Implant for bones or vertebrae with self-constrained flexibility
AssigneeBiedermann Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
InventorMarkku Biedermann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
As implant for the stabilization of bones or vertebrae is provided, the implant being a solid body including a longitudinal axis that defines a longitudinal direction and including a flexible section that has a surface and has a length in the longitudinal direction, the flexible section including at least one cavity located near the surface and having a width in the longitudinal direction that is smaller than the length of the flexible section, the at least one cavity being connected to the surface through at least one slit, and a width of the slit in the longitudinal direction being smaller than the width of the cavity.
Claims21
An implant for the stabilization of bones or vertebrae, the implant having a longitudinal axis that defines a longitudinal direction, the implant comprising a flexible section having a length in the longitudinal direction, wherein the flexible section comprises an outer surface, and at least one cavity located near the surface and having in a cross-section in a plane containing the longitudinal axis a width in the longitudinal direction that is less than the length of the flexible section, the at least one cavity extending in a helical shape around the longitudinal axis, wherein the at least one cavity is connected to the outer surface through at least one slit having in a cross-section in a plane containing the longitudinal axis a width in the longitudinal direction less than the width of the cavity in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the implant is configured to be elastically flexed by a load acting on the implant in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis from an open position in which opposing sidewalls of the slit are spaced apart by the width of the slit to a closed position in which the opposing sidewalls abut one another such that the flexion of the implant is limited by the closure of the slit.
A method of manufacturing an implant having a longitudinal axis that defines a longitudinal direction, the implant including a flexible section having a length in the longitudinal direction, the flexible section including an outer surface, at least one cavity located near the outer surface and having in a cross-section in a plane containing the longitudinal axis a width in the longitudinal direction that is less than the length of the flexible section, the at least one cavity extending in a helical shape around the longitudinal axis, the at least one cavity being connected to the outer surface through at least one slit having in a cross-section in a plane containing the longitudinal axis a width in the longitudinal direction less than the width of the cavity in the longitudinal direction, the implant being configured to be elastically flexed by a load acting on the implant in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis from an open position in which opposing sidewalls of the slit are spaced apart by the width of the slit to a closed position in which the opposing sidewalls abut one another such that the flexion of the implant is limited by the closure of the slit, the method comprising:
- using an additive manufacturing process to build up the implant in a layerwise manner including the at least one cavity and with the at least one slit being closed;
- and
- subsequent to using the additive manufacturing process, cutting the at least one slit into the built-up implant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.