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US 6,468,310 B1Granted
Intervertebral spacer device having a wave washer force restoring element
AssigneeThird Millennium Engineering, LLC
InventorsJames D. Ralph, Steven Tatar, Joseph P. Errico
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intervertebral spacer device having a pair of opposing plates for seating against opposing vertebral bone surfaces, separated by at least one force restoring element. The preferred force restoring mechanism is a wave washer. In a first embodiment the wave washer is ring-shaped. In a second embodiment the wave washer is spiral-shaped.
Claims11
An intervertebral spacer device comprising:
- first and second plate members, said plates being disposed in a spaced apart relationship such that one plate surface of said first plate faces one plate surface of said second plate, said facing surfaces being inner surfaces, and alternative faces of each plate being outer surfaces;
- and
- at least one restoring force providing element disposed between the inner surfaces of said first and second plate members, and disposed such that a compressive load applied to the outer surfaces of said plates is counteracted by said at least one restoring force providing element, said at least one restoring force providing element including at least one wave washer;
- wherein the at least one wave washer further comprises a ring-shaped wave washer;
- and
- wherein said ring-shaped wave washer further includes a radial slot.
3 more elements
An intervertebral spacer device comprising:
- first and second plate members, said plates being disposed in a spaced apart relationship such that one plate surface of said first plate faces one plate surface of said second plate, said facing surfaces being inner surfaces, and the alternative faces of each plate being outer surfaces;
- and
- at least one ring-shaped wave washer disposed between the inner surfaces of said first and second plate members, and disposed such that a compressive load applied to the outer surfaces of said plates is counteracted by said at least one ring-shaped wave washer;
- wherein said at least one ring-shaped wave washer further includes a radial slot.
1 more element
An intervertebral spacer device comprising:
- first and second plate members, said plates being disposed in a spaced apart relationship such that one plate surface of said first plate faces one plate surface of the other plate, said facing surfaces being inner surfaces, and the alternative faces of each plate being outer surfaces;
- and
- at least one restoring force providing element disposed between the inner surfaces of said first and second plate members, and disposed such that a compressive load applied to the external faces of said plates is counteracted by said at least one restoring force providing element, said at least one restoring force providing element including multiple wave washers;
- wherein said multiple wave washers comprise a plurality of concentric wave washers.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.