Patent ID: 9615935
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. An expandable interbody device, comprising an interbody implant comprising one or more moveable joints, and a top portion and a bottom portion that comprise undercuts housing a thermal memory spring within the interbody implant, and one or more sockets into which one or more ends or arches of the thermal memory spring embed when the thermal memory spring expands into a pre-established thermal memory shape, thereby locking the implant in an expanded state, and that are independently operably connected to one of the one or more moveable joints such that movement of the one or more moveable joints moves the top portion and the bottom portion away from each other, wherein the thermal memory spring comprises a thermal memory material that is activated to expand the spring into the pre-established thermal memory shape at a temperature at or above about 37 degrees C., and wherein expansion of the spring into the pre-established thermal memory shape moves the one or more moveable joints of the implant.