US 11,963,885 B2
Expandable intervertebral spacers
Charles Robert Lucasiewicz, Florence, SC (US); and Craig Black, Florence, SC (US)
Assigned to DeGen Medical, Inc., Florence, SC (US)
Filed by DeGen Medical, Inc., Florence, SC (US)
Filed on Jan. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/094,553.
Application 18/094,553 is a continuation of application No. 17/034,983, filed on Sep. 28, 2020, granted, now 11,547,575.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/907,007, filed on Sep. 27, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0149182 A1, May 18, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 2/44 (2006.01); A61F 2/28 (2006.01); A61F 2/30 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/447 (2013.01) [A61F 2/2846 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30265 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30579 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An expandable intervertebral spacer having a longitudinal axis, said expandable intervertebral spacer comprising:
a main body defining a first opening, a first substantially planar lateral surface, a second substantially planar lateral surface, first and second curvilinear lateral surfaces adjacent and continuous with the first substantially planar lateral surface, and third and fourth curvilinear lateral surfaces adjacent and continuous with the second substantially planar lateral surface;
a driving member having a lengthwise axis and defining a second opening;
a first endplate defining a substantially planar bottom surface and first and second curvilinear bottom surfaces adjacent and continuous with the bottom surface, the first endplate having a lengthwise axis;
a second endplate defining a substantially planar top surface and first and second curvilinear top surfaces adjacent and continuous with the top surface, the second endplate having a lengthwise axis; and
an actuation member extending through the first opening and in the second opening;
wherein rotational movement of the actuation member moves the driving member linearly along the longitudinal axis of the expandable intervertebral spacer;
wherein linear movement of the driving member forces the first and second endplates to move away from the main body to transition the expandable intervertebral spacer from a first, unexpanded configuration to a second, expanded configuration;
wherein the first substantially planar lateral surface, the second substantially planar lateral surface, the substantially planar top surface, the substantially planar bottom surface, the first and second curvilinear top surfaces, the first and second curvilinear bottom surfaces, the first and second curvilinear lateral surfaces, and the third and fourth curvilinear lateral surfaces define a substantially continuous perimeter of said expandable intervertebral spacer when said expandable intervertebral spacer is in the first, unexpanded configuration;
wherein the driving member defines a first plurality of steps, and wherein at least one step of the first plurality of steps includes a surface that lies on a plane disposed at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle to the lengthwise axis of the driving member.