Medical Device Employing a Coaxial Screw Gear Sleeve Mechanism
AssigneeSpineX Tec, LLC
InventorsOmar F. Jimenez, Nicholas R. Powley, Andrew G. Fischer, Yefim I. Safris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Medical devices in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention employ one or more coaxial screw gear sleeve mechanisms. In various embodiments, coaxial screw gear sleeve mechanisms include a post with a threaded exterior surface and a corresponding sleeve configured to surround the post, the corresponding sleeve having a threaded interior surface configured to interface with the threaded exterior surface of the post and a geared exterior surface. A drive mechanism can be configured to interface with the geared exterior surface of the sleeve, causing the device to expand.
Claims20
A spinal implant extending along a longitudinal axis between a first region and a second region, the spinal implant comprising:
- an upper body for engaging an upper vertebral body;
- a lower body for engaging a lower vertebral body;
- a first member located in the first region, the first member including an opening having internal threads formed therein, the first member being translatable in a first direction with respect to at least one of the upper and lower bodies to cause the upper and lower bodies to move away from one another in at least the first region;
- a second member located in the second region, the second member including an opening having internal threads formed therein, the second member being translatable in a second direction with respect to at least one of the upper and lower bodies to cause the upper and lower bodies to move away from one another in at least the second region;
- a first actuator extending along a first axis and operably connected to the first member such that actuation of the first actuator causes the first member to translate in the first direction;
- and
- a second actuator extending along a second axis and operably connected to the second member such that actuation of the second actuator causes the second member to translate in the second direction;
- wherein the first and second actuators are actuatable independently of one another to independently move the upper and lower bodies away from one another in the respective first and second regions, and wherein the first and second axes of the respective first and second actuators are collinear with one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.