Patents Assigned to Life Spine, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20210315613
    Abstract: A spine implant for receipt between and fastened to a lower vertebra and an adjacent upper vertebra is characterized by an expandable cage and an expandable plate attached to the expandable cage. When the expandable cage is expanded, both the expandable cage and the expandable plate expand together at a uniform rate of movement. Engagement features of the expandable cage cooperate with engagement features of the expandable plate such that expansion of the expandable cage carries the expandable plate along during its expansion. The engagement features of the expandable cage may be configured as notches, cavities, or recessed pockets, while the engagement features of the expandable plate may be configured as tangs, flanges, or protuberances styled to be received by the configured notches of the expandable cage. Cam locks on the expandable plate help bone fastener backout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Applicant: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel P. Predick, Randall F. Dryer, Garrett D. Lauf
  • Publication number: 20210315707
    Abstract: An expandable implant includes an upper plate configured to receive a first anchoring member, an upper support mechanically coupled to the upper plate, a lower plate configured to receive a second anchoring member, and a lower support mechanically coupled to the lower plate. The implant further includes a control member including a shaft and configured to control movement between the upper support and the lower support, a front portion configured engage the upper support and the lower support and further configured to receive the head of the control member, and a rear portion configured engage the upper support and the lower support and further configured to engage a portion of the shaft, wherein turning the control member causes the front portion to move in a direction towards the rear portion, such that the upper support moves relative to the lower support in a direction away from the lower support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Applicant: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: Katrina Robin Keller, Madeline Wolters
  • Patent number: 11134936
    Abstract: A spine retractor provides lateral access to the spine for distracting soft tissue and psoas muscle for spinal fusion procedures utilizing position controllable blades. The retractor allows concerted linear distraction of two lateral blades and separate linear distraction of one medial blade. Individual angulation assemblies associated with each blade provides separately controllable angulation. Handles attached to the two lateral blades control their distraction while a medial knob controls medial blade distraction. An expansion knob associated with each handle provides individually precise distraction of its associated blade. Each angulation assembly comprises an angulation knob that threads into a distal arm of a blade holder assembly and is received into a spherical ball seated in a spherical pocket in a mating proximal arm of the blade holder assembly. Torque applied to the spherical ball by the angulation knob causes distal arm angulation relative to the proximal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: Garrett D. Lauf, Daniel P. Predick
  • Patent number: 11135065
    Abstract: A spinal interbody implant is fabricated using 3-D printing to provide an engineered structure of one or more porous, permeable, or non-solid portions with or without one or more solid, dense, or micro-dense portions. The porous, permeable, or non-solid structure can be a mesh, lattice, web, weave, honeycomb, simple cubic, tetrahedral, diamond, or otherwise with the number and size of its pores, holes, perforations, or openings, as well as the distance or thickness between them, can vary accordingly. Some portions of the porous, permeable, or non-solid structure(s) may have porosities and/or thicknesses different than other portions. The solid, dense, or micro-dense structure may be constant throughout the body of the implant or may be a range of densities throughout the body of the implant. Alternately, one or more portions of the implant may have a range of densities throughout its body ranging from solid to a maximum porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: Richard M. Mueller, Eugene Shoshtaev, Gregory Palagi, Daniel P. Predick, Michael S. Butler
  • Patent number: 11116645
    Abstract: A spine implant for an ALIF procedure includes anchoring members being either a bone screw or flexible barb, each having a head on one end of a shaft, and a tip on another end of the shaft. The spine implant includes a porous cage having a front, rear, central cavity, and three angled bores in the front that extend into the central cavity configured to receive one of the plurality of anchoring members such that the tip of the anchoring member extends from one or another side of the cavity with its head retained in the front. The spine implant further includes two retention members configured for insertion into the front such that a portion of the two retention members are positioned over the heads of two, adjacent anchoring members to inhibit bone anchor backout via cam action between the retention member and the heads of the anchoring members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventor: Paul C. Zakelj
  • Patent number: 11109983
    Abstract: A spine implant for a TLIF surgical procedure is configured to be guided into place during implantation in conjunction with a complementary insertion instrument. The cage of the implant is constrained to a limited range of rotation about a pivoting post carried by the cage. The insertion instrument is configured to hold the post while controllably rotating the cage relative to the post in order to angularly position the implant during implantation. Range of rotational motion is controlled by the configuration of an opening in and end of the cage and a groove in the pivot post. A retaining pin of the implant extends from the cage into the groove of the post to rotationally connect the cage to the post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Palagi, Eugene Shoshtaev, Madeline C. Wolters, David T. Mehl, Daniel P. Predick, Casey Rice
  • Patent number: 11103362
