# US 2021/0330474 A1 · ALIF Cage with Anchor Placement Options > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0330474 A1 - Document ID: US20210330474A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/856,437 - Filed: 2020-04-23 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-23 - Assignees: Ingeniumspine, LLC - Applicants: Ingeniumspine, LLC - Inventors: Dennis CRANDALL; B. Thomas BARKER; Murali KADABA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210330474A1 ## CPC - A61F 2/4455: {for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages (intervertebral discs A61F2/442)} - A61F 2/4465: {having a circular or kidney shaped cross-section substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spine} - A61F 2/447: {substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section} - A61F 2002/30266: {wedge-shaped parallelepipeds} - A61F 2002/30578: {having apertures, e.g. for receiving fixation screws} - A61F 2002/30593: {hollow} - A61F 2002/30784: {Plurality of holes} - A61F 2002/30785: {parallel} - A61F 2002/30787: {inclined obliquely with respect to each other} - A61F 2220/0016: with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes - A61F 2250/0006: for adjusting angular orientation - 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 anterior lumbar interbody fusion device having a plurality of anchor apertures shaped and arranged in ways that provide options as to the number and locations of fixation points that anchor the device securely to the vertebrae. The anchor apertures may be angled towards or away from the cage vertical midline and cage horizontal midline, as well as angled differently relative to each other. In addition, the proximal opening of the anchor aperture is slightly wider than the distal opening, which permits the anchor to be positioned at a desired pitch within the opening, as opposed to being limited to a single entry angle. In a preferred embodiment, the proximal and distal opening of the anchor aperture are obround and each anchor aperture is sized to receive two anchors. In a given placement, anchors may be placed in some or all of the anchor apertures in each cage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An anterior lumbar interbody fusion (“ALIF”) cage comprising: a) a cage body having at least two anchor apertures therethrough, each anchor aperture configured to receive at least one anchor having an anchor head; wherein b) each anchor aperture has a proximal opening and a distal opening; c) the proximal opening is a proximal obround comprising two semicircles of radiusp connected by two parallel lines each of the lengthp; d) the distal opening is a distal obround comprising two semicircles of radiusd connected by two parallel lines each of the same lengthd; and e) radiusp is greater than radiusd; such that the anchor head having radiusanchorhead greater than radiusd can pass through the proximal obround but cannot pass through the distal opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ALIF cage of claim 1 wherein: a) the cage body further comprises a cage vertical midline and a cage horizontal midline which intersect at a center point; b) each of the apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage vertical midline. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ALIF cage of claim 1 wherein: a) the cage body further comprises a cage vertical midline and a cage horizontal midline which intersect at a center point; b) at least one of the apertures is disposed in the cage body at an angle relative to the cage horizontal midline that is different from that of at least one of the other apertures. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ALIF cage of claim 1 wherein: a) the proximal opening has lengthp where lengthp is at least (4×radiusanchorhead); b) the distal opening has lengthd where lengthd is at least (4×radiusanchorhead); and c) lengthp is less than lengthd. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ALIF cage of claim 4 wherein the cage body is anchored to a first lumbar vertebra of a patient with only a single anchor in each anchor aperture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The ALIF cage of claim 4 wherein: a) the cage body further comprises a cage vertical midline and a cage horizontal midline which intersect at a center point; b) each of the apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage vertical midline. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The ALIF cage of claim 4 wherein: a) the cage body further comprises a cage vertical midline and a cage horizontal midline which intersect at a center point; b) at least one of the apertures is disposed in the cage body at an angle relative to the cage horizontal midline that is different from that of at least one of the other apertures. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ALIF cage of claim 1 wherein lengthp and lengthy are less than or equal to 1 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The ALIF cage of claim 8 wherein the cage body is anchored to a first lumbar vertebra of a patient with fewer anchors than the number of anchor apertures. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The ALIF cage of claim 8 wherein: a) the cage body further comprises a cage vertical midline and a cage horizontal midline which intersect at a center point; b) each of the apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage vertical midline. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The ALIF cage of claim 8 wherein: a) the cage body further comprises a cage vertical midline and a cage horizontal midline which intersect at a center point; b) at least one of the apertures is disposed in the cage body at an angle relative to the cage horizontal midline that is different from that of at least one of the other apertures. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The ALIF cage of claim 1 wherein each anchor aperture is sized to receive two anchors. ### Claim 13 An anterior lumbar interbody fusion (“ALIF”) cage comprising: a) a cage body having at least two anchor apertures therethrough, each anchor aperture configured to receive at last one anchor having an anchor head; wherein the cage body further comprises a cage vertical midline and a cage horizontal midline which intersect at a center point; wherein b) each anchor aperture has a proximal opening and a distal opening; c) the proximal opening is a proximal obround comprising two semicircles of radiusp connected by two parallel lines each of the length1; d) the distal opening is a distal obround comprising two semicircles of radiusd connected by two parallel lines each of the length2; and e) radiusp is greater than radiusd; such that the anchor head having radiusanchorhead greater than radiusd cannot pass through the distal opening. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The ALIF cage of claim 13 wherein each anchor aperture further comprises an aperture horizontal midline at its proximal opening that is centered on the cage horizontal midline. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The ALIF cage of claim 14 wherein each of the anchor apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage vertical midline. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The ALIF cage of claim 15 wherein: a) each of the anchor apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage vertical midline; and b) each of the anchor apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage horizontal midline. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The ALIF cage of claim 14 wherein each of the anchor apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage horizontal midline. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The ALIF cage of claim 13 wherein: a) each anchor aperture further comprises an aperture vertical midline at its proximal opening; and b) at least two of the anchor apertures are disposed in the cage body such that they have the same vertical midline. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The ALIF cage of claim 18 wherein each of the anchor apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage vertical midline. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The ALIF cage of claim 19 wherein: a) each of the anchor apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage vertical midline; and b) each of the anchor apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage horizontal midline. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The ALIF cage of claim 18 wherein each of the anchor apertures is disposed in the cage body at a different angle relative to the cage horizontal midline. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The ALIF cage of claim 13 wherein each anchor aperture is sized to receive two anchors.