Patent ID: 8597355

Claim:
A medical device, comprising: a base ring configured to be implanted within a body of a patient, the base ring providing a contact surface to a vertebrae; multiple lower leveling plates having a non-flat bottom surface, the non-flat bottom surface of each of the multiple lower leveling plates engaging an inner surface of the base ring and each of the multiple lower leveling plates held in place within the base ring by a member extending from the base ring through a bore in the lower leveling plate; multiple upper leveling plates having a bottom surface, the bottom surface of each of the multiple upper leveling plates engaging a top surface of the multiple lower leveling plates and each of the multiple upper leveling plates held in place within the base ring by a member extending through the upper leveling plate and engaging bores in the base ring; multiple pads having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface of the multiple pads arranged and configured to maintain a parallel plane and the bottom surface of each of the multiple pads engaging the top surface of the upper leveling plates; a cover configured to enclose the multiple lower leveling plates, the multiple upper leveling plates, the multiple pads and the base ring, the cover providing a contact surface to a vertebrae; and a compressible member arranged through a center of the multiple lower leveling plates, the multiple upper leveling plates and the multiple pads, the compressible member having a top surface engaging the cover.