A61F 2002/30662: {with rotation-limiting means}
- A61F 2002/30784: {Plurality of holes}
- A61F 2002/30841: {Sharp anchoring protrusions for impaction into the bone, e.g. sharp pins, spikes}
- A61F 2002/30878: {with non-sharp protrusions, for instance contacting the bone for anchoring, e.g. keels, pegs, pins, posts, shanks, stems, struts}
- A61F 2002/30884: {Fins or wings, e.g. longitudinal wings for preventing rotation within the bone cavity}
- A61F 2002/30892: {parallel}
- A61F 2002/30904: {serrated profile, i.e. saw-toothed}
- A61F 2002/443: {having two transversal endplates and at least one intermediate component}
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

An artificial intervertebral disc is configured to be inserted between adjacent human vertebrae. The artificial intervertebral disc includes a first connection block, a joint block and a second connection block. The joint block has a convex surface and a rear surface. The rear surface of the joint block is stacked on the first connection block. The second connection block is slidably stacked on the convex surface of the joint block, such that the second connection block is movable relative to the first connection block. In addition, the convex surface is a curved surface, and the convex surface is arranged off-axis with respect to the rear surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An artificial intervertebral disc configured to be inserted between adjacent human vertebrae, and the artificial intervertebral disc comprising:
a first connection block;
a joint block having a convex surface and a rear surface, wherein the rear surface of the joint block is stacked on the first connection block; and
a second connection block slidably stacked on the convex surface of the joint block, such that the second connection block is movable relative to the first connection block;
wherein the convex surface is a spherical curved surface having a fixed radius of curvature, and the convex surface is arranged off-axis with respect to the rear surface;
wherein the joint block comprises a base portion and a protrusion portion, the protrusion portion protrudes from the base portion, the rear surface is located at one side of the base portion located away from the protrusion portion, the convex surface is located at one side of the protrusion portion located away from the base portion, and distances from two opposite sides of the convex surface to the base portion are different from each other;
wherein the joint block further has a connection surface, one side of the convex surface is connected to the base portion, and an opposite side of the convex surface is connected to the base portion via the connection surface;
wherein an angle between the connection surface and a normal line of the rear surface is equal to an angle between a central axis of the convex surface and the normal line of the rear surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the central axis of the convex surface and the normal line of the rear surface is larger than 0 degree.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 2, wherein a radius of the convex surface ranges from 6 mm to 10 mm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 2, wherein a distance from a vertex of the convex surface to the rear surface is different from a distance from an intersection point of the central axis and the convex surface to the rear surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the connection surface and the normal line of the rear surface is larger than 0 degree.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 1, wherein the first connection block comprises a first body portion and at least one first convex-concave structure, the first body portion has a first outer surface and a first inner surface located opposite to each other, the joint block is stacked on the first inner surface of the first body portion of the first connection block, the at least one first convex-concave structure protrudes from the first outer surface of the first body portion, the second connection block comprises a second body portion and at least one second convex-concave structure, the second body portion has a second outer surface and a second inner surface located opposite to each other, the second inner surface of the second body portion of the second connection block is stacked on the joint block, and the at least one second convex-concave structure protrudes from the second outer surface of the second body portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 6, wherein the at least one first convex-concave structure comprises a plurality of first engagement parts, heights of the plurality of first engagement parts increases sequentially, the at least one second convex-concave structure comprises a plurality of second engagement parts, and heights of the plurality of second engagement parts increases sequentially.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 6, wherein the at least one first convex-concave structure comprises a plurality of first engagement parts, widths of the plurality of first engagement parts increases sequentially, the at least one second convex-concave structure comprises a plurality of second engagement parts, and widths of the plurality of second engagement parts increases sequentially.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 6, wherein the second inner surface has a planar part and a recess part, the planar part surrounds the recess part, the convex surface is in contact with the recess part of the second inner surface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 6, wherein the base portion of the joint block has at least one recess, the at least one recess is located at the rear surface of the base portion, the first connection block further comprises at least one positioning protrusion, the at least one positioning protrusion protrudes from the first inner surface of the first body portion, and the at least one positioning protrusion is at least partially located in the at least one recess.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 10, wherein the at least one positioning protrusion is a cylinder, and the at least one positioning protrusion has a fillet structure at one side thereof in contact with the joint block.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 6, wherein the second outer surface has a planar part and a protrusion part, the planar part surrounds the protrusion part, the first body portion has a plurality of first hole structures, the plurality of first hole structures are located at the first outer surface of the first body portion, the second body portion has a plurality of second hole structures, the plurality of second hole structures are located at the planar part and the protrusion part of the second outer surface of the second body portion, and the at least one second convex-concave structure protrudes from the planar part of the second outer surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 12, wherein a distribution percentage of the plurality of the first hole structures on the first outer surface ranges from 20% to 80%, and a distribution percentage of the plurality of second hole structures on the second outer surface ranges from 20% to 80%.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 12, wherein a diameter of each of the plurality of first hole structures ranges from 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm, and a diameter of each of the plurality of second hole structures ranges from 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 6, wherein a ratio of a distance between the first outer surface and the first inner surface to a thickness of the first connection block ranges from 40% to 60%.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The artificial intervertebral disc according to claim 1, wherein the first connection block and the second connection block are made of titanium alloy, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy or stainless steel, and the joint block is made of UHMWPE, PEEK or PPSU.