Patent ID: 11903622
Assignee: GLOBUS MEDICAL INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method for removing a bone screw disposed in a screw seat of a base plate with a blocking element extending above a head of the screw, the method comprising:
inserting a bone screw removal tool into a bone screw and screw seat, wherein the bone screw removal tool comprises:
a removal sleeve having a hollow interior and extending from a proximal end to a distal end, wherein the distal end includes a prong;
a bone screw driver extending through the hollow interior of the removal sleeve, the driver extending from a proximal end to a distal end,

wherein the driver includes a driver tip adapted to engage an engagement feature formed in the head of the bone screw, and wherein the driver tip is inserted into the engagement feature and the prong is inserted in the screw seat,
wherein the base plate includes a blocking element having a first end attached to the base plate and a free end adapted to be elastically biased towards a locked position over the bone screw and to be elastically compressed toward an unlocked position,
rotating the removal sleeve such that the prong elastically and laterally compresses the free end of the blocking element in the locked position into the unlocked position; and
rotating the driver to remove the screw from the base plate while the blocking element is in the unlocked position.