    Abstract: An expandable implant includes a top support configured to engage a first portion of vertebral bone, a bottom support configured to engage a second portion of vertebral bone, and a control assembly coupled to the top support and the bottom support and configured to control relative movement between the top support and the bottom support. The control assembly includes a control member including a head and a body portion. The head includes a recess and the body portion includes at least one access port in fluid communication with the recess to enable delivery of fluid to an interior of the implant via the recess and at least one access port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: Michael S. Butler, Madeline Wolters, Daniel Predick, Eugene Shoshtaev
  • Publication number: 20210259852
    Abstract: An expandable implant including a base member including a top surface, a first end, and a second end, and defining a central cavity positioned between the first end and the second end. The expandable implant further including an adjustable member including a top surface and at least one control channel, wherein the adjustable member is adjustably coupled to the base member and movable between a first, collapsed position, and a second, expanded position, a control shaft received by the base member, wherein manipulation of the control shaft causes relative movement of the adjustable member relative to the base member, and at least one control member coupled to the control shaft and received by the control channel, wherein manipulation of the control shaft causes the control member to translate along the control channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Predick, Madeline Wolters, Michael S. Butler
  • Patent number: 11083584
    Abstract: An expandable wedge implant for wedge osteotomies of the extremities has first and second components which are pivotally attached to each other such that up and down pivoting of the two components relative to one another causes increase and decrease of implant height. A pivot control structure is operably coupled to and between the two components to effect pivoting. Linear movement of a threaded ball on a threaded shaft associated with the first component while the threaded ball is concurrently constrained within an angled channel of the second component causes pivoting of the second component relative to the first component. Anchoring members associated with the first and second components attach the implant to adjacent vertebral bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: Garrett D. Lauf, Daniel P. Predick
  • Publication number: 20210212733
    Abstract: A bone screw for sacroiliac joint fusion is characterized by a longitudinal bone screw and a cylindrical sleeve received on a proximal end of the bone screw. The sleeve has axially extending fins or flutes on its outer surface that extend generally from one end of the sleeve to the other end of the sleeve. This feature allows the sleeve to resist reverse rotation which, in turn, aids in preventing back-out of the bone screw once installed. The bone screw has a self-tapping tip that allows the bone screw to be installed without need for a pilot hole, and self-harvesting geometry that gathers and retains bone shavings in and along the bone screw that are produced by bone screw installation for use as graft for bone fusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: David T. Mehl, Ali H. Mesiwala
  • Publication number: 20210196330
    Abstract: An orthopedic implant has a plate and bone screws. Configured bone screw pockets of the plate provide variable angling and positional locking of a received bone screw relative. Each bone screw includes distal threads, a neck, and a dual threaded head. The plate has a bone screw pocket on a distal end, a bone screw pocket on a proximal end, and a strut extending between the two bone screw pockets. The bone screw pockets are at least generally cup shaped for receipt of a bone screw. The lower periphery of the opening of each bone screw pocket has an arrangement of configured prongs with configured openings to receive threading on the underside of the dual threaded head of the bone screw. The prongs can preferably, but not necessarily, deform slightly and grab onto the threading of the bone screw head to lock the bone screw in the bone screw pocket. Each prong can act independently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: Garrett D. Lauf, Paul C. Zakelj, Matthew S. Coyne
  • Patent number: 11045238
    Abstract: A bone screw for sacroiliac joint fusion is characterized by a longitudinal bone screw and a cylindrical sleeve received on a proximal end of the bone screw. The sleeve has axially extending fins or flutes on its outer surface that extend generally from one end of the sleeve to the other end of the sleeve. This feature allows the sleeve to resist reverse rotation which, in turn, aids in preventing back-out of the bone screw once installed. The bone screw has a self-tapping tip that allows the bone screw to be installed without need for a pilot hole, and self-harvesting geometry that gathers and retains bone shavings in and along the bone screw that are produced by bone screw installation for use as graft for bone fusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: David T. Mehl, Ali H. Mesiwala
  • Patent number: 11033403
    Abstract: An expandable implant including a base member including a top surface, a first end, and a second end, and defining a central cavity positioned between the first end and the second end. The expandable implant further including an adjustable member including a top surface and at least one control channel, wherein the adjustable member is adjustably coupled to the base member and movable between a first, collapsed position, and a second, expanded position, a control shaft received by the base member, wherein manipulation of the control shaft causes relative movement of the adjustable member relative to the base member, and at least one control member coupled to the control shaft and received by the control channel, wherein manipulation of the control shaft causes the control member to translate along the control channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Predick, Madeline Wolters, Michael S. Butler
  • Patent number: 11020241
