Patent ID: 9492277
Filing Date: 2016-11-15
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F

Claim Text:
1. A prosthesis for reducing distance between first and second portions of soft body tissue structure comprising: a first anchor structure for inserting into soft tissue, the first anchor structure including first and second screw structures threaded into the first portion of the tissue structure with a first substantially rigid spacer structure for maintaining a space between the first and second screw structures, one of the first and second screw structures including a hollow, helical screw portion, a hollow head portion forming a hollow cylinder with a flange extending radially from a proximal end of the cylinder, and an annular collar fitted around an outside of the head portion so that the screw structure is rotatable about a longitudinal axis relative to the collar, the flange being too large to pass through the collar; a second anchor structure for inserting into soft tissue, the second anchor structure including third and fourth screw structures threaded into the second portion of the tissue structure with a second substantially rigid spacer structure for maintaining a space between the third and fourth screw structures; and linking structure between the first and second anchor structures, wherein the first and second screw structures are located along a first axis defined by the linking structure and the third and fourth screw structures are located along a second axis defined by the linking structure, and the space between the first and second screw structures is approximately equal to a length of the first substantially rigid spacer structure and the space between the third and fourth screw structures is approximately equal to a length of the second substantially rigid spacer structure, and wherein the head portion includes a plurality of T-shaped recesses that receive portions of a screw driving apparatus to releasably hold the screw portion on the screw driving apparatus, the T-shaped recesses having a wider portion positioned proximate the hollow helical screw portion, the T-shaped recesses being longitudinally aligned with the hollow head portion, the T-shaped recesses being spaced around a circumference of the hollow head portion, and the T-shaped recesses being accessible from a hollow interior of the hollow head portion.