Active Vertebral Prosthetic Device
AssigneeWarsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
InventorDimitri K. Protopsaltis
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Abstract
An active vertebral prosthetic device system may include an actuatable displacement element having an upper side and a lower side. The actuatable displacement element may be configured for placement between an upper vertebral body and a lower vertebral body and may be configured to alter the overall distance between the upper and the lower vertebral bodies in situ. A controller may be operable to post-surgically actuate the actuatable displacement element. In some aspects, the displacement element maybe a piezoelectric motor, an electroactive polymer, an ionic polymer metal composite, and an actuator.
Claims33
An active vertebral prosthetic device system, comprising:
- an actuatable displacement element having an upper side and a lower side, the actuatable displacement element being configured for placement between an upper vertebral body and a lower vertebral body and being configured to alter the overall distance between the upper and the lower vertebral bodies in situ;
- and
- a controller operable to post-surgically actuate the actuatable displacement element.
An active vertebral prosthetic device system comprising:
- a first endplate configured to cooperatively engage an upper vertebral body;
- a second endplate configured to cooperatively engage a lower vertebral body;
- an actuatable displacement element operably disposed between the first and the second endplates, the actuatable displacement element being configured to change the overall distance between the first endplate and the second endplate in situ;
- and
- a controller operable to post-surgically actuate the actuatable displacement element.
A vertebral prosthetic device system for implantation in a body, comprising:
- an active vertebral prosthetic device including an actuatable displacement element having an upper side and a lower side, the active vertebral prosthetic device being configured for placement between and in contact with an upper vertebral body and a lower vertebral body and being configured to alter the overall distance between the upper and the lower vertebral bodies in situ;
- a controller operable to post-surgically communicate with the active vertebral prosthetic device;
- and
- a sensor configured for implantation in the body, the sensor being in communication with the controller and being configured to provide data to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to process the data and control the actuatable displacement element.
A method comprising:
- implanting an actuatable displacement element between an upper vertebral body and a lower vertebral body, the actuatable displacement element having an upper side and a lower side respectively facing the upper vertebral body and the lower vertebral body;
- and
- post-surgically actuating the actuatable displacement element with a controller to alter the overall distance between the upper and lower vertebral bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.