Patent US20030191533A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.

US20030191533A1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Articulating diamond-surfaced spinal implants

Assignee: Dimicron Inc

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Filing: 2002-08-28

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Granted: —

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Expires: 2022-08-28

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Abstract

Abstract Articulating diamond-surfaced spinal implants are disclosed. Materials which may be used to make the spinal implants and manufacturing and finishing techniques for making the implants are also disclosed.

Inventors

👤 Richard Dixon
👤 Clayton Gardinier
👤 Troy Medford
👤 Dean Blackburn
👤 Jeffery Taylor
👤 Bill Pope

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —

Jurisdiction US

Data Source google_patents

Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 16:10

CPC Classifications

B; B29; B29C; B29C43/00; B29C43/006; A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/30767; A61F2/44; A61F2/442; A61F2/4425; A61L; A61L27/00; A61L27/02; A61L27/04; A61L27/045; A61L27/08; A61L27/28; A61L27/30; A61L27/303; B29C43/32; B29C43/36; B29C43/361; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/56; A61B17/58; A61B17/68; A61B17/84; A61B17/86; A61F2/30721; A61F2/30749; A61F2/3094; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30003; A61F2002/30004; A61F2002/3006; A61F2002/30084; A61F2002/30092; A61F2002/30316; A61F2002/30329; A61F2002/30331; A61F2002/30383; A61F2002/3039; A61F2002/30392; A61F2002/30398; A61F2002/30433; A61F2002/30451; A61F2002/30535; A61F2002/30576; A61F2002/30578; A61F2002/30621; A61F2002/30649; A61F2002/30667; A61F2002/30682; A61F2002/30685; A61F2/30771; A61F2002/30841; A61F2002/30878; A61F2002/30884; A61F2002/30891; A61F2002/30892; A61F2002/30904; A61F2002/30934; A61F2002/30968; A61F2002/3097; A61F2002/30971; A61F2002/443; A61F2210/00; A61F2210/0014; A61F2220/00; A61F2220/0008; A61F2220/0025; A61F2220/0033; A61F2220/0041; A61F2220/0058; A61F2250/00; A61F2250/0014; A61F2310/00; A61F2310/00005; A61F2310/00011; A61F2310/00017; A61F2310/00023; A61F2310/00029; A61F2310/00035; A61F2310/00095; A61F2310/00131; A61F2310/00149; A61F2310/00161; A61F2310/00167; A61F2310/00179; A61F2310/00269; A61F2310/00281; A61F2310/00293; A61F2310/00389; A61F2310/00574; A61F2310/0058; B29C43/02; B29C43/04; B29C2043/043; B29C2043/3615; B29C2043/3618; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/753; B29L2031/7532

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 28

Claim 1

Independent Claim 215 words

1 . An articulating diamond-surfaced prosthetic spinal implant for implantation between vertebrae in a human body, the implant comprising: a first component, said first component having a convex protruding dome member, said dome member including a first component load bearing and articulation surface, said first component load bearing and articulation surface being formed at least in part by a sintered polycrystalline diamond table, said sintered polycrystalline diamond table in said first component serving to provide a durable, biocompatible and low-friction surface for articulation of the implant, a second component, said second component having a concave trough, said trough having a shape and size that permits said protruding dome member to protrude therein, said trough having a shape and size that permits contact of said protruding dome member therewith at a plurality of contact points, said trough including a second component load bearing and articulation surface, said second component load bearing and articulation surface being formed at least in part by a sintered polycrystalline diamond table, said sintered polycrystalline diamond table in said second component serving to provide a durable, biocompatible and low-friction surface for articulation of the implant, said first component being movable with respect to said second component in at a point that has diamond to diamond contact between said first and second components.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 215 words

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 40 words

2 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said first component and said second component are able to articulate with respect to each other to provide rotation about the axial, coronal and/or sagittal axes of the human spine.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 37 words

3 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said first component and said second component are able to articulate with respect to each other to provide translation in the axial plane of a human spine.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 97 words

4 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said first component and said second component are able to articulate with respect to each other to provide rotation about the axial, coronal and/or sagittal axes of the human spine; and wherein said first component and said second component are able to articulate with respect to each other to provide translation in the axial plane of a human spine; and wherein said rotation and translation accommodate anterior bending, posterior bending, lateral bending, twisting of a spine about its longitudinal axis, anterior translation, posterior translation and lateral translation.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 23 words

5 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said dome member has a shape that is at least partially spherical convex.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 19 words

6 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second components include congruent bearing surfaces.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 19 words

7 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second components include non-congruent bearing surfaces.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 25 words

8 . An implant as recited in claim 1 further comprising: carbon to carbon bonds in at least one of said sintered polycrystalline diamond table.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 24 words

9 . An implant as recited in claim 8 further comprising: sp3 carbon bonds in at least one of said sintered polycrystalline diamond table.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 25 words

10 . An implant as recited in claim 9 further comprising: a crystalline diamond structure in at least one of said sintered polycrystalline diamond table.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 18 words

