US20070167951A1
Active / In Force
US
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Methods and tools for delivery of spinal motion preservation assemblies
Assignee: Mis IP Holdings LLC
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Filing: 2006-10-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2026-10-24
Abstract
Abstract Spinal motion preservation assemblies adapted for use in a spinal motion segment are disclosed including the process for delivering and assembling the spinal motion preservation assemblies in the spinal motion segment via an axial channel created with a trans-sacral approach. Many of the spinal motion preservation assemblies make use of a dual pivot. A number of different embodiments of spinal motion preservation assemblies are disclosed which include at least one component adapted for elastic deformation under compressive loads. The disclosed mobility preservation assemblies provide for dynamic stabilization of the spinal motion segment. Other variations and implementations of the teachings are disclosed, including the sheathed delivery of membranes in order to protect the membranes before and during deployment.
Inventors
- 👤 Stephen Ainsworth
- 👤 Brandon Arthurs
- 👤 Robert Assell
- 👤 Eugene Dickhudt
- 👤 Bradley Wessman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 04:04
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/56; A61B17/58; A61B17/68; A61B17/70; A61B17/7055; A61B17/02; A61B17/025; A61B17/88; A61B17/8875; A61B17/8886; A61B17/8888; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/44; A61F2/442; A61F2/4425; A61F2/46; A61F2/4603; A61F2/4611; A61B17/34; A61B17/3417; A61B17/3421; A61B17/8897; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00261; A61B2017/0256; A61B2017/3445; A61F2/30721; A61F2/30742; A61F2/441; A61F2/4455; A61F2/4637; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30003; A61F2002/3006; A61F2002/30075; A61F2002/30108; A61F2002/30199; A61F2002/30224; A61F2002/30235; A61F2002/30316; A61F2002/30317; A61F2002/30327; A61F2002/30329; A61F2002/30405; A61F2002/30476; A61F2002/30495; A61F2002/30507; A61F2002/30535; A61F2002/30537; A61F2002/3055; A61F2002/30563; A61F2002/30565; A61F2002/30566; A61F2002/30581; A61F2002/30588; A61F2002/30601; A61F2002/30621; A61F2002/30649; A61F2002/30665; A61F2/30767; A61F2/30771; A61F2002/3085; A61F2002/30859; A61F2002/30863; A61F2002/443; A61F2002/444; A61F2002/4625; A61F2002/4627; A61F2002/4629; A61F2210/00; A61F2210/0061; A61F2220/00; A61F2220/0025; A61F2230/00; A61F2230/0063; A61F2230/0069; A61F2250/00; A61F2250/0014; A61F2250/0039
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
1 . A membrane delivery tool for delivering a membrane to be used in a prosthetic nucleus wherein the delivery tool is adapted to have a membrane attached to the delivery tool and then covered by a movable sheath so that the membrane may be protected as the delivery tool is introduced into a patient's body and the sheath may be removed to expose the membrane when the membrane is in position to receive prosthetic nucleus material within an intervertebral disc space.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
82 words
1 . A membrane delivery tool for delivering a membrane to be used in a prosthetic nucleus wherein the delivery tool is adapted to have a membrane attached to the delivery tool and then covered by a movable sheath so that the membrane may be protected as the delivery tool is introduced into a patient's body and the sheath may be removed to expose the membrane when the membrane is in position to receive prosthetic nucleus material within an intervertebral disc space.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
2 . The membrane delivery tool of claim 1 wherein the membrane delivery tool is adapted to deliver prosthetic nucleus material provided at a proximal end of the delivery tool through an internal channel to at least one aperture in fluid communication with the inside of the membrane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
3 . The membrane delivery tool of claim 1 wherein the membrane delivery tool is adapted to distract two adjacent vertebral bodies by means of engagement with a bone anchor in a first vertebral body and whereby the application of torque or force causes an increase in the distance between the first vertebral body and the adjacent second vertebral body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
4 . The membrane delivery tool of claim 2 wherein the membrane delivery tool has two membrane channels for use in retaining portions of the membrane as the membrane is filled with prosthetic nucleus material and the at least one aperture is positioned between the two membrane channels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
69 words
5 . The membrane delivery tool of claim 2 wherein the membrane delivery tool comprises: a proximal end held by the user and a distal end inserted into the body; a channel for use in retaining a portion of the membrane as the membrane is filled with prosthetic nucleus material; and the at least one aperture located on a portion of the membrane delivery tool inserted into the body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
85 words
6 . A driver for delivering an insert to a bone anchor, the bone anchor having an internal cavity with a set of internal threads, the driver adapted to rotate with respect to a bone anchor that is anchored in a vertebral body in order to engage external threads on the insert with the internal threads in the bone anchor and axially advance the threadably engaged insert within the bone anchor while simultaneously preventing the bone anchor from rotating with respect to the vertebral body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
6 . A driver for delivering an insert to a bone anchor, the bone anchor having an internal cavity with a set of internal threads, the driver adapted to rotate with respect to a bone anchor that is anchored in a vertebral body in order to engage external threads on the insert with the internal threads in the bone anchor and axially advance the threadably engaged insert within the bone anchor while simultaneously preventing the bone anchor from rotating with respect to the vertebral body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
7 . The driver of claim 6 wherein the driver is adapted to engage with an engagable surface accessible from an end of the bone anchor that receives the insert.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
8 . The driver of claim 6 wherein the driver is adapted to axially advance fingers to engage with slots in the bone anchor along a perimeter of an end of the bone anchor that receives the insert.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
9 . The driver of claim 6 wherein the driver is adapted to engage the insert with a threaded element connected to the driver so that the insert is threadedly engaged with the driver until threadedly engaged with the bone anchor and released from threaded engagement with the driver.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
