Patents by Inventor Thomas Viker

Thomas Viker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20060293749
    Abstract: The present invention provides an injectable annular ring useful in treating a deteriorating spinal disc. When used, the annular ring may be collapsed or folded in order for it to be placed through a small opening in a prepared intervertebral space within the annulus using minimally invasive techniques. Deployment or unfolding the ring in the intervertebral space provides an interior cavity bordered by the ring that is in direct contact with the vertebral endplates. When an internal volume of the ring is inject or filled with a load-bearing, hardenable material, the filled ring maintains the intervertebral spacing and prevents the ring from being expelled from the interior cavity through the small annular opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: ZIMMER SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Hudgins, Melanie Chapman, Guido Casutt, Rosemary Thompson, Thomas Viker, Hugh Hestad