Patent ID: 7854765

Claim:
An electronically assisted artificial vertebral disc, comprising: an upper disc plate; a lower disc plate disposed beneath the upper disc plate; a mechanism for allowing relative motion between the upper disc plate and the lower disc plate, wherein the mechanism for allowing relative movement includes a ball on one of the upper disc plate and the lower disc plate, and a trough on another of the upper disc plate and the lower disc plate; an actuator for imparting movement to at least one of the upper disc plate and the lower disc plate; and a control device that continuously controls the actuator and an amount of movement between the upper disc plate and the lower disc plate, wherein the actuator includes a plurality of linear actuators interposing the upper disc plate and the lower disc plate, each of the linear actuators including a first end coupled to the upper disc plate and a second end coupled to the lower disc plate at positions circumferentially surrounding the ball and the trough.