    Abstract: A spinal interbody implant includes a two-component cage and expander. The two-component cage, when assembled, accepts the expander through a reverse dovetail configuration between the assembled cage and the expander. The expander has a pair of legs that move within and along lateral channels formed by and between the two cage components for increasing the height of the two cage components relative to one another. The amount of expansion of the cage is determined by the height of the pair of expander legs. The cage accepts different expanders each having pairs of legs of different heights in order to provide different amounts of cage expansion and thus the interbody implant. The front of each expander leg is arch shaped for reception in the lateral channels of the assembled cage and to progressively expand the two cage components relative to one another as the expander is received by the assembled cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventor: Daniel P. Predick
  • Publication number: 20210145490
    Abstract: A guide assembly includes a spinal screw assembly having a bone screw and a spinal rod holder; and a spinal rod guide having first and second elongated arc portions defining a pair of longitudinal slots extending along the first and second arc portions, each of the first and second arc portions further defining at least one recess extending transversely from each of the longitudinal slots, the at least one recess configured to receive at least a portion of a reduction tool to enable reduction of a spinal rod received within the spinal rod holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Butler, Danish Siddiqui, Daniel Predick
  • Publication number: 20210137565
    Abstract: A connector assembly includes a bone screw including a head, a first holder assembly configured to receive the head of the bone screw from a bottom of the first holder assembly, an extension set screw including a head and a threaded portion, the threaded portion configured to be received from a top of the first holder assembly, a second holder assembly configured to receive the head of the extension set screw, and an end fastener configured to be received by the second holder assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory Palagi
  • Publication number: 20210128201
    Abstract: A modular poly-axial bone screw includes a poly-axial bone screw, a poly-axial tulip head, and a collet disposed within the tulip head, the collet interacting with the bone screw and tulip head providing an interference fit with the bone screw head to lock orientation of the tulip head on and relative to the bone screw. Inner configurations of the tulip head interact with outer configurations of the collet to lock axial and/or rotational position of the collet within and relative to the tulip head, and thus about the bone screw head. The collet also has a base configured to conform to a top of a bone screw, wherein the collet is configured to support the bone screw and the tulip head when a spine rod is fixed in the tulip head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: Forrest Samuel, Gregory Palagi
  • Publication number: 20210128315
    Abstract: An expandable implant includes an upper main support of bone, a lower main support coupled to the upper main support, the lower main support comprising a first coupling feature and a second coupling feature being substantially parallel to the first coupling feature, and a control assembly configured to control relative movement between the upper main support and the lower main support, the control assembly including a first control member configured to engage the upper main support and the lower main support and interface with the first coupling feature a second control member configured to engage the upper main support and the lower main support and interface with the second coupling feature, and a control shaft configured to be received by the first control member and the second control member, wherein manipulation of the control shaft causes relative movement between the upper main support and the lower main support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: Life Spine, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel P. Predick
  • Patent number: 10993814
    Abstract: A variable height intervertebral spine implant is adjustable in situ having first and second trapezoidal components oriented such that the short surfaces/sides of their parallel surfaces/sides are adjacent, forming a first wedge-shaped pocket between opposing first skew surfaces/sides of the first and second components on a first end, and a second wedge-shaped pocket between opposing second skew surfaces/sides of the first and second components on a second end. First and second lateral flanges of both the first and second components cooperate to connect the first and second components together, and to allow height adjustment between the first and second components. A first wedge situated in the first pocket and a second wedge situated in the second pocket are connected via a drive mechanism that effects concerted movement thereof whereby contraction increases implant height while expansion decreases implant height. The wedges ride against the skew sides of the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventor: Madeline C. Wolters
  • Patent number: 10973553
    Abstract: A modular pedicle screw assembly has a multi-part cam lock structure for fixing a threaded shank to a head subassembly. A modular pedicle screw assembly provides capture and release of a spherical end of a threaded shank by a head through rotation of closures radially disposed in an internal chamber of the head. Geometry of the closures cooperate with geometry of the internal chamber, providing a selective cam action between the closures and the internal chamber to increase and decrease size of an opening formed by the closures. Closure rotation produces an open state where the spherical end of the threaded shank can pass through the closures, releasing the spherical end of the threaded shank from the head, and a closed state where the spherical end of the threaded shank cannot pass through the closures thereby capturing the spherical end of the threaded shank in the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: LIFE SPINE, INC.
    Inventors: Forrest Samuel, Gregory Palagi