Granted Patent B2

US 9,301,853 · App. 13/081,541 · Granted Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. An implant holder for an implant device, the implant holder comprising:

a clamp for coupling to and decoupling from the implant device, the clamp including:

a central body having an interface for coupling with the implant device; and

a stem extending from a proximal end of the central body, a proximal end of the stem including a stem mating feature;

the central body including a first arm and a second arm extending from the stem, the first arm and the second arm each including a central spacer portion having a thickness less than the thickness of each of the respective first and second arms, the central spacer portion sized and configured to abut at least one of an upper endplate and a lower endplate of the implant device, such that a longitudinal line of the upper endplate and the lower endplate of the implant device is maintained in a parallel configuration with respect to a longitudinal line of the clamp, the first arm and the second arm each including an exterior locking surface extending at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the implant holder and a projection extending from and contained on the locking surface in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the implant holder; and

a locking mechanism including:

a hollow sleeve having an opening at a distal end of the hollow sleeve, the opening sized and configured to translationally and rotationally receive at least a portion of the stem;

a clamp coupler attached to the distal end of the hollow sleeve, the clamp coupler including a pair of locking tines each defining a corresponding locking surface each sized and configured to mate with a corresponding one of the exterior locking surfaces of the central body, wherein said locking surfaces of the locking tines extend at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the implant holder, the locking surfaces of the locking tines including recesses extending through the locking tines in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the implant holder, the recesses sized and configured to mate with the corresponding projections extending from the exterior locking surfaces of the clamp; and

a shaft translationally and rotationally received within the hollow sleeve along a central axis of the implant holder, a distal end of the shaft including a shaft mating feature sized and configured to mate with the stem mating feature;

wherein the locking mechanism, in a first position, causes the central body to mate with the clamp coupler locking the clamp to the implant device such that the clamp cannot be decoupled from the implant device; and

wherein the locking mechanism, in a second position, causes the central body to be located apart from the clamp coupler unlocking the clamp from the implant device such that the clamp remains coupled to the implant device in the absence of a sufficient decoupling force but the clamp is decoupled from the implant device with the application of the sufficient decoupling force.

2. The implant holder of claim 1 wherein the stem mating feature comprises a threaded hole, and

wherein the shaft mating feature comprises a threaded post for engaging the threaded hole.

3. The implant holder of claim 1 wherein the decoupling force is a surgeon force.

4. The implant holder of claim 1 wherein the implant holder is comprised of a radio-opaque material, and

wherein the implant holder comprises an X-ray-visible reference point visible in an X-ray corresponding to the position of the implant device.

5. The implant holder of claim 4 wherein the X-ray-visible reference point comprises a channel located on a surface of the central body of the clamp.

6. The implant holder of claim 4 wherein the radio-opaque material is metal.

7. The implant holder of claim 1 further comprising a stop system including a stop rod for abutting an interior surface of the patient during insertion of the implant device.

8. The implant holder of claim 7 wherein the stop system is attachable to the locking mechanism.

9. The implant holder of claim 1 wherein the first arm and the second arm define a U-shaped interface for coupling with the implant,

wherein the first and second arms are coupled to the stem proximate a flexion hole.

10. The implant holder of claim 9 wherein the first and second arms are separated from each other by a lateral gap extending from the flexion hole to the distal end of the central body of the clamp.

11. The implant holder of claim 1 wherein the clamp coupler includes a terminus surface,

wherein the locking tines and the terminus surface are sized and configured to correspond to a proximal surface of the central body of the clamp.

12. An implant holder apparatus comprising:

a clamp for engaging an implant device such that the clamp remains coupled to the implant device until a sufficient decoupling force is applied to decoupled the implant device from the clamp, the clamp including:

a central body having an interface for coupling with the implant device; and

a stem extending from a proximate end of the central body, a proximate end of the stem including a stem mating feature;

the central body including a first arm and a second arm extending from the stem, the first arm and the second arm each including a central spacer portion having a thickness less than the thickness of each of the respective first and second arms, the central spacer portion sized and configured to abut at least one of an upper endplate and a lower endplate of the implant device, such that the upper endplate and the lower endplate are maintained in a parallel configuration when coupled to the clamp, the first arm and the second arm including a first pair of locking surfaces extending at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the implant holder and a projection extending from and contained on each of the pair of locking surfaces in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the implant holder;

a sleeve for locking and unlocking the clamp such that the implant device cannot be decoupled from the clamp when locked but can be decoupled from the clamp when unlocked and when a sufficient decoupling force is applied, the sleeve including:

a hollow body portion extending between a proximal end and a distal end,

an opening at the distal end sized and configured to translationally and rotationally receive at least a portion of the stem; and

a clamp coupler attached to the distal end sized and configured to mate with a proximal surface of the central body of the clamp, the clamp coupler including a pair of locking tines each defining a corresponding second pair of locking surfaces sized and configured to mate with a corresponding one of the projections extending from the first pair of locking surfaces; a shaft for selectively determining to lock or unlock the clamp, the shaft including

an elongated body portion sized and configured to be translationally and rotationally received within the hollow body portion of the sleeve along a central axis of the implant holder;

a shaft mating feature located at a distal end of the elongated body portion sized and configured to mate with the stem mating feature;

wherein the sleeve and the shaft are fixed with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction along the central axis of the implant holder;

wherein rotation of the shaft causes the shaft mating feature to engage the stem mating feature such that the stem is drawn into the hollow body portion of the sleeve and the clamp coupler is mated with the central body of the clamp, thereby locking the implant device at the clamp interface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the clamp interface engages external engagement features of the implant device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the clamp comprises at least two central projecting clamping elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the at least two central-projecting clamping elements further comprise:

at least two central-projecting clamping elements for engaging an upper endplate of the implant device; and

at least two central-projecting clamping elements for engaging a lower end plate of the implant device.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the clamp further comprises a U-shaped central spacer to provide temporary stability for the implant device for emplacement.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the clamp is coupled to the implant device before being operatively coupled to the sleeve or to the shaft.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the shaft comprises a rotation knob for the application of a rotation force to the shaft.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein rotating the shaft in a tightening direction both increasingly engages the stem mating feature and transitions the implant holder from unlocked to locked.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the sleeve and the clamp are oriented such that the sleeve and clamp are drawn together into a locked position by rotation of the shaft in a tightening direction.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein locking the clamp occurs when the first pair of locking surfaces and the second pair of locking surfaces are moved into contact, and

wherein unlocking the clamp occurs when the first pair of locking surfaces and the second pair of locking surfaces are separated after being in contact.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 ,

wherein the first pair of locking surfaces and the second pair of locking surfaces are moved into contact by the rotation of the shaft in a tightening direction, and

wherein the first pair of locking surfaces and the second pair of locking surfaces are separated after being in contact by the rotation of the shaft in a loosening direction.

Assignments (17)