Expandable fusion device and method of installation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11273052-B2
Application number	US-202016870260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2020
Priority date	Sep 3, 2010
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

The present invention provides an expandable fusion device capable of being installed inside an intervertebral disc space to maintain normal disc spacing and restore spinal stability, thereby facilitating an intervertebral fusion. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides an intervertebral implant. The intervertebral implant may be configured to transition from a collapsed configuration having a first height and a first width to an expanded configuration having a second height and a second width.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An intervertebral implant comprising:
an upper endplate;
a lower endplate vertically spaced from the upper endplate;
a front width actuator and a rear width actuator adapted to be moved closer to one another such that the upper and lower endplates transition from a laterally collapsed configuration having a first width to a laterally expanded configuration having a second width;
a front sloped actuator assembly and a rear sloped actuator assembly positioned between the front and rear width actuators and slidably coupled to the upper and lower endplates, and adapted to be moved closer to one another such that the upper and lower endplates transition from a vertically collapsed configuration having a first height to a vertically expanded configuration having a second height;
the front sloped actuator assembly including a pair of front height actuators and the rear sloped actuator assembly including a pair of rear height actuators, each pair of the front and rear sloped actuators adapted to move laterally apart from one another when the front width actuator moves closer to the rear width actuator which in turn causes the upper and lower endplates to laterally expand.

2. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , wherein the front width actuator includes a tool engagement element and the rear width actuator includes an opening through which a tool is inserted, a distal end of the tool engaging with the tool engagement element to pull the front width actuator closer to the rear width actuator.

3. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of threaded locking screws that extend through corresponding openings in the rear sloped actuator assembly to threadingly engage the pair of front sloped height actuators.

4. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , wherein:
the upper endplate includes a first upper endplate portion and a second upper endplate portion;
the lower endplate includes a first lower endplate portion and a second lower endplate portion;
the front sloped actuator assembly is disposed between the upper endplate and the lower endplate, the front sloped actuator assembly being configured to movingly engage front ends of the upper endplate and the lower endplate, the rear sloped actuator assembly movingly engaging rear ends of the upper endplate and the lower endplate;
the intervertebral implant is configured to first transition from the collapsed configuration having the first width and the first height to the laterally expanded configuration having the second width and then transition to the vertically expanded configuration having the second height.

5. The intervertebral implant of claim 4 , wherein:
the front sloped actuator assembly movingly engages with front ramped surfaces of the first upper endplate portion and the second upper endplate portion; and
the rear sloped actuator assembly movingly engages with rear ramped surfaces of the first upper endplate portion and the second upper endplate portion.

6. The intervertebral implant of claim 4 , wherein:
the pair of front height actuators each comprise opposing ramped surfaces in respective engagement with front ramped surfaces of the first upper endplate portion and the second upper endplate portion; and
the front width actuator is disposed between the pair of front height actuators and in moving engagement with the pair of front height actuators; and
the pair of rear height actuators each comprise opposing ramped surfaces in respective engagement with rear ramped surfaces of the first upper endplate portion and the second upper endplate portion; and
the front width actuator is disposed between the pair of rear height actuators and in moving engagement with the pair of rear height actuators.

7. The intervertebral implant of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the front width actuator and the rear width actuator is wedge shaped.

8. The intervertebral implant of claim 6 , wherein the front width actuator is operable to move the pair of front height actuators laterally apart, and wherein the rear width actuator is operable to move the pair of rear height actuators laterally apart.

9. The intervertebral implant of claim 6 , further comprising a pair of threaded locking screws that each extend through an opening in a corresponding one of the front height actuators to engage a corresponding one of the rear height actuators.

10. The intervertebral implant of claim 9 , wherein the pair of threaded locking screws are adapted to move the front and rear sloped actuator assemblies together to force the upper endplate and the lower endplate vertically outward in opposite directions.

11. The intervertebral implant of claim 6 , wherein the front width actuator comprises a central opening facing the rear width actuator, the central opening being configured to engage an instrument operable to pull the front width actuator towards the rear width actuator.

12. The intervertebral implant of claim 6 , wherein the front actuator assembly further comprises a front stop pin having one end retained in one of the front height actuators and an opposite end disposed in a front stop pin track in the front width actuator, the front stop pin operable to limit movement of the front width actuator.

13. The intervertebral implant of claim 6 , wherein the rear actuator assembly further comprises a rear stop pin having one end retained in the rear width actuator and an opposite end disposed in a rear stop pin track in one of the rear height actuators, the rear stop pin operable to limit movement of the rear width actuator.

14. The intervertebral implant of claim 4 , wherein the first upper endplate portion and the second upper endplate portion are opposing mirrored halves of the upper endplate, and wherein the first lower endplate portion and the second lower endplate portion are opposing mirrored halves of the lower endplate.

15. The intervertebral implant of claim 4 , wherein the upper endplate comprises endplate pins that connect the first upper endplate portion and the second upper endplate portion, and wherein the lower endplate comprises endplate pins that connect the first lower endplate portion and the second lower endplate portion.

16. An intervertebral implant comprising:
an upper endplate;
a lower endplate spaced from the upper endplate;
a front sloped actuator assembly disposed between the upper endplate and the lower endplate, the front sloped actuator assembly including:
a pair of front height actuators, wherein the front height actuators each include opposing ramped surfaces in respective engagement with the upper endplate and the lower endplate;

a front width actuator disposed between the pair of front height actuators and in moving engagement with the pair of front height actuators, wherein the front width actuator is operable to force the pair of front height actuators laterally apart; and
a rear sloped actuator assembly including:
a pair of rear height actuators, wherein the rear height actuators each include opposing ramped surfaces in respective engagement with the upper endplate and the lower endplate;

a rear width actuator disposed between the pair of rear height actuators and in moving engagement with the pair of rear height actuators, wherein the rear width actuator is operable to force the pair of rear height actuators laterally apart;
wherein the front width actuator moving further away from the rear width actuator causes the pair of front height actuators to move laterally apart, which in turn, causes the upper endplate and the lower endplate to laterally expand.

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Assignees

• Globus Medical Inc

Inventors

• Glerum Chad
• Iott Andrew
• Adams Mark

Classifications

• A61F2310/00017

  Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel · CPC title

• A61F2002/30411

  having two threaded end parts connected by a threaded central part with opposite threads at its opposite ends, i.e. for adjusting the distance between both end parts by rotating the central part · CPC title

• A61F2002/30593

  hollow · CPC title

• A61F2002/30387

  Dovetail connection · CPC title

• A61F2310/00179

  Ceramics or ceramic-like structures · CPC title