Patent US4904260A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4904260A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Prosthetic disc containing therapeutic material
Assignee: RAY MEDICA Inc
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Filing: 1988-07-25
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Granted: 1990-02-27
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Expires: 2008-07-25
Abstract
Abstract By implanting two prosthetic disc capsules side-by-side into a damaged disc of a human spine, both height and motion, including front-to-back bending, can be maintained. Each prosthetic disc capsule has a bladder enclosing a fluid containing a therapeutic material that is slowly diffusible through a semi-permeable membrane of the bladder. The fluid filling the semi-permeable membrane preferably is an aqueous solution that has gel-like properties that afford a viscosity and velocity-shear behavior imitating the natural rheology of intradiscal nuclear tissue. Those properties are obtained when the aqueous solution is of a mucopolysaccharide such as hyaluronic acid or soldium hyaluronate.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles D. Ray
- 👤 Terry P. Corbin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 21:56
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: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
An elongated cylindrical prosthetic intervertebral disc capsule having a diameter approximating the height of a human disc space and a length approaching the sagittal diameter of the vertebral body, said capsule comprising: a flexible bladder which is chemically and biologically inert and comprises a semi-permeable membrane enclosing a fluid containing a therapeutic material that is slowly diffusible through the semi-permeable membrane, and a layer of strong fibers encompassing the fluid-filled membrane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
An elongated cylindrical prosthetic intervertebral disc capsule having a diameter approximating the height of a human disc space and a length approaching the sagittal diameter of the vertebral body, said capsule comprising: a flexible bladder which is chemically and biologically inert and comprises a semi-permeable membrane enclosing a fluid containing a therapeutic material that is slowly diffusible through the semi-permeable membrane, and a layer of strong fibers encompassing the fluid-filled membrane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 1 wherein the semi-permeable membrane is a microporous organic film.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 2 wherein the microporous organic film is microporous polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 1 wherein the semi-permeable membrane is a tightly woven fabric of oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers that has been plasma-deposited with polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 1 wherein the pore size of the semi-permeable membrane is sufficiently small to block the passage of human cells.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 5 wherein the pore size of the semi-permeable membrane is on the order of 1-7 micrometers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 1 wherein the bladder also comprises flexible impermeable organic film.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 7 wherein the semi-permeable membranee is a tube, the diameter of which approximates the thickness of a human disc, and the length of which approximates the sagittal diameter of the vertebral body, and he ends of the tube are sealed to circles of an impermeable organic film.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 1 wherein the fluid filling the bladder is a gel having a viscosity and velocity-shear behavior imitating the natural rheology of intradiscal nuclear tissue.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 9 wherein the fluid filling the bladder is an aqueous solution of a mucopolysaccharide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 10 wherein the mucopolysaccharide is selected from hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 1 having strong, inert fibers woven into the outer layer and extending transversely through the semi-permeable membrane to limit lateral bulging.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 12 wherein a bioresorbable material is intermingled with the inert fibers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 13 wherein said bioresorbable material comprises fibers which are interwoven with said inert fibers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 13 wherein said bioresorbable material is coated on the inert fibers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
A prosthetic disc capsule as defined in claim 1 and including a hollow tubing communicating with the interior of said membrane and an external chamber, and means for injecting or withdrawing fluid into or from the chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
92 words
An elongated cylindrical prosthetic intervertebral disc capsule having a diameter approximating the height of a human disc space and a length approaching the sagittal diameter of the vertebral body, said capsule comprising: a flexible bladder which is chemically and biologically inert, and which comprises a semi-permeable membrane, enclosing a fluid containing a therapeutic material that is slowly diffusible thrugh the semi-permeable membrane, and through which the therapeutic material is slowly diffusible but through which cells will not pass, and said capsule further comprising a layer of strong fibers encompassing the fluid-filled membrane.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
92 words
An elongated cylindrical prosthetic intervertebral disc capsule having a diameter approximating the height of a human disc space and a length approaching the sagittal diameter of the vertebral body, said capsule comprising: a flexible bladder which is chemically and biologically inert, and which comprises a semi-permeable membrane, enclosing a fluid containing a therapeutic material that is slowly diffusible thrugh the semi-permeable membrane, and through which the therapeutic material is slowly diffusible but through which cells will not pass, and said capsule further comprising a layer of strong fibers encompassing the fluid-filled membrane.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-02-26 | 1993-08-28 | 1994-02-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-02-26 | 1997-08-28 | 1998-02-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-02-26 | 2001-08-28 | 2002-02-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |