Medical Device Employing a Coaxial Screw Gear Sleeve Mechanism
AssigneeSpineX Tec, LLC
InventorsOmar F. Jimenez, Nicholas R. Powley, Andrew G. Fischer, Yefim I. Safris
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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, comprising:
- a cage extending along a longitudinal axis between a first region and a second region, the cage having a distal end, a proximal end, an upper body for contacting an upper vertebral body, and a lower body for contacting a lower vertebral body;
- a first expandable device located in the first region, the first expandable device being actuatable to move the upper and lower bodies away from one another in at least the first region;
- a second expandable device located in the second region, the second expandable device being actuatable to move the upper and lower bodies away from one another in at least the second region;
- a first actuator extending along a first axis and operably connected to the first expandable device such that operation of the first actuator actuates the first expandable device to move the upper and lower bodies away from one another in at least the first region;
- and
- a second actuator extending along a second axis and operably connected to the second expandable device such that operation of the second actuator actuates the second expandable device to move the upper and lower bodies away from one another in at least the second region;
- wherein the first and second actuators are operable 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.