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US 12,251,317 B2Granted
Expandable fusion device and method of installation thereof
AssigneeGlobus Medical, Inc.
InventorsJason Gray, Damien Kahmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
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. The intervertebral implant may be configured to transition from a collapsed configuration having a first width and a first height to an expanded configuration having a second width and a second height.
Claims19
A method of installing an expandable implant comprising:
- inserting an expandable implant in a collapsed position between adjacent vertebrae, the implant comprising:
- a front plate;
- a rear plate;
- a central drive screw threadedly engaged with a drive sleeve, the central drive screw being retained in the rear plate and the drive sleeve affixed to the front plate;
- left and right side portion assemblies each including an upper endplate, a lower endplate, an actuator disposed between the upper and lower endplates, and a front ramp;
- a pair of front linkages pivotably connecting the front plate to the front ramps;
- and
- a pair of rear linkages pivotably connecting the rear plate to the actuators of the left and right side portion assemblies,
- rotating the central drive screw to draw the front plate toward the rear plate to pivot the front and rear linkages, thereby expanding the left and right side portion assemblies in width;
- and
- continuing to rotate the central drive screw to continue to draw the front plate toward the rear plate to move the front ramps, thereby expanding the left and right side portion assemblies in height.
8 more elements
A method of installing an expandable implant comprising:
- inserting an expandable implant in a collapsed position between adjacent vertebrae, the implant comprising:
- a front plate;
- a rear plate;
- a central drive screw threadedly engaged with a drive sleeve, the central drive screw being retained in the rear plate and the drive sleeve affixed to the front plate;
- left and right side portion assemblies each including an upper endplate, a lower endplate, an actuator having a plurality of angled slots disposed between the upper and lower endplates, and a front ramp;
- a plurality of pins coupling the upper and lower endplates to the slots in the actuator and the front ramp;
- a pair of front linkages pivotably connecting the front plate to the front ramps;
- and
- a pair of rear linkages pivotably connecting the rear plate to the actuators of the left and right side portion assemblies,
- rotating the central drive screw to draw the front plate toward the rear plate to pivot the front and rear linkages, thereby expanding the left and right side portion assemblies in width;
- and
- continuing to rotate the central drive screw to continue to draw the front plate toward the rear plate to move the front ramps toward the rear plate and allow the pins to travel along the slots in the actuators, thereby expanding the upper and lower endplates of the left and right side portion assemblies in height.
9 more elements
A method of assembling an expandable implant comprising:
- securing a drive screw through a rear plate;
- threading the drive screw into a drive sleeve;
- attaching the drive sleeve to a front plate;
- assembling left and right side portion assemblies, wherein each assembly includes positioning an actuator between upper and lower endplates and positioning two horizontal pins through the upper endplate and the actuator and positioning two horizontal pins through the lower endplate and the actuator, placing a front ramp into the upper and lower endplates and positioning additional horizontal pins through the upper and lower endplates and into the front ramp, respectively;
- placing a pair of rear linkages into position on the rear plate and securing the rear linkages with two vertical pins;
- placing a pair of front linkages into position on the front plate and securing the front linkages with two additional vertical pins;
- positioning the rear linkages into the actuators and securing with two vertical pivot pins;
- positioning the front linkages into the front ramps and securing with two additional vertical pivot pins.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.