Patent EP0304305A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0304305A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Prosthetic disc
Assignee: RayMedica Inc
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Filing: 1988-08-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-08-18
Abstract
Abstract By implanting two prosthetic disc capsules (10, 10a) side-by-side into a damaged disc (26) of a human spine, both height and motion, including front-to-back bending, can be maintained. The prosthetic disc capsules have an outer layer of strong, inert fibers intermingled with a bioresorbable material which attracts tissue ingrowth, a bladder enveloped by the layer, and a thixotropic gel filling the bladder. The prosthetic disc capsules can be surgically implanted by 1) jacking apart the vertebrae (64, 65) adjacent a damaged disc (26), 2) forming a substantially sagittal bore in the damaged disc near each of its lateral edges, and 3) inserting one of the capsules (10, 10a) axially into each bore.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles Dean Ray M.D.
- 👤 Terry Paul Corbin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 03:43
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61L; A61L27/00; A61L27/02; A61L27/04; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/44; A61F2/441; A61F2/46; A61F2/4603; A61F2/4611; A61L27/40; A61L27/44; C; C08; C08L; C08L67/00; C08L67/04; A61F2/3094; A61F2/30965; A61F2/442; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30003; A61F2002/3006; A61F2002/30062; A61F2002/30108; A61F2002/30199; A61F2002/30224; A61F2002/30235; A61F2002/30667; A61F2002/30677; A61F2002/448; A61F2002/4625; A61F2002/4627; A61F2210/00; A61F2210/0004; A61F2230/00; A61F2230/0063; A61F2230/0069; A61L2430/00; A61L2430/38; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/20; Y10S424/00; Y10S424/07
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
An elongated cylindrical prosthetic intervertebral disc capsule adapted to be inserted in a sagittal direction within the nucleus of a damaged disc, particularly characterized in that: said capsule has a diameter approximating the height of a human disc space and a length approximately the sagittal diameter of the vertebral body, and said capsule comprising: an outer layer of strong, inert fibers intermingled with a bioresorbable material which attracts tissue ingrowth, and a fluid-filled bladder, such that when two of these capsules are inserted side-by-side into the nucleus of the anulus of a damaged disc, each lying near one of the lateral edges of the disc and spaced from the other capsule, they will maintain both height and motion, including front-to-back bending, at the disc space, but will limit rotation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
An elongated cylindrical prosthetic intervertebral disc capsule adapted to be inserted in a sagittal direction within the nucleus of a damaged disc, particularly characterized in that: said capsule has a diameter approximating the height of a human disc space and a length approximately the sagittal diameter of the vertebral body, and said capsule comprising: an outer layer of strong, inert fibers intermingled with a bioresorbable material which attracts tissue ingrowth, and a fluid-filled bladder, such that when two of these capsules are inserted side-by-side into the nucleus of the anulus of a damaged disc, each lying near one of the lateral edges of the disc and spaced from the other capsule, they will maintain both height and motion, including front-to-back bending, at the disc space, but will limit rotation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 1 wherein the fluid filling the bladder is a thixotropic gel having a viscosity and velocity-shear behavior imitating the natural rheology of intradiscal nuclear tissue.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 2 wherein said thixotropic gel has a Brookfield viscosity between 100 and 10,000 cps. at 6 rpm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 having strong, inert fibers woven into the outer layer and extending transversely through the bladder to limit lateral bulging.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 having external ridges or longitudinal vanes attached to the outside of the capsule to inhibit rotation of the capsule within the disc space.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the ends of the capsule are invaginated.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein said bioresorbable material comprises fibers which are interwoven with said inert fibers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 wherein said bioresorbable material is coated on the inert fibers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 wherein said bioresorbable material is selected from polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and collagen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 and including a hollow tubing communicating with said bladder and an external chamber, and means for injecting or withdrawing fluid into or from the chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 10 wherein said chamber consists of a needle-puncturable, self-sealing membrane.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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