US20070265652A1
Active / In Force
US
⏱️ 0.4 years remaining
Specialized cutter blades for preparing intervertebral disc space
Assignee: Mis IP Holdings LLC
•
Filing: 2007-02-28
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2027-02-28
Abstract
Abstract Cutter blades made of shape memory materials. Rotation of a cutter blade as part of a cutter assembly within an intervertebral disc space cuts the material present there for removal from the intervertebral disc space. Cutter blades with different attributes (such as throw length, cutter blade angle, type and location of blade edges) are adapted to achieve different objectives within the intervertebral disc space. The use of a hollow ground to enhance the cutting action of a blade edge is described in connection with the creation of cutter blades. A variety of thin cutter blades are described which may be used in the interior of a thin intervertebral disc (having a reduced distance between the endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies).
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Assell
- 👤 Thomas Womble
- 👤 Eugene Dickhudt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:30
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61B17/320016; A61B17/32002; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00261
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
1 . A thin cutter blade for use in an intervertebral disc space, the cutter blade created at least in part from a shape memory material and having a shape memory of a shape that the cutter blade assumes when not constrained from doing so and the cutter blade comprising: a proximal arm with a first longitudinal portion with a first cutter blade connection for use in affixing the proximal arm to a cutter assembly, the proximal arm also having a blade arm portion with at least one cutting edge; a distal arm with a second longitudinal portion with a second cutter blade connection for use in connecting the second longitudinal portion to the cutter assembly, the proximal arm also having a blade arm portion with at least one cutting edge; and a connection between the blade arm portion of the proximal arm and the blade arm portion of the distal arm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
1 . A thin cutter blade for use in an intervertebral disc space, the cutter blade created at least in part from a shape memory material and having a shape memory of a shape that the cutter blade assumes when not constrained from doing so and the cutter blade comprising: a proximal arm with a first longitudinal portion with a first cutter blade connection for use in affixing the proximal arm to a cutter assembly, the proximal arm also having a blade arm portion with at least one cutting edge; a distal arm with a second longitudinal portion with a second cutter blade connection for use in connecting the second longitudinal portion to the cutter assembly, the proximal arm also having a blade arm portion with at least one cutting edge; and a connection between the blade arm portion of the proximal arm and the blade arm portion of the distal arm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
2 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the first cutter blade connection is a slot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
3 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the second cutter blade connection is a slot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
4 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the connection between the blade arm portions is a rivet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
5 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the connection between the blade arm portions is at least two rivets.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
6 . The cutter blade of claim 1 further including a layer of retaining film positioned between the distal arm and the proximal arm and affixed to both the distal arm and the proximal arm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
7 . The cutter blade of claim 6 wherein the retaining film is adhered to both the distal arm and the proximal arm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
8 . The cutter blade of claim 6 wherein connections between the proximal arm and the distal arm pass through the retaining film to affix the retaining film to both the distal arm and the proximal arm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
9 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the distal arm has a cutting edge on an external surface of the distal arm, that is the surface on the opposite side from the proximal arm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
10 . The cutter blade of claim 9 wherein the external surface has a hollow grind
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
78 words
11 . The cutter blade of claim 9 wherein the distal arm a second cutting edge on the external surface of the distal arm, such that the distal arm is adapted to be connected to a cutter shaft and when the extended cutter blade is rotated around the centerline of a long axis of the cutter shaft the distal arm has a cutting edge for use with clockwise rotation and a cutting edge for use with counterclockwise rotation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
12 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the distal arm has a cutting edge recessed from an external surface of the distal arm, that is the surface on the opposite side from the proximal arm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
13 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the proximal arm has a cutting edge on an external surface of the proximal arm that is the surface on the opposite side from the distal arm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
14 . The cutter blade of claim 13 wherein the external surface has a hollow grind
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
82 words
15 . The cutter blade of claim 13 wherein the proximal arm a second cutting edge on the external surface of the proximal arm, such that the proximal arm is adapted to be connected to a cutter shaft and when the extended cutter blade is rotated around the centerline of a long axis of the cutter shaft the proximal arm has at least one cutting edge for use with clockwise rotation and at least one cutting edge for use with counterclockwise rotation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
