Patent ID: 11951018
Assignee: INSTITUTE FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION, LTD.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 9:
10. A method of making an intervertebral implant having a body, the body having an open truss structure, the body including opposing end surfaces, and a perimeter surface, the perimeter surface extending around an outer periphery of the body; the body also including a central portion and a peripheral portion, the peripheral portion extending from the perimeter surface inward toward the central portion; the method of making comprising the steps of:
additively manufacturing a first layer, the first layer being proximate a base plate; the first layer forming a part of the perimeter surface;
continuing to additively manufacture the body layer by layer wherein each successive layer is disposed further from the base plate than the previous layer so that the body is built vertically upward layer by layer;
additively manufacturing a lower peripheral portion;
additively manufacturing the peripheral portion and the central portion in the same layer, wherein this step occurs after the step of additively manufacturing the peripheral portion, and wherein less material is used to form the central portion than the peripheral portion so that a central truss structure is less dense than a peripheral truss structure; and
additively manufacturing an upper peripheral portion.