Minimally invasive intervertebral systems and methods
AssigneeEIT Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH
InventorsMorgan Packard Lorio, Thomas Purcell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A minimally invasive intervertebral implant includes a circuitous body defining a luminal axis extending longitudinally therethrough. The circuitous body includes proximal and distal ends oppositely disposed along a lateral axis of the circuitous body. Each of the proximal and distal ends includes an aperture disposed therethrough such that the circuitous body includes a first configuration wherein the proximal and distal ends are at a maximum separation and a second configuration wherein the proximal and distal ends are closer together than in the first configuration.
Claims3
1-20. (canceled)
A method of implanting an expandable intervertebral implant, the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting the intervertebral implant between adjacent vertebrae, wherein the intervertebral implant includes a body having a plurality of segments linked by living hinges;
- deforming the body of the intervertebral implant about the living hinges from a first configuration whereby proximal and distal ends of the body are at a maximum separation, to a second configuration whereby the proximal and distal ends are closer together than in the first configuration;
- wherein the deforming step causes a fitting of one of the segments to be received by another one of the segments to thereby maintain the second configuration after the deforming step.
A minimally invasive intervertebral implant for placement between adjacent vertebrae, the implant comprising:
- a circuitous body including a plurality of segments linked by living hinges configured to deform in transition from an open position to a closed position, wherein at least one of the living hinges includes a locking mechanism configured to be received by another one of the living hinges;
- wherein 1) in a first configuration the proximal and distal ends are at a maximum separation and the living hinges are in the open position, 2) in a second configuration wherein the proximal and distal ends are closer together than in the first configuration and the living hinges are in the closed position, and 3) a transition from the first configuration to the second configuration deforms the circuitous body and the engagement of the male and female fittings are configured to maintain the second configuration subsequent to the transition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.