Dual tier spinal locking and retrieving system and instrumentation for administering such system percutaneously

Claim 1

A dual-tier spinal locking and retrieving system comprising: a plurality of spinal pins, each of said spinal pins including a longitudinally extending lower portion adapted to be fastened into a vertebra, a middle portion having a stop portion which limits the degree to which said lower portion can be fastened within a vertebra and an upper portion defining an externally threaded first receiving portion, the first receiving portion of at least two of said plurality of spinal pins including an opening defining a lower auxiliary locking mount; at least one lower auxiliary locking member interconnecting the lower auxiliary locking mounts of said at least two of said plurality of spinal pins; a plurality of connecting members, each of said connecting members including a second receiving portion threadably attached to the first receiving portion of a respective one of said plurality of spinal pins with the connecting members attached to said at least two of said plurality of pins securing said at least one lower auxiliary locking member between said at least two of said plurality of spinal pins, each of said connecting members further including a third receiving portion that is longitudinally spaced from said second receiving portion thereof; a plurality of clamping units, each of said clamping units being secured to a respective one of said third receiving portions; and at least one upper auxiliary locking member extending between the connecting members attached to said at least two of said plurality of spiral pins through respective ones of said plurality of clamping units, said at least one upper auxiliary locking member being longitudinally spaced from said at least one lower auxiliary locking member so as to define a dual-tier locking arrangement.

Claim 7

A method of administering a percutaneous implantation of a dual-tier spinal locking and retrieving system comprising: providing a plurality of spinal pins, each of which includes a longitudinally extending fastening portion, a stop portion and a first receiving portion, and wherein at least two of said plurality of spinal pins are each further provided with an opening defining an auxiliary locking mount; securing the fastening portion of each of said spinal pins into a respective vertebra with the stop portion thereof remaining outside of the vertebra; attaching a lower auxiliary locking member between the auxiliary locking mounts of the at least two of said plurality of spiral pins; providing a plurality of connecting members, each of which includes a second receiving portion adapted to be fastened to the first receiving portion of a respective one of said plurality of spiral pins and a third receiving portion; fastening one of said plurality of connecting members to the first receiving portion of one of the at least two of said plurality of spinal pins in order to fixedly retain said lower auxiliary locking member; maintaining a gap between the first receiving portions of the at least two of said plurality of spiral pins slightly smaller than a gap between the fastening portions of the at least two of said plurality of spiral pins while fastening another one of said plurality of connecting members to the other one of the at least two of said plurality of spinal pins in order to fixedly retain said lower auxiliary locking member between the at least two of said plurality of spinal pins; providing a plurality of clamping units, each of said clamping units being secured to a respective one of the third receiving portions of said plurality of connecting members; and attaching an upper auxiliary locking member between the clamping units on the third receiving portions of the at least two of said plurality of spinal pins with said upper auxiliary locking member being longitudinally spaced from said lower auxiliary locking member.

Claim 8

A method of administering a percutaneous implantation of a dual-tier spinal locking and retrieving system comprising: providing a plurality of spinal pins, each of which includes a longitudinally extending fastening portion, a stop portion and a first receiving portion, and wherein at least two of said plurality of spinal pins are each further provided with an opening defining an auxiliary locking mount; securing the fastening portion of each of said spinal pins into a respective vertebra with the stop portion thereof remaining outside of the vertebra; attaching a lower auxiliary locking member between the auxiliary locking mounts of the at least two of said plurality of spiral pins; providing a plurality of connecting members, each of which includes a second receiving portion adapted to be fastened to the first receiving portion of a respective one of said plurality of spiral pins and a third receiving portion; fastening one of said plurality of connecting members to the first receiving portion of one of the at least two of said plurality of spinal pins in order to fixedly retain said lower auxiliary locking member; maintaining a gap between the first receiving portions of the at least two of said plurality of spiral pins slightly smaller than a gap between the fastening portions of the at least two of said plurality of spiral pins while fastening another one of said plurality of connecting members to the other one of the at least two of said plurality of spinal pins in order to fixedly retain said lower auxiliary locking member between the at least two of said plurality of spinal pins; providing a plurality of clamping units, each of said clamping units being secured to a respective one of the third receiving portions of said plurality of connecting members; and attaching an upper auxiliary locking member between the clamping units on the third receiving portions of the at least two of said plurality of spinal pins with said upper auxiliary locking member being longitudinally spaced from said lower auxiliary locking member.