US 2024/0277488 A1 · Articulating Expandable Device

Abstract

The present invention provides articulating expandable devices and insertion tools for deploying the articulating expandable devices. The articulating expandable devices are capable of being inserted into narrow spaces and turning around corners. The articulating expandable devices are capable of increasing in height and width when expanded from a closed configuration to an open configuration to occupy a larger volume and to present a larger surface area. The articulating expandable devices are lockable and are capable of rigidly occupying a space after expansion. In some embodiments, the articulating expandable devices are useful as interbody devices for spinal fusions.

Claims49

Dependent claims

An articulating expandable device, comprising:

a first and a second superior arm and a first and a second inferior arm;
the first superior arm further comprising a hinged connector extending from its posterior end;
and the second superior arm further comprising a socket extending from its posterior end.

An articulating expandable device kit, comprising:

an articulating expandable device comprising:
a first and a second superior arm and a first and a second inferior arm, each arm having an anterior and a posterior end and a top and a bottom surface, and each arm having an anterior and posterior opening through the top and bottom surface, wherein the first superior arm is positioned over the first inferior arm with anterior and posterior openings in alignment, and the second superior arm is positioned over the second inferior arm with anterior and posterior openings in alignment;
four cylindrical bolts positioned within each of the openings of the arms, each bolt having a top end, a bottom end, an outer surface, and at least one upper curved slot and at least one lower curved slot extending through each bolt, wherein each curved slot has a closed position near a center of each bolt, each of the at least one upper curved slot has an open position near the top end of each bolt, and each of the at least one lower curved slot has an open position near the bottom end of each bolt;
a first rod connecting each of the bolts positioned within the anterior openings of the arms, and a second rod connecting each of the bolts positioned within the posterior openings of the arms;
and
a plurality of pins, each pin connected to an inner surface of each of the openings of the arms and slidably engaged to a curved slot of the bolt positioned within the respective opening;
wherein the first superior arm comprises a hinged connector extending from its posterior end, and the second superior arm comprises a socket extending from its posterior end;
and
an insertion tool comprising:
a posterior handle having a rotating section, a nonrotating section, and a lumen running throughout;
an expandable pair of tongs extending from the nonrotating section in an anterior direction, the tongs having a hinged anterior connector engageable to the hinged connector of the articulating expandable device;
a locking sleeve slidable over the pair of tongs;
and
an elongate deployment driver positioned within the lumen of the housing, the deployment driver having a hingedly connected driver horn engageable to the socket of the articulating expandable device.

11 more elements

A deployment instrument, comprising:

a proximal handle,
a stabilization retainer extending parallel to a central axis from the proximal handle to a distal end of the deployment instrument, the stabilization retainer including at its distal end a pair of opposing fork arms and a pair of opposing retaining pins, each one of the pair of retaining pins oriented distally on a fork arm, the opposing pair of retaining pins forming a hinged connector,
a locking sleeve that is slidable along the central axis over the stabilization retainer to releasably compress the opposing fork arms, the locking sleeve comprising a wedge that is positionable between the opposing fork arms, such that when the wedge is positioned most distally relative to the fork arms, the fork arms are in a relaxed orientation, and when the wedge is moved proximally by translation of the sleeve proximally along the stabilization retainer, the wedge contacts the opposing fork arms into an expanded orientation and the opposing retaining pins are displaced away from each other, and
a deployment driver extending parallel to the stabilization retainer along the central axis, the deployment driver including at its distal end a hingedly connected pivot arm, the pivot arm including at its distal end a pair of retaining pins oriented along an axis that is transverse to the central axis and forming a hinged connector, wherein each of the retaining pins projects outward from the pivot arm,
wherein the handle includes an actuator that drives translation of the deployment driver along the central axis, the actuator comprising a mechanism the proximal handle includes one or more features selected from the group consisting of (i) an actuator that drives translation of the deployment driver along the central axis, the actuator comprising a mechanism selected from the group consisting of sliding rail, ratchet, worm gear, screw, cam and follower, lever, gear, spring, and combinations thereof;
(ii) a slap hammer surface;
and (iii) combinations thereof.

4 more elements

A method for deployment of an articulating and expandable device into a space between adjacent vertebral bodies, the method comprising:

providing the expandable device comprising a first and a second superior arm and a first and a second inferior arm, the first superior arm further comprising a hinged connector extending from its posterior end, and the second superior arm further comprising a socket extending from its posterior end;
removably affixing the articulating expandable device to the deployment instrument in a closed configuration by hingedly engaging the connector to the stabilization retainer and engaging the socket to the pivot arm of the deployment driver;
retaining the articulating expandable device in the closed configuration that is aligned with the central axis of the deployment instrument while passing the device as retained on the deployment instrument into a space between two adjacent vertebral bodies at a first orientation that is oblique to an anterior to posterior axis of the adjacent vertebral bodies;
actuating the deployment driver of the deployment instrument along the instrument's central axis to rotate the articulating expandable device into an open configuration and oriented substantially transverse to the central axis to direct the device in a second orientation that is generally oriented transverse to the anterior to posterior axis of the adjacent vertebral bodies;
passing an expansion driver adjacent the deployment instrument and into engagement articulating expandable device to expand the articulating expandable device cephalon-caudal and into compressive contact with the vertebral bodies;
and
actuating the locking bit of the articulating expandable device to fix the device into a locked configuration.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

18/571,018Filed 22 Jun 2022

Priority

22 Jun 2021

Published

22 Aug 2024

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

A61F 2/4455
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion…
A61F 2/4611
For insertion or extraction of endoprosthetic joints or of accessories thereof: of spinal prostheses
A61F 2/4425
Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient: made of articulated components
A61F 2/447
For the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages: substantially parallelepipedal, e.g.…

Abstract

Claims49

Dependent claims

An articulating expandable device, comprising:

a first and a second superior arm and a first and a second inferior arm;
the first superior arm further comprising a hinged connector extending from its posterior end;
and the second superior arm further comprising a socket extending from its posterior end.

