Patent ID: 11911282
Assignee: WARSAW ORTHOPEDIC, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 19:
20. A spinal implant system comprising:
an outer body extending along a first longitudinal axis between opposite first and second ends, the outer body comprising an inner surface, the inner surface defining a bore and a first thread, the outer body being linear along the first longitudinal axis from the first end of the outer body to the second end of the outer body;
a hollow inner shaft extending along a second longitudinal axis between opposite first and second ends, the second end of the inner shaft being positioned in the bore, the inner shaft comprising a band extending from an outer surface of the inner shaft, the band comprising opposite proximal and distal surfaces, the distal surface extending continuously about inner shaft such that the distal surface extends 360 degrees about the inner shaft, the distal surface defining a second thread that mates with the first thread, the proximal surface defining a series of gear teeth, the gear teeth defining V-shaped gaps between adjacent ones of the gear teeth, the gaps extending into the proximal surface without extending through the distal surface, the band comprising an outer surface extending from the proximal surface to the distal surface, the outer surface extending continuously about inner shaft such that the distal surface extends 360 degrees about the inner shaft, the outer surface of the band defining a major diameter of the second thread;
a first end plate coupled to the first end of the inner shaft, the first end plate defining a third longitudinal axis;
a second end plate coupled to the second end of the outer body, the second end plate defining a fourth longitudinal axis that extends perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis; and
a driver comprising a gear configured to engage the gear teeth such that rotation of the driver relative to the outer body rotates the inner shaft relative to the outer body to translate the inner shaft relative to the outer body along the first longitudinal axis,
wherein the fourth longitudinal axis is parallel to the third longitudinal axis as the inner shaft translates relative to the outer body along the first longitudinal axis, and
wherein the band defines a plurality of tiers, the tiers being fixed relative to one another as the inner shaft translates relative to the outer body along the first longitudinal axis.