US 12,262,917 B2
Spinal curvature modulation systems and methods
John Barrett, San Francisco, CA (US); Murali Kadaba, Mountain View, CA (US); John Ashley, Danville, CA (US); and Damien Shulock, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Auctus Surgical, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by Auctus Surgical, LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/365,508.
Application 17/365,508 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/302,733, granted, now 11,065,037, previously published as PCT/US2017/033592, filed on May 19, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/338,763, filed on May 19, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0322060 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 17/70 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/56 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/7022 (2013.01) [A61B 17/7016 (2013.01); A61B 17/7032 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00221 (2013.01); A61B 2017/564 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A spinal curve modulation system for treating spinal curvature along
a treatment region of the spine, comprising:
a flexible tether of sufficient length to extend across the treatment region of the spine including across at least three adjacent vertebral bodies in a cranial-caudal direction;
plural first bones anchors configured to be fixed to one or more first vertebra and to the flexible tether and further configured for fixed attachment to the flexible tether at plural locations along the flexible tether;
a tether tensioning unit comprising a tether interface member rotatable around a rotation axis and a remotely operable rotary drive operatively linked to the tether interface member to adjust tension in the flexible tether, said tension applied to the flexible tether in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis; and
at least one second bone anchor having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the rotation axis and configured to fix the tether tensioning unit to a vertebra across the treatment region from at least one first bone anchor;
wherein said tether tensioning unit is actuatable to adjust tension in the flexible tether without surgically exposing the flexible tether, said first bone anchors or said at least one second bone anchor.