16 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the proximal arm has a cutting edge recessed from an external surface of the proximal arm, that is the surface on the opposite side from the distal arm.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
17 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the angle between the proximal arm blade arm portion and the proximal arm longitudinal portion is in the range of about 25 to about 155 degrees.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
18 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the angle between the proximal arm blade arm portion and the proximal arm longitudinal portion is in the range of about 25 to about 90 degrees.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
19 . The cutter blade of claim 1 wherein the angle between the proximal arm blade arm portion and the proximal arm longitudinal portion is in the range of about 90 to about 155 degrees.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
180 words
20 . A closed loop cutter blade for use in an intervertebral disc space, the closed loop cutter blade having a shape memory of an extended position with a blade arm portion extended substantially transverse to a longitudinal portion of the closed loop cutter blade, the closed loop cutter blade having an exterior perimeter that includes the blade arm; the blade arm including a first face and a second face, the first face being a leading face and the second face being a trailing face when the closed loop cutter blade is connected to a cutter assembly and the cutter assembly is rotated in a first direction about a long axis of the cutter assembly; the closed loop cutter blade having a first cutting edge on a portion of the blade arm involving the first face and the external perimeter, and the cutter blade having a hollow grind between the first face and the second face on the exterior perimeter adjacent to the cutting edge on the portion of the blade arm involving the first face and the external perimeter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
180 words
20 . A closed loop cutter blade for use in an intervertebral disc space, the closed loop cutter blade having a shape memory of an extended position with a blade arm portion extended substantially transverse to a longitudinal portion of the closed loop cutter blade, the closed loop cutter blade having an exterior perimeter that includes the blade arm; the blade arm including a first face and a second face, the first face being a leading face and the second face being a trailing face when the closed loop cutter blade is connected to a cutter assembly and the cutter assembly is rotated in a first direction about a long axis of the cutter assembly; the closed loop cutter blade having a first cutting edge on a portion of the blade arm involving the first face and the external perimeter, and the cutter blade having a hollow grind between the first face and the second face on the exterior perimeter adjacent to the cutting edge on the portion of the blade arm involving the first face and the external perimeter.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
51 words
21 . The closed loop cutter blade of 20 wherein the closed loop cutter blade has a second cutting edge on a portion of the blade arm involving the second face and the external perimeter such that the hollow ground lies between the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
51 words
21 . The closed loop cutter blade of 20 wherein the closed loop cutter blade has a second cutting edge on a portion of the blade arm involving the second face and the external perimeter such that the hollow ground lies between the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
22 . The closed loop cutter blade of 20 wherein hollow ground has a maximum depth of not less than about 0.001 inches.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
22 . The closed loop cutter blade of 20 wherein hollow ground has a maximum depth of not less than about 0.001 inches.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
23 . The closed loop cutter blade of 20 wherein the first cutting edge is serrated.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
23 . The closed loop cutter blade of 20 wherein the first cutting edge is serrated.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
94 words
24 . The closed loop cutter blade of 20 wherein the closed loop cutter blade has a longitudinal portion that may be used to connect the closed loop cutter blade to a cutter blade assembly and the blade arm has a proximal portion and a distal portion and the proximal portion of the blade arm is closer to the longitudinal portion than a corresponding part of the distal portion is to the longitudinal portion and the angle formed by the proximal portion and the longitudinal portion is between about 25 to about 155 degrees.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
94 words
24 . The closed loop cutter blade of 20 wherein the closed loop cutter blade has a longitudinal portion that may be used to connect the closed loop cutter blade to a cutter blade assembly and the blade arm has a proximal portion and a distal portion and the proximal portion of the blade arm is closer to the longitudinal portion than a corresponding part of the distal portion is to the longitudinal portion and the angle formed by the proximal portion and the longitudinal portion is between about 25 to about 155 degrees.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1388547A
Cited
US1092914A
Cited
US1638807A
Cited
US2513663A
Cited
US2730101A
Cited
US3367326A
Cited
US3670732A
Cited
US4046144A
Cited
US5030201A
Cited
US5231910A
Cited
US5376100A
Cited
US5935143A
Cited
US5376094A
Cited
US5591170A
Cited
US5693011A
Cited
US5979056A
Cited
US5709697A
Cited
US5787591A
Cited
US5937524A
Cited
US5928239A
Cited
US6440138B1
Cited
US20020188299A1
Cited
US6389699B1
Cited
US6159179A
Cited
US20020016604A1
Cited
US6383188B2
Cited
US6740090B1
Cited
US20040215343A1
Cited
US6574868B1
Cited
US6746451B2
Cited
US20030205024A1
Cited
US20050165406A1
Cited
US20050113836A1
Cited
US20050228420A1
Cited
US20050257660A1
Cited
US20050230510A1
Cited
US20060241629A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.