PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15960118
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-04
Publication Date: 2018-08
Patent Classification: ["623", "017110"]

Abstract:
A device for insertion into a gap between adjacent, spaced apart bony elements includes an adjustable length interconnecting member having a distal and a proximal retention plate secured to opposite ends of the interconnecting member. The distal retention plate has a non-rotated position and a plurality of rotated positions. The non-rotated position aligns the distal retention plate with the gap prior to and during insertion of the distal retention plate into the gap. The distal retention plate is rotated after it has exited the gap on a distal side of the gap to prevent its return into the gap. The proximal retention plate is misaligned with the gap so that it cannot enter into the gap. The rotated distal retention plate cooperates with the proximal retention plate to hold bony elements such as adjacent vertebral bodies in a stable relationship to one another when the interconnecting member is shortened.

Claim (Index 15):
A method for fusing adjacent, spaced-apart vertebral bodies, the method comprising:\n providing a spinal fusion implant, the spinal fusion implant comprising a distal retention plate, a proximal retention plate, and an elongated member connecting the distal retention plate to the proximal retention plate; accessing the two adjacent, spaced-apart vertebral bodies through a single incision; removing, through the single incision, at least a portion of a disc disposed between the two adjacent, spaced-apart vertebral bodies so as to create a gap between opposing end surfaces of the adjacent, spaced-apart vertebral bodies, wherein each vertebral body has a distal surface and a proximal surface, and further wherein the proximal surface of each vertebral body is closer to the single incision than the distal surface of each vertebral body; with the distal retention plate disposed parallel to the opposing end surfaces of the two adjacent, spaced-apart vertebral bodies, inserting the distal retention plate through the single incision and into the gap, and moving the spinal fusion implant distally until the distal retention plate passes through the gap and beyond the distal surface of the vertebral bodies; rotating the distal retention plate so as to orient the distal retention plate transverse to the opposing end surfaces of the two adjacent, spaced-apart vertebral bodies; moving the distal retention plate and the proximal retention plate towards one another, with the proximal retention plate set transverse to the opposing end surfaces of the two adjacent, spaced-art vertebral bodies, so as to clamp the two vertebral bodies to one another and hold the two vertebral bodies against movement relative to one another.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 53.0
- Percentile: 91.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.18056
- Patent Class: 623.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['13238524', '13334526', '11788297', '14712135', '15953855']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7610677226124569
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.500534043641329
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7350143547153442
- Mean Citation Score: 241.792306
- Max Citation Score: 315.4583
- Similarity Product: 263.29325881522897

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 0
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test