Patent ID: 7575580

Claim:
An instrument for inserting a spinal implant, comprising: a proximal handle assembly; a shaft assembly extending distally from said handle assembly along a longitudinal axis; a grasper assembly at a distal end of said shaft assembly, said grasper assembly including first and second arms remotely operable for movement relative to one another between an engaging position to engage the implant therebetween and a release position to disengage the implant from therebetween, said first and second arms further being remotely pivotable relative to a distal end of said shaft assembly while maintaining the engaging position from an initial position for insertion of the implant into a spinal disc space to a final position for implantation of the implant in the spinal disc space, wherein: said shaft assembly includes a first shaft and a second shaft forming a passage therebetween and a locking shaft movably received in said passage: said first arm includes a proximal lever portion with a first end pivotably coupled to said first shaft and a second end pivotably coupled to said second shaft: and said second arm includes a proximal heel portion articulably coupled to and translatable relative to said second shaft and a toe portion extending from said heel portion pivotally coupled to said first shaft about a common pivot with said first end of said lever portion of said first arm.