US6235034B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Bone plate and bone screw guide mechanism
Assignee: RSB Spine LLC
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Filing: 1998-10-23
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Granted: 2001-05-22
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Expires: 2018-10-23
Abstract
Abstract A bone plate comprises a base plate having at least two screw holes and at least two bone screws capable of securing the bone plate to a bone by insertion through the screw holes into the bone. The bone screws have heads shaped to toggle within the screw holes. A retaining plate is provided that is fixedly attachable to the base plate. The retaining plate covers at least a portion of each of the bone screws. The retaining plate and base plate each contain set screw apertures. A set screw is provided to retain the retaining plate in place over the base plate by screwing the set screw through the set screw apertures in the retaining plate and base plate. This design prevents the bone screw from backing out from the bone once screwed in through the base plate.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert S. Bray
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:59
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/56; A61B17/58; A61B17/68; A61B17/80; A61B17/8033; A61B17/8042; A61B17/16; A61B17/1655; A61B17/1662; A61B17/1671; A61B17/17; A61B17/1728; A61B17/1739; A61B17/1757; A61B17/88; A61B17/8875; A61B17/8877; A61B17/70; A61B90/00; A61B90/03; A61B2090/033
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A bone plate comprising: a base plate having at least two screw holes; at least two bone screws capable of securing the bone plate to a bone by insertion through the screw holes into the bone, wherein the bone screws have heads shaped to toggle within the screw holes; and a bone screw locking means capable of securedly covering the bone screws so that the bone screws cannot back out from the bone once screwed in through the base plate; wherein the bone screws and bone screw locking means are designed such that when the bone screw locking means covers the bone screws and is fixedly attached to said base plate, the top of each bone screw mates with the bone screw locking means and each bone screw can toggle within its corresponding screw hole.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A bone plate comprising: a base plate having at least two screw holes; at least two bone screws capable of securing the bone plate to a bone by insertion through the screw holes into the bone, wherein the bone screws have heads shaped to toggle within the screw holes; and a bone screw locking means capable of securedly covering the bone screws so that the bone screws cannot back out from the bone once screwed in through the base plate; wherein the bone screws and bone screw locking means are designed such that when the bone screw locking means covers the bone screws and is fixedly attached to said base plate, the top of each bone screw mates with the bone screw locking means and each bone screw can toggle within its corresponding screw hole.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A bone plate according to claim 1 , wherein the bone screw locking means comprises: a retaining plate fixedly attachable to the base plate, wherein the retaining plate covers at least a portion of each of the bone screws, and a retaining plate fixing means for fixedly attaching the retaining plate to the base plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A bone plate according to claim 2 , wherein the fixing means comprises a set screw and wherein the base plate also has a set screw aperture.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A bone plate according to claim 2 , wherein the retaining plate covers 100 percent of at least one bone screw.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A bone plate according to claim 1 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in at least two directions at an angle of about 0 to about 20 degrees from normal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
A bone plate according to claim 1 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in at least two directions at an angle of about 0 to about 15 degrees from normal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A bone plate according to claim 1 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in any direction at an angle of about 0 degrees to about 20 degrees from normal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A bone plate according to claim 1 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in any direction at an angle of about 0 to about 15 degrees from normal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A bone plate according to claim 1 , wherein each bone screw has a radiused head.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
A bone plate according to claim 2 , wherein each bone screw head contains a depression and wherein the retaining plate contains protrusions that correspond in shape, size and number to and that are capable of fitting within the depressions in the bone screw heads.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A bone plate according to claim 10 , wherein each bone screw has a radiused head.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A bone plate according to claim 1 , wherein the base plate comprises at least two pairs of adjacent screw holes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A bone plate according to claim 1 , wherein the base plate is made of titanium or a titanium alloy.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
173 words
A bone plate comprising a base plate having two screw holes and a set screw hole between the screw holes; two bone screws capable of securing the bone plate to a bone by insertion through the screw holes into the bone; a retaining plate fixedly attachable to the base plate, wherein the retaining plate has a size sufficient to cover the bone screws and a set screw aperture extending therethrough so that the set screw aperture is aligned with the set screw hole in the base plate when the retaining plate is placed on the base plate; and a set screw for fixedly attaching the retaining plate to the base plate by extending through the set screw aperture in the retaining plate and into the set screw hole in the base plate; wherein the bone screws and retaining plate are designed such that, when the retaining plate covers the bone screws the top of each bone screw mates with the retaining plate and the covered bone screws can toggle within the screw holes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
173 words
