Patent ID: 8372084

Claim:
An insertion tool for inserting an intervertebral disc device in an intervertebral space, the insertion tool comprising: a handle; a fixed gripping shaft having a longitudinal axis and being operably connected to the handle and having a gripping portion for being releasably connected to the intervertebral disc device; a shiftable gripping shaft having a gripping portion configured for being releasably connected to the intervertebral disc device, the shiftable gripping shaft being shiftable along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fixed gripping shaft to allow the intervertebral disc device to be shifted with respect to the fixed gripping shaft; a rotary actuator operably connected to the handle and the shiftable gripping shaft for rotation relative thereto for being rotated to advance and retract the shiftable gripping shaft along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis to allow the intervertebral disc device to be actively steered between an insertion orientation, wherein a longitudinal axis of the disc device is aligned with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fixed gripping shaft, a transverse orientation, wherein the shiftable gripping shaft is shifted to pivot the intervertebral disc device and cause the longitudinal axis of the disc device to be oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the fixed gripping shaft, and a releasing orientation, wherein the shiftable gripping shaft is shifted to a position wherein the disc device may be removed from the gripping portions of the fixed and shiftable gripping shafts; and a shiftable stop member operably connected to the shiftable gripping shaft having a plurality of selectable positions, including a free orientation for allowing the shiftable gripping shaft to advance and retract freely upon rotation of the rotary actuator to actively steer the disc device, and a stop orientation for blocking the shiftable gripping shaft from shifting the disc device to the releasing orientation thereof to keep the disc device from being removed from the gripping portions of the fixed and shiftable gripping shafts, wherein the shiftable stop member is configured to be shifted in a transverse direction to the longitudinal axis of the fixed gripping shaft for shifting the stop member between the free and stop orientations.