EP1153582A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Medical installation tool
Assignee: DePuy Spine LLC
•
Filing: 2001-05-04
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2021-05-04
Abstract
Abstract A tool (10) for installing an object, such as an artificial disk prosthesis (24), between adjacent vertebrae includes a pair of opposed levers (12,14) separated by a fulcrum (16). Blade tips (50A,50B) are disposed at the distal end (12A,14A) of the levers (12,14). A pusher block (18) is disposed distally of the fulcrum (16), and upon actuation by forward movement of a pusher rod (20), the pusher block (18) moves the artificial disk prosthesis (24) distally. The blade tips (50A,50B) may be inserted between adjacent vertebral bodies as the disk (24) moves forward thus causing the vertebral bodies to be separated until the disk is disposed between them. In one embodiment, the length of the blade tips (50A,50B) may be selectively adjusted.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert D. Fraser
- 👤 Michael J. O'neil
- 👤 Mark Boomer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 00:37
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/46; A61F2/4603; A61F2/4611; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/02; A61B17/025; A61B2017/0256; A61F2/44; A61F2/442; A61F2/4455; A61F2/446; A61F2/4465; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30108; A61F2002/3011; A61F2002/30182; A61F2002/30187; A61F2002/30199; A61F2002/30224; A61F2002/30235; A61F2002/30316; A61F2002/30535; A61F2002/30593; A61F2/30767; A61F2002/30769; A61F2/30771; A61F2002/30772; A61F2002/30784; A61F2002/30787; A61F2002/30841; A61F2002/30845; A61F2/30907; A61F2002/30909; A61F2002/30912; A61F2/4425; A61F2002/443; A61F2002/4622; A61F2002/4625; A61F2002/4627; A61F2002/4628; A61F2002/4629; A61F2002/4681; A61F2002/4687; A61F2230/00; A61F2230/0002; A61F2230/0028; A61F2230/0034; A61F2230/0063; A61F2230/0069
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A medical device installation tool, comprising a pair of opposed levers, each having a proximal, handle portion and a distal
portion; a fulcrum disposed between the two levers; a pusher block positioned between the two levers and selectively moveable
between an initial location distal of the fulcrum and a final location adjacent a distal end of
the levers; and a pusher rod having a distal end connected to the pusher block and a proximal,
handle end.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
49 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, in which each lever is substantially elongate and
the distal portion of each lever comprises an outwardly facing surface that terminates
distally in a stop surface and an inwardly facing surface that extends distally beyond the
stop surface, forming a blade tip.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, in which each blade tip has a length, extending
from the stop surface to a distal end of the blade tip, in the range of about 5 to 50 mm and
a thickness in the range of about 0.5 to 10 mm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A device as claimed in claim 3, in which an outwardly facing surface of each
blade tip is of a configuration selected from the group consisting of bevelled and radiused.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, in which the stop surface of each lever defines a
distally facing stop wall.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, in which the inner facing wall of each lever,
extending to a terminal end of each blade tip, is substantially smooth.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, in which the pusher block has upper and lower
recesses, each adapted to seat one of the levers, in which each of the upper and lower
recesses has opposed, substantially vertical walls separated by a substantially horizontal
base wall.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
A device as claimed in claim 7, in which the depth of each recess of the pusher
block is in the range of about 0.5 to 10 mm and the height of the pusher block between the
top and bottom recesses is in the range of about 2 to 25 mm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, in which a distal facing surface of the pusher
block includes an implant seating region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, in which the pusher block is effective to separate
the levers and the blade tips as it is advanced from the initial position to the final position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the handle portion of the opposed levers
includes a locking mechanism effective to prevent unintended, complete separation of the
levers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, in which the fulcrum has a top recess and a
bottom recess, each separated by an intermediate portion having an upper and a lower base
wall, the intermediate portion having a bore extending through it from a proximal surface
to a distal surface of the intermediate wall.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as claimed in claim 12, in which the upper and lower walls each include
a protruding peg.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A device as claimed in claim 13, in which each lever includes a bore formed in the
inwardly facing surface of the proximal portion thereof, each bore adapted to receive one of
the protruding pegs of the fulcrum.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A device as claimed in claim 14, in which the device further includes a pair of coil
springs, each of which is adapted to be seated on one of the protruding pegs of the fulcrum.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
A device as claimed in claim 12, in which the intermediate portion of the fulcrum
has a height that exceeds the height of a region of the pusher block between the top an
bottom recesses of the pusher block by a distance in the range of about 1 to 20 mm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, in which one or more protrusions are formed on a
lateral surface of the proximal, handle portion of each of the levers.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
129 words
A device for installing an intervertebral prosthesis, comprising: upper an lower elongate levers, each having a proximal handle portion and a distal
portion which includes opposed inwardly facing, prosthesis-contacting surfaces, a stop wall
forming a terminal portion of an outer-facing surface of each lever; a blade tip extending distally beyond the stop wall from the inwardly facing,
prosthesis-contacting surface of each lever; a fulcrum secured between the two levers in the proximal portion thereof; a pusher block positioned between the prosthesis-contacting surfaces of each lever
and selectively moveable between an initial position at a proximal end of the distal portion
of the levers to a final position adjacent the blade tips; and a pusher rod having a distal end connected to the pusher block and a proximal,
handle end.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device as claimed in claim 18, in which the stop wall is a substantially vertical,
distal-facing wall.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as claimed in claim 19, in which the stop wall is positioned about 5 to
about 50 mm proximal of a distal end of the blade tips.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as claimed in claim 18, in which the blade tips are integral with the
prosthesis-contacting surface of the lever.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device as claimed in claim 20, in which each blade tip has smooth inwardly-facing
surfaces and outwardly-facing surfaces having a configuration selected from the
group consisting of bevelled and radiused.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device as claimed in claim 18, in which a protrusion is formed on an outwardly
facing surface of the proximal, handle portion of each of the levers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as claimed in claim 18, in which the blade tip length, extending from the
stop wall to a distal end of the blade tip, is selectively adjustable.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
113 words
A medical device installation tool, comprising: a pair of opposed levers, each having a proximal, handle portion and a distal
portion, in which the distal portion of each lever has longitudinally separate stop member
components and blade member components in which the blade member and stop member
components of each lever are moveable with respect to one another; a fulcrum disposed between the two levers; a pusher block positioned between the two levers and selectively moveable between an
initial location distal of the fulcrum and a final location adjacent a distal end of the levers;
and a pusher rod having a distal end connected to the pusher block and a proximal,
handle end.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
64 words
A device as claimed in claim 25, in which each lever is substantially elongate and
the distal portion of the stop member component of each lever comprises an outwardly
facing surface that terminates distally in a stop surface and in which the blade member
component of each lever comprises an inwardly facing surface that extends distally beyond
the stop surface, forming a blade tip.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
49 words
A device as claimed in claim 26, in which each blade tip has a length, extending
from the stop surface to a distal end of the blade tip, in the range of about 3 to 50 mm and a
thickness in the range of about 0.5 to 10 mm.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
33 words
A device as claimed in claim 27, in which the blade tip length is selectively
adjustable by moving the blade member and stop member components of each lever with
respect to one another.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.