US 8,574,299 B2Granted

Expandable device for distracting spinal tissue surfaces

AssigneeSpine Wave, Inc.

InventorsPeter Barreiro, Dennis Ty, Michael E. Landry

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An expandable interbody fusion device includes superior and inferior endplates that are configured to receive a sequentially inserted stack of interlocking expansion members or wafers. The like-configured wafers include features on their top and bottom surfaces that interlock the wafers in multiple degrees of freedom so that the wafer stack is not disrupted when the fusion device is fully expanded. One of the interlocking features includes a plurality of prongs projecting from an upper surface of the wafers and into a recess defined in the lower surface of an adjacent previously inserted like-configured wafer. The prongs and recesses are configured to prevent retrograde movement of each new wafer in a direction opposite the direction of insertion. Other interlocking features prevent movement in the direction of insertion, transverse to the insertion direction and vertically within the stack.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An expandable device for implantation into a space between two opposing tissue surfaces of a spine to be distracted, comprising:

an elongate first endplate member having an outer surface for contacting one tissue surface in a spine;
an elongate second endplate member having an outer surface for contacting an opposing tissue surface in said spine, said second endplate member being movable in an expansion direction relative to said first endplate member toward the opposing tissue surface;
an elongate expansion member configured to be slidingly introduced between said first endplate member and said second endplate member in an insertion direction that is substantially perpendicular to said expansion direction, to thereby move said first and second endplate members relatively apart in said expansion direction upon introduction;
and
an interlocking prong and locking cavity engagement defined between said expansion member and said second endplate member to prevent relative movement of said expansion member relative to said second endplate member in a direction opposite said insertion direction when said expansion member is substantially co-extensive with said second endplate member,
wherein said expansion member includes a surface facing said second endplate member and said second endplate member has a surface facing said expansion member;
and
said locking cavity is defined in said facing surface of one of said expansion member and said second endplate member and said prong projects beyond said facing surface of the other of said expansion member and said second endplate into said locking cavity when said expansion member is substantially co-extensive with said second endplate member.

5 more elements

An expandable device for implantation into a space between two opposing tissue surfaces of a spine, comprising:

an elongate first endplate member having an outer surface for contacting one tissue surface in a spine and comprising opposed spaced sidewalls and opposed spaced front and rear endwalls defining therewithin an interior cavity and a fully bounded channel opening through said rear endwall in communication with said interior cavity;
an elongate second endplate member having an outer surface for contacting an opposing tissue surface in said spine, said second endplate member being movable in an expansion direction relative to said first endplate member toward the opposing tissue surface;
at least one elongate wafer configured to be introduced through said channel slidingly between said first endplate member and said second endplate member in an insertion direction that is substantially perpendicular to said expansion direction and into said interior cavity;
and
cooperating locking structure between said wafer and said second endplate member to restrict relative movement in multiple degrees of freedom, including a flange extending along a longitudinal portion of one of said wafer and said second endplate member and a groove extending along a longitudinal portion and within the other of said wafer and said second endplate, said groove being sized and configured to receive said flange therewithin as said wafer member is slidingly introduced between said first endplate member and said second endplate member.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/736,514Filed 8 Jan 2013 · continuation
Priority: 31 May 2007
Published: US 2013/0131811 A123 May 2013
Granted: 5 Nov 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

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.…
A61F 2/30771
Special external or bone-contacting surface, e.g. coating for improving bone ingrowth: applied in original prostheses, e.g. holes or grooves
A61F 2/442
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient
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…

Family

Application11/756,050Parent of this continuation · filed 31 May 2007
Application13/166,375Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Jun 2011
US 2013/0131811 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 May 2013
US 8,349,014 B2Parent of this continuation
US 7,967,867 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2008/0300598 A1Published application
US 2011/0251693 A1Published application
US 8,574,299 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.