Expandable implant assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020383798-A1
Application number	US-202016904248-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Dec 10, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An expandable implant includes an upper portion configured to engage a first portion of bone, a bottom portion configured to engage a second portion of bone, a control assembly coupled to the upper portion and the bottom portion and configured to control relative movement between the upper portion and the bottom portion, wherein the control assembly includes a front portion and a control member, wherein the front portion has an aperture configured to receive the control member, wherein the control member includes a head, and wherein a portion of the head is positioned outside of the aperture as the implant is expanded between a first, collapsed orientation and a second, expanded orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An expandable implant, comprising:
an upper portion configured to engage a first portion of bone; a bottom portion configured to engage a second portion of bone; a control assembly coupled to the upper portion and the bottom portion and configured to control relative movement between the upper portion and the bottom portion, wherein the control assembly includes: a front portion; a rear portion; a control shaft coupled to the front portion and the rear portion, where the control shaft includes a first end having a head portion at least partially located to an exterior of front portion.

2 . The implant of claim 1 , wherein the front portion is longitudinally fixed relative to the control shaft, and the rear portion is configured to move longitudinally relative to the control portion.

3 . The implant of claim 1 , wherein the rear portion comprises an aperture having a first interior diameter;
wherein the head portion includes an outer ring having a second exterior diameter, larger than the first interior diameter; and wherein the head portion includes an access ring having a third exterior diameter, smaller than the first interior diameter.

4 . The implant of claim 3 , wherein the access ring has a retention groove having a fourth exterior diameter smaller than the third exterior diameter, wherein the retention groove is configured to receive a retention member.

5 . The implant of claim 4 , wherein the head further comprises a recess configured to receive an expansion tool.

6 . The implant of claim 5 , wherein the recess is positioned within the aperture as the implant is expanded from the first, collapsed position to the second, expanded position.

7 . The implant of claim 4 , wherein the rear portion has a retention slot configured to receive the retention member, such that a first portion of the retention member is positioned within the retention groove and a second portion of the retention member is positioned within the retention slot.

8 . The implant of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion includes a first end having a first cutout and a second end having a first rail offset from a lateral center of the implant, wherein the rear portion includes a second rail received in the first cutout, and the front portion includes a second cutout configured to receive the first rail.

9 . A method of installing an expandable implant, comprising:
inserting the implant into a desired location; wherein the implant comprises:
an upper support configured to engage a first portion of bone, wherein the upper support includes a first rail;
a lower support configured to engage a second portion of bone, wherein the second support includes a second rail; and
a control assembly comprising a control member including a head, a rear portion including an aperture configured to receive the control member, and a front portion, wherein the control assembly is configured to control relative movement between the upper support and the lower support; and
manipulating the control member to cause relative sliding movement between the rear portion and both the upper support and the lower support, and the front portion and both the upper support and the lower support, to expand the implant to a desired height;
wherein the front portion includes a first groove configured to slidably engage the first rail and a second groove configured to slidably engage the second rail.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the front portion is configured to receive a tip of the control member, wherein the control member is configured to control relative movement of the rear portion and the front portion.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein
the aperture has a first interior diameter; the head includes an outer ring having a second exterior diameter, larger than the first interior diameter; and the head includes an access ring having a third exterior diameter, smaller than the first interior diameter.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the access ring has a retention groove having a fourth exterior diameter smaller than the third exterior diameter, wherein the retention groove is configured to receive a retention member.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the head further comprises a recess configured to receive an expansion tool.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the recess is positioned within the aperture as the implant is expanded from the first, collapsed position to the second, expanded position.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the rear portion has a retention slot configured to receive the retention member, such that a portion of the retention member is positioned within the retention groove and a portion of the retention member is positioned within the retention slot.

16 . An implant comprising:
an upper support configured to engage a first portion of bone; a lower support configured to engage a second portion of bone; a control assembly configured to control relative movement between the upper support and the lower support, the control assembly comprising;
a rear portion configured to engage the upper support at a first end of the upper support;
a front portion configured to engage the upper support at a second end of the upper support, the second end being opposite the first end; and
a control member adjustably engaging the rear portion and the front portion; wherein the upper support and the lower support are identical.

17 . The implant of claim 16 , wherein the rear portion has a retention hole extending from a top surface to a bottom surface, wherein the retention hole is configured to receive a retention member.

18 . The implant of claim 17 , wherein the control member includes a retention slot configured to engage a portion of the retention member.

19 . The implant of claim 16 , wherein manipulation of the control member causes the rear portion to move towards the front portion and causes the upper support to move away from the lower support.

20 . The implant of claim 16 , wherein the control member comprises a head, wherein a portion of the head is positioned outside of the rear portion.

Assignees

• Life Spine Inc

Inventors

• Butler Michael S
• Wolters Madeline
• Predick Daniel
• Shoshtaev Eugene

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

• A61F2002/30266

  wedge-shaped parallelepipeds · CPC title

• A61F2/447 Primary

  substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section · CPC title

• A61F2002/30331

  made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementarily-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit · CPC title

• A61F2002/30329

  Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements · CPC title