Expandable implant assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11896494-B2
Application number	US-201916438031-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2019
Priority date	Jul 10, 2017
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

An expandable implant includes an upper main support, a lower main support, an upper pivoting support, and a lower pivoting support. The upper main support and the upper pivoting support are configured to engage a first portion of bone, and the lower main support is coupled to the upper main support and configured to engage a second portion of bone. The upper main support is adjustable relative to the lower main support to adjust height of the implant. The upper pivoting support is rotatably movable relative to the upper main support. The lower pivoting support is coupled to the upper pivoting support, configured to engage the second bone portion, and is rotatably movable relative to the lower main support. Adjusting the upper main support relative to the lower main support causes adjustment of the upper pivoting support relative to the lower pivoting support.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An expandable implant, comprising:
an upper main support configured to engage a first portion of bone;
a lower main support coupled to the upper main support and configured to engage a second portion of bone, wherein the upper main support is adjustable relative to the lower main support to adjust a height of the expandable implant;
an upper pivoting support configured to engage the first portion of bone, wherein the upper pivoting support is rotatably movable relative to the upper main support;
a lower pivoting support coupled to the upper pivoting support and configured to engage the second portion of bone, wherein adjustment of the upper main support relative to the lower main support causes a corresponding adjustment of the upper pivoting support relative to the lower pivoting support, and wherein the lower pivoting support is rotatably movable relative to the lower main support;
at least one alignment guide provided on one of the lower main support and the upper main support; and
at least one alignment recess provided on the other of the lower main support and the upper main support and configured to receive the at least one alignment guide to maintain a desired alignment between the upper main support and the lower main support;
wherein the at least one alignment guide and the at least one alignment recess limit the upper and lower main supports to linear relative motion;
wherein the upper pivoting support is movable between a first position, where a first portion of the upper pivoting support is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the upper main support and a second portion of the upper pivoting support is adjacent a first side of the upper main support, and a second position, where the first portion of the upper pivoting support extends beyond a second side of the upper main support opposite the first side and in a first direction, and the second portion of the upper pivoting support extends beyond the first side of the upper main support in a second direction opposite the first direction.

2. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein the upper pivoting support and the lower pivoting support rotate about distal ends of the upper main support and the lower main support.

3. The expandable implant of claim 1 , further comprising a control shaft received in the lower main support and first and second control members threadingly received on the control shaft;
wherein the upper main support includes a first control channel configured to receive at least a portion of the first control member and a second control channel configured to receive at least a portion of the second control member; and
wherein rotation of the control shaft causes movement of the first control member along the control shaft and movement of the second control member along the control shaft to move the upper main support relative to the lower main support.

4. The expandable implant of claim 3 , wherein the first control channel and the second control channel are angled towards each other, and wherein rotation of the control shaft causes movement of the first control member and the second control member along the control shaft in opposite directions to move the upper main support relative to the lower main support.

5. The expandable implant of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tool channel formed in the lower main support; and
a space defined between the upper pivoting support and the lower pivoting support for engaging a tool end;
wherein the tool channel is configured to direct the tool end to the space defined between the upper pivoting support and the lower pivoting support to enable rotation of the upper and lower pivoting supports through application of a force to the upper pivoting support and the lower pivoting support from the tool end.

6. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein the upper pivoting support and the lower pivoting support rotate about a common pivot axis.

7. An expandable implant, comprising:
an upper support assembly configured to engage a first portion of bone and including an upper main support and an upper pivoting support, wherein the upper pivoting support is rotatably movable relative to the upper main support;
a lower support assembly coupled to the upper support assembly, the lower support assembly configured to engage a second portion of bone and including a lower main support and a lower pivoting support, wherein the lower pivoting support is rotatably movable relative to the lower main support; and
a control assembly comprising a control shaft and a control member received on the control shaft, the control member configured to translate along the control shaft and slidingly engage the upper main support and the lower main support, wherein a height of the control shaft relative to the lower main support remains constant during adjustment of the upper support assembly relative to the lower support assembly;
wherein the upper support assembly is adjustable relative to the lower support assembly to adjust a height of the expandable implant by rotation of the control shaft;
wherein the upper pivoting support is movable between a first position, where a first portion of the upper pivoting support is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the upper main support and a second portion of the upper pivoting support is adjacent a first side of the upper main support, and a second position, where the first portion of the upper pivoting support extends beyond a second side of the upper main support opposite the first side and in a first direction, and the second portion of the upper pivoting support extends beyond the first side of the upper main support in a second direction opposite the first direction.

8. The expandable implant of claim 7 , wherein the upper pivoting support and the lower pivoting support rotate about distal ends of the upper main support and the lower main support.

9. The expandable implant of claim 7 , wherein the upper main support is translationally fixed relative to the upper pivoting support and the lower main support is translationally fixed relative to the lower pivoting support.

10. The expandable implant of claim 7 , wherein the upper pivoting support comprises a plurality of apertures spaced apart that extend through an entire width of the upper pivoting support, and the lower pivoting support comprises one or more apertures, wherein a first set of the plurality of apertures of the upper pivoting support are configured to overlap the one or more apertures of the upper pivoting support to allow light to pass through.

11. The expandable implant of claim 10 , wherein a second set of the plurality of apertures of the upper pivoting support are configured to overlap the one or more apertures of the lower pivoting support to allow light to pass through when the upper support assembly is adjusted relative to the lower support assembly to a predetermined height.

12. The expandable implant of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of apertures of the upper pivoting support extend through a protrusion of the upper pivoting support, and wherein the lower pivoting support comprises a correspondingly shaped aperture configured to receive the protrusion of the upper pivoting support.

13. The expandable implant of claim 12 , wherein the one or more apertures of the lower pivoting support extend through one or more protrusions of the lower pivoting support, wherein the one or more protrusions extend from an outer periphery of the correspondingly shaped aperture.

14. An expandable implant, comprising:
an upper main support configured to engage a first portion of bone;
a lower main support coupled to the

Assignees

• Life Spine Inc

Inventors

• Predick Daniel P
• Wolters Madeline
• Butler Michael S

Classifications

• A61F2/4455 Primary

  for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages (intervertebral discs A61F2/442) · CPC title

• A61F2/4611

  of spinal prostheses · CPC title

• A61F2002/3054

  about a connection axis or implantation axis for selecting any one of a plurality of radial orientations between two modular parts, e.g. Morse taper connections, at discrete positions, angular positions or continuous positions · CPC title

• A61F2002/30172

  T-shaped · CPC title

• A61F2002/30261

  parallelepipedal · CPC title