A bone plate comprising a base plate having two screw holes and a set screw hole between the screw holes; two bone screws capable of securing the bone plate to a bone by insertion through the screw holes into the bone; a retaining plate fixedly attachable to the base plate, wherein the retaining plate has a size sufficient to cover the bone screws and a set screw aperture extending therethrough so that the set screw aperture is aligned with the set screw hole in the base plate when the retaining plate is placed on the base plate; and a set screw for fixedly attaching the retaining plate to the base plate by extending through the set screw aperture in the retaining plate and into the set screw hole in the base plate; wherein the bone screws and retaining plate are designed such that, when the retaining plate covers the bone screws the top of each bone screw mates with the retaining plate and the covered bone screws can toggle within the screw holes.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
A bone plate according to claim 14 , wherein each bone screw has a radiused head.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
A bone plate according to claim 14 , wherein each bone screw head contains a depression and wherein the retaining plate contains protrusions that correspond in shape, size and number to and that are capable of fitting within the depressions in the bone screw heads.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
A bone plate according to claim 16 , wherein each bone screw has a radiused head.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A bone plate according to claim 14 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in at least two directions at an angle of about 0 to about 20 degrees from normal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
A bone plate according to claim 14 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in at least two directions at an angle of about 0 to about 15 degrees from normal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
A bone plate according to claim 14 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in any direction at an angle of about 0 to about 20 degrees from normal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
A bone plate according to claim 14 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in any direction at an angle of about 0 to about 15 degrees from normal.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
A bone plate according to claim 14 , wherein the base plate and retaining plate are both made of titanium or a titanium alloy.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
163 words
A bone plate comprising a base plate having two screw holes, a set screw hole between the screw holes and at least two raised edges; two bone screws capable of securing the base plate to a bone by insertion through the screw holes into the bone wherein each bone screw is adapted to toggle within each screw hole; a retaining plate fixedly attachable to the base plate, wherein the retaining plate has a size sufficient to cover the bone screws and fit within the at least two raised edges, and wherein the retaining plate includes a set screw aperture extending therethrough so that the set screw aperture is aligned with the set screw hole in the base plate when the retaining plate is placed on the base plate; and a set screw for fixedly attaching the retaining plate to the base plate by extending through the set screw aperture in the retaining plate and into the set screw hole in the base plate.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
163 words
A bone plate comprising a base plate having two screw holes, a set screw hole between the screw holes and at least two raised edges; two bone screws capable of securing the base plate to a bone by insertion through the screw holes into the bone wherein each bone screw is adapted to toggle within each screw hole; a retaining plate fixedly attachable to the base plate, wherein the retaining plate has a size sufficient to cover the bone screws and fit within the at least two raised edges, and wherein the retaining plate includes a set screw aperture extending therethrough so that the set screw aperture is aligned with the set screw hole in the base plate when the retaining plate is placed on the base plate; and a set screw for fixedly attaching the retaining plate to the base plate by extending through the set screw aperture in the retaining plate and into the set screw hole in the base plate.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
52 words
A bone plate according to claim 23 , wherein the bone screws have heads shaped to toggle within the screw holes, and wherein, in use, the bone screw locking means covers the at least one bone screw, and the at least one covered bone screw can toggle within its corresponding screw hole.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
A bone plate according to claim 23 , wherein each bone screw has a radiused head.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
45 words
A bone plate according to claim 23 , wherein each bone screw head contains a depression and wherein the retaining plate contains protrusions that correspond in shape, size and number to and that are capable of fitting within the depressions in the bone screw heads.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
A bone plate according to claim 26 , wherein each bone screw has a radiused head.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
A bone plate according to claim 23 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in at least two directions at an angle of about 0 to about 20 degrees from normal.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
36 words
A bone plate according to claim 23 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in at least two directions at an angle of about 0 to about 15 degrees from normal.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
34 words
A bone plate according to claim 23 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in any direction at an angle of about 0 to about 20 degrees from normal.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
34 words
A bone plate according to claim 23 , wherein each bone screw can toggle within the corresponding screw hole in any direction at an angle of about 0 to about 15 degrees from normal.
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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) | 2004-05-21 | 2004-11-20 | 2005-05-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-05-21 | 2008-11-20 | 2009-05-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-05-21 | 2012-11-20 | 2013-05-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |