Patent ID: 8128702

Claim:
An interspinous-process spacer, comprising: an expandable segment with an upper portion and a lower portion; the upper portion having an upper proximal member and an upper distal member; the lower portion having a lower proximal member and a lower distal member; the upper proximal member being in contact with the lower proximal member when the expandable segment is in a collapsed configuration, the upper proximal member being spaced away from the lower proximal member when the expandable segment is in an expanded configuration; an inner elongate member disposed between the upper and lower portions; wherein a distal end of the inner elongate member is affixed to the upper distal member and the lower distal member; wherein displacement of the inner elongate segment in a proximal direction relative to the expandable segment, when the expandable segment is in the collapsed configuration, causes the expandable segment to assume its expanded configuration; wherein the distance between a proximal tip of the inner elongate member and a most proximal end of the expandable segment is greater in the expanded configuration than in the collapsed configuration.