Spinal implant and methods of manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016000575-A1
Application number	US-201414768540-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2014
Priority date	Feb 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an invertebral disc prosthesis comprising a first cantilever arm; the first cantilever arm comprising a shaft that is affixed to a disc; a second cantilever arm that comprises a plurality of rods that contact the disc; the plurality of rods being equidistant from a central axis of the shaft; and a third cantilever arm that comprises a platform to which are attached a plurality of rings; the rings being concentrically disposed about the shaft; the rings being in operative communication with each other; where the plurality of rods contacts the platform; and where the second cantilever arm has more degrees of freedom than the first cantilever arm, while the third cantilever arm has a number of degrees of freedom that are greater than or equal to the number of degrees of the second cantilever arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An invertebral disc prosthesis comprising:
a first cantilever arm; the first cantilever arm comprising a shaft that is affixed to a disc; a second cantilever arm that comprises a plurality of rods that contact the disc; the plurality of rods being equidistant from a central axis of the shaft; and and a third cantilever arm that comprises a platform to which are attached a plurality of rings; the rings being concentrically disposed about the shaft; the rings being in operative communication with each other; where the plurality of rods contacts the platform; and where the second cantilever arm has more degrees of freedom than the first cantilever arm, while the third cantilever arm has a number of degrees of freedom that are greater than or equal to the number of degrees of the second cantilever arm.

2 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 1 , where an uppermost ring of the plurality of rings contacts a vertebra and where one end of the shaft contacts an opposing vertebra.

3 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 2 , where the plurality of rods comprises 4 or more rods.

4 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 3 , where the plurality of rods comprises 8 or more rods.

5 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 4 , where one end of each rod of the plurality of rods contacts the disc, while an opposing end of each rod of the plurality of rods contacts the platform.

6 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 5 , where the plurality of rings comprises 2 or more rings.

7 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 6 , where the plurality of rings comprises 4 or more rings.

8 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 7 , where each ring of the plurality of rings contacts a neighboring ring through a pair of ribs.

9 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 8 , where the pair of ribs between each pair of rings is displaced by 90 degrees from another pair of ribs in a neighboring pair of rings.

10 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 9 , comprising a metal or a ceramic.

11 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 9 , comprising an organic polymer.

12 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 1 , where the polymer is a polyetherketone.

13 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 1 , where the entire invertebral disc prosthesis is a single unitary indivisible piece.

14 . The invertebral disc prosthesis of claim 1 , where an upper surface of the uppermost ring of the plurality of rings has a tapered surface; and where the taper is up to 5 degrees.

15 . A method of manufacturing an invertebral disc prosthesis comprising:
manufacturing a shaft with a disc disposed at one end; the disc having a larger diameter than a diameter of the shaft; where the disc is concentric to the shaft; contacting the disc with a plurality of rods; where an axis of each rod of the plurality of rods is parallel to a central axis of the shaft; contacting a platform with each rod of the plurality of rods; where an end of the rods that contacts the platform is opposed to an end that contacts the disc; the platform being in contact with a ring; the ring being disposed on an outer periphery of the platform; and contacting the ring to a plurality of rings through a plurality of ribs; where each pair of ribs of the plurality of ribs contacts a pair of rings; and where each successive pair of ribs is displaced by 90 degrees from another pair of ribs in a neighboring pair of rings.

16 . The method of claim 16 , where the invertebral disc prosthesis comprises a single monolithic piece.

17 . The method of claim 16 , where parts of the invertebral disc prosthesis are bonded together, while other parts are mechanically fastened to each other.

18 . A method of using an invertebral disc prosthesis comprising:
contacting a pair of opposing vertebra in a vertebral column with an invertebral disc prosthesis that comprises: a first cantilever arm; the first cantilever arm comprising a shaft that is affixed to a disc; a second cantilever arm that comprises a plurality of rods that contact the disc; the plurality of rods being equidistant from a central axis of the shaft; and a third cantilever arm that comprises a platform to which are attached a plurality of rings; the rings being concentrically disposed about the shaft; the rings being in operative communication with each other; where the plurality of rods contacts the platform; and where the second cantilever arm has more degrees of freedom than the first cantilever arm, while the third cantilever arm has a number of degrees of freedom that are greater than or equal to the number of degrees of the second cantilever arm; where an uppermost ring of the plurality of rings contacts a vertebra and where one end of the shaft contacts an opposing vertebra.

Assignees

• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Sawyer Wallace Gregory
• Krick Brandon Alexander

Classifications

• A61F2002/30224

  cylindrical · CPC title

• A61F2002/30563

  having elastic means or damping means, different from springs, e.g. including an elastomeric core or shock absorbers · CPC title

• A61F2240/002

  Designing or making customized prostheses · CPC title

• A61F2002/30299

  umbrella-shaped or mushroom-shaped · CPC title

• A61F2002/30565

  having spring elements · CPC title