11 . An implant as recited in claim 10 further comprising: interstitial spaces in said crystalline diamond structure.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 17 words

12 . An implant as recited in claim 11 further comprising: solvent-catalyst metal in said interstitial spaces.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 27 words

13 . An implant as recited in claim 12 further comprising: diamond to metal bonds between said solvent-catalyst metal and diamond in said sintered polycrystalline diamond table.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 29 words

14 . An implant as recited in claim 13 wherein said solvent-catalyst metal was used to facilitate sintering of said polycrystalline diamond compact at high temperature and high pressure.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 26 words

15 . An implant as recited in claim 12 wherein said solvent-catalyst metal includes a material selected from the group consisting of Co, Cr and Mo.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 14 words

16 . An implant recited in claim 12 wherein said solvent-catalyst metal includes CoCr.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 15 words

17 . An implant as recited in claim 12 wherein said solvent-catalyst metal includes CoCrMo.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 107 words

18 . An implant as recited in claim 1 further comprising a gradient transition zone in at least one of said sintered polycrystalline diamond tables, said gradient transition zone having a first side and a second, said gradient transition zone having both solvent-catalyst metal and diamond therein, and said gradient transition zone exhibiting a transition of ratios of percentage content of solvent-catalyst metal to diamond from said first side to said second side such that at a first point in said gradient transition zone, the ratio of percentage content of solvent-catalyst metal to diamond is greater than it is at a second point in gradient transition zone.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 25 words

19 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said sintered polycrystalline diamond tables is a free standing diamond table.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 25 words

20 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said sintered polycrystalline diamond tables includes diamond sintered to a substrate.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 27 words

21 . An implant as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said sintered polycrystalline diamond tables includes a diamond table attached to a substrate.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 135 words

22 . An articulating diamond-surfaced prosthetic spinal implant for implantation between vertebrae in a human body, the implant comprising: a protrusion, a protrusion load bearing and articulation surface located on said protrusion, said protrusion load bearing and articulation surface being formed at least in part by diamond, a receptacle, a receptacle load bearing and articulation surface located on said receptacle, said receptacle load bearing and articulation surface being formed at least in part by diamond, said protrusion and said receptacle being sized and shaped to accommodate said protrusion protruding into said receptacle, and contact of said protrusion load bearing and articulation surface with said receptacle load bearing and articulation surface, said contact of said protrusion with said receptacle being accomplished by diamond to diamond contact of said protrusion and receptacle load bearing and articulation surfaces.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 135 words

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 190 words

23 . An articulating diamond-surfaced prosthetic spinal implant for implantation between vertebrae in a human body, the implant comprising: a protrusion, a protrusion load bearing and articulation surface located on said protrusion, said protrusion load bearing and articulation surface being formed at least in part by diamond, a receptacle, a receptacle load bearing and articulation surface located on said receptacle, said receptacle load bearing and articulation surface being formed at least in part by diamond, said protrusion and said receptacle being sized and shaped to accommodate said protrusion protruding into said receptacle, and said protrusion load bearing and articulation surface contacting said receptacle load bearing and articulation surface, said contact of said protrusion with said receptacle being accomplished by diamond to diamond contact of said protrusion and receptacle load bearing and articulation surfaces, said contact of said protrusion with said receptacle occurring at a diamond to diamond contact point where diamond of said protrusion contacts diamond of said receptacle, said protrusion being pivotally movable with respect to said receptacle about said diamond to diamond contact point to provide translational or rotational movement of said protrusion with respect to said receptacle.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 190 words

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 293 words

24 . An articulating diamond-surfaced prosthetic spinal implant for implantation between vertebrae in a human body, the implant comprising: a protrusion, a protrusion load bearing and articulation surface located on said protrusion, said protrusion load bearing and articulation surface being formed at least in part by diamond, said protrusion having a curvature defined by at least one radius R 1 , a receptacle, a receptacle load bearing and articulation surface located on said receptacle, said receptacle load bearing and articulation surface being formed at least in part by diamond, said receptacle having a curvature defined by at least one radius R 2 , said protrusion and said receptacle being sized and curved to accommodate said protrusion protruding into said receptacle, and to accommodate said protrusion load bearing and articulation surface contacting said receptacle load bearing and articulation surface, said contact of said protrusion with said receptacle being accomplished by diamond to diamond contact of said protrusion and receptacle load bearing and articulation surfaces, said contact of said protrusion with said receptacle occurring at a diamond to diamond contact point where diamond of said protrusion contacts diamond of said receptacle, said protrusion being translationally movable with respect to said receptacle in the axial plan of a human spine, said translational movement being accomplished by a sliding or rolling movement of diamond against diamond; wherein R 1 and R 2 are chosen to accommodate said translational movement; and wherein at least some of said translational movement occurs in the axial plane of a human spine about an arc of a circle having a radius R 3 whose center is located at the base of the spinal process of a human spine, and wherein R 3 is not equal to R 1 or R 2 .

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 293 words

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