10 . A driver for delivering an insert to an implanted bone anchor the driver adapted to positively engage the insert through use of an expanding mandrel which is selectively expanded and released through an adjustment means that is on the portion of the driver that is not inserted into a body during the delivery of the insert to the implanted bone anchor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
63 words
10 . A driver for delivering an insert to an implanted bone anchor the driver adapted to positively engage the insert through use of an expanding mandrel which is selectively expanded and released through an adjustment means that is on the portion of the driver that is not inserted into a body during the delivery of the insert to the implanted bone anchor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
75 words
11 . A threaded sleeve with a distal end with a set of external threads for establishment of a threaded engagement with a set of internal threads in an implanted bone anchor, and a proximal end with a set of internal threads for engagement with a distraction driver that moves axially through the interior of the implanted bone anchor and pushes an object away from the implanted bone anchor and the threadedly engaged threaded sleeve.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
75 words
11 . A threaded sleeve with a distal end with a set of external threads for establishment of a threaded engagement with a set of internal threads in an implanted bone anchor, and a proximal end with a set of internal threads for engagement with a distraction driver that moves axially through the interior of the implanted bone anchor and pushes an object away from the implanted bone anchor and the threadedly engaged threaded sleeve.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
167 words
12 . A method of delivering a motion preservation assembly into a vertebral motion segment, the method comprising: delivering a first bone anchor to a more cephalad vertebral body in the vertebral motion segment; delivering a second bone anchor to a more caudal vertebral body in the vertebral motion segment; delivering a prosthetic nucleus to an intervertebral disc space in the vertebral motion segment; delivering a pivot assembly including a component in the first bone anchor and a component in the second bone anchor and a component placed through the intervertebral disc space so that there is a path of contact between the component in the first bone anchor to the component in the second bone anchor that includes the component placed through the intervertebral disc space; and adjusting the pivot assembly after delivery to the motion segment to alter the distribution of loading applied to the more cephalad vertebral body and to the more caudal vertebral body through the pivot assembly versus through the prosthetic nucleus.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
167 words
12 . A method of delivering a motion preservation assembly into a vertebral motion segment, the method comprising: delivering a first bone anchor to a more cephalad vertebral body in the vertebral motion segment; delivering a second bone anchor to a more caudal vertebral body in the vertebral motion segment; delivering a prosthetic nucleus to an intervertebral disc space in the vertebral motion segment; delivering a pivot assembly including a component in the first bone anchor and a component in the second bone anchor and a component placed through the intervertebral disc space so that there is a path of contact between the component in the first bone anchor to the component in the second bone anchor that includes the component placed through the intervertebral disc space; and adjusting the pivot assembly after delivery to the motion segment to alter the distribution of loading applied to the more cephalad vertebral body and to the more caudal vertebral body through the pivot assembly versus through the prosthetic nucleus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the first bone anchor, second bone anchor, and pivot assembly are delivered through an axial channel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
14 . The method of claim 12 wherein the first bone anchor, second bone anchor, and pivot assembly are delivered through an a trans-sacral axial channel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
46 words
15 . The method of claim 12 wherein the second bone anchor in the more caudal vertebral body is prevented from rotation during the adjusting of the pivot assembly by a stabilizer that engages engagable surface features on the proximal face of the second bone anchor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
16 . The method of claim 12 wherein the engagable surface features are slots that are engaged by fingers on a stabilizer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
17 . The method of claim 12 wherein the prosthetic nucleus includes a membrane and prosthetic nucleus material injected into the membrane after the membrane was delivered to the intervertebral disc space.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the membrane was protected during at least a portion of a delivery route through a patient's body to the motion segment by a sheath on the delivery tool conveying the membrane.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
19 . The method of claim 17 wherein the membrane was protected during at least a portion of a delivery route that include transit through a cephalad/caudal channel in the second bone anchor.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
51 words
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the membrane has a capacity to assume a shape without stretching of the membrane and that shape has a diameter measured at the midline along the cephalad/caudal axis that exceeds the minimum diameter of the cephalad caudal channel in the second bone anchor.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
45 words
21 . The method of claim 19 wherein the membrane has a predetermined shape and that shape has a diameter measured at the midline along the cephalad/caudal axis that exceeds the minimum diameter of the delivery route through a patient's body to the motion segment.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
41 words
22 . The method of claim 17 wherein the membrane after filling with prosthetic nucleus material has a perimeter length along a midline on the cephalad/caudal axis that is not more than about 150% of the midline perimeter length before filling.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
23 . The method of claim 17 wherein the membrane is disengaged from a delivery tool after the membrane receives prosthetic nucleus material by pulling the delivery tool away from the membrane containing prosthetic nucleus material.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
24 . The method of claim 17 wherein the first bone anchor and the second bone anchor are delivered by timed delivery and the position of the second bone anchor is adjusted after disengaging a delivery driver from the first bone anchor.
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