An articulating expandable device kit, comprising:

an articulating expandable device comprising:
a first and a second superior arm and a first and a second inferior arm, each arm having an anterior and a posterior end and a top and a bottom surface, and each arm having an anterior and posterior opening through the top and bottom surface, wherein the first superior arm is positioned over the first inferior arm with anterior and posterior openings in alignment, and the second superior arm is positioned over the second inferior arm with anterior and posterior openings in alignment;
four cylindrical bolts positioned within each of the openings of the arms, each bolt having a top end, a bottom end, an outer surface, and at least one upper curved slot and at least one lower curved slot extending through each bolt, wherein each curved slot has a closed position near a center of each bolt, each of the at least one upper curved slot has an open position near the top end of each bolt, and each of the at least one lower curved slot has an open position near the bottom end of each bolt;
a first rod connecting each of the bolts positioned within the anterior openings of the arms, and a second rod connecting each of the bolts positioned within the posterior openings of the arms;
and
a plurality of pins, each pin connected to an inner surface of each of the openings of the arms and slidably engaged to a curved slot of the bolt positioned within the respective opening;
wherein the first superior arm comprises a hinged connector extending from its posterior end, and the second superior arm comprises a socket extending from its posterior end;
and
an insertion tool comprising:
a posterior handle having a rotating section, a nonrotating section, and a lumen running throughout;
an expandable pair of tongs extending from the nonrotating section in an anterior direction, the tongs having a hinged anterior connector engageable to the hinged connector of the articulating expandable device;
a locking sleeve slidable over the pair of tongs;
and
an elongate deployment driver positioned within the lumen of the housing, the deployment driver having a hingedly connected driver horn engageable to the socket of the articulating expandable device.

11 more elements

A deployment instrument, comprising:

a proximal handle,
a stabilization retainer extending parallel to a central axis from the proximal handle to a distal end of the deployment instrument, the stabilization retainer including at its distal end a pair of opposing fork arms and a pair of opposing retaining pins, each one of the pair of retaining pins oriented distally on a fork arm, the opposing pair of retaining pins forming a hinged connector,
a locking sleeve that is slidable along the central axis over the stabilization retainer to releasably compress the opposing fork arms, the locking sleeve comprising a wedge that is positionable between the opposing fork arms, such that when the wedge is positioned most distally relative to the fork arms, the fork arms are in a relaxed orientation, and when the wedge is moved proximally by translation of the sleeve proximally along the stabilization retainer, the wedge contacts the opposing fork arms into an expanded orientation and the opposing retaining pins are displaced away from each other, and
a deployment driver extending parallel to the stabilization retainer along the central axis, the deployment driver including at its distal end a hingedly connected pivot arm, the pivot arm including at its distal end a pair of retaining pins oriented along an axis that is transverse to the central axis and forming a hinged connector, wherein each of the retaining pins projects outward from the pivot arm,
wherein the handle includes an actuator that drives translation of the deployment driver along the central axis, the actuator comprising a mechanism the proximal handle includes one or more features selected from the group consisting of (i) an actuator that drives translation of the deployment driver along the central axis, the actuator comprising a mechanism selected from the group consisting of sliding rail, ratchet, worm gear, screw, cam and follower, lever, gear, spring, and combinations thereof;
(ii) a slap hammer surface;
and (iii) combinations thereof.

4 more elements

A method for deployment of an articulating and expandable device into a space between adjacent vertebral bodies, the method comprising:

providing the expandable device comprising a first and a second superior arm and a first and a second inferior arm, the first superior arm further comprising a hinged connector extending from its posterior end, and the second superior arm further comprising a socket extending from its posterior end;
removably affixing the articulating expandable device to the deployment instrument in a closed configuration by hingedly engaging the connector to the stabilization retainer and engaging the socket to the pivot arm of the deployment driver;
retaining the articulating expandable device in the closed configuration that is aligned with the central axis of the deployment instrument while passing the device as retained on the deployment instrument into a space between two adjacent vertebral bodies at a first orientation that is oblique to an anterior to posterior axis of the adjacent vertebral bodies;
actuating the deployment driver of the deployment instrument along the instrument's central axis to rotate the articulating expandable device into an open configuration and oriented substantially transverse to the central axis to direct the device in a second orientation that is generally oriented transverse to the anterior to posterior axis of the adjacent vertebral bodies;
passing an expansion driver adjacent the deployment instrument and into engagement articulating expandable device to expand the articulating expandable device cephalon-caudal and into compressive contact with the vertebral bodies;
and
actuating the locking bit of the articulating expandable device to fix the device into a locked configuration.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Articulating Expandable Device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims49

Articulating Expandable Device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims49