US RE49,994 E1
Spinal fusion implants and devices and methods for deploying such implants
James Lee, Los Gatos, CA (US); Jeffrey L. Emery, Emerald Hills, CA (US); Timothy McGrath, Fond du Lac, WI (US); Laurent Schaller, Genoa, NV (US); Andrew Huffmaster, Fremont, CA (US); and Ebrahim Mohammad Quddus, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to Spinal Elements, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed by Spinal Elements, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/206,771.
Application 17/206,771 is a continuation of application No. 13/803,322, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, granted, now 9,480,574, issued on Nov. 1, 2016.
Application 17/206,771 is a reissue of application No. 15/276,147, filed on Sep. 26, 2016, granted, now 10,231,843, issued on Mar. 19, 2019.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 2/44 (2006.01); A61B 17/88 (2006.01); A61F 2/46 (2006.01); A61F 2/30 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/446 (2013.01) [A61B 17/8852 (2013.01); A61F 2/442 (2013.01); A61F 2/4455 (2013.01); A61F 2/4601 (2013.01); A61F 2/4611 (2013.01); A61F 2002/3008 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30092 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30242 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30383 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30462 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30507 (2013.01)] 35 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tissue distraction device comprising:
first and second elongated members, each elongated member defining a closed loop in a separate plane in a deployed configuration [ , wherein the first elongated member comprises a first elongated member proximal end and a first elongated member distal end] ; and
an augmenting elongated member fully [ comprising an augmenting elongated member proximal end and an augmenting elongated member distal end, wherein the augmenting elongated member is configured to be moved toward the first elongated member distal end to be fully ] received between the first and second elongated members in the deployed configuration and having a length that is less than the length of each of the first and second elongated members [ wherein the augmenting elongated ember distal end stops short of the first elongated member distal end in the deployed configuration] .