PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15887854
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-02
Publication Date: 2018-08
Patent Classification: ["606", "279000"]

Abstract:
Described herein are devices and methods for fusion of adjacent vertebral bones using distractor platforms for exposure and resection of at least a portion of a facet joint, such as in performance of a TLiF procedure. In one embodiment, the distractor platform contains at least a first receptacle and/or extension adapted to couple to the implanted screw/bone marker, and the method includes advancing a threaded segment of a bone fastener assembly into the identified first pedicle of the first vertebral bone, the bone fastener assembly further comprises a second segment adapted to couple with a distraction platform, which is adapted to concurrently attach onto at least one tissue retention blade, and retain the tissue retention blade in the displaced position. Stabilization of a spinal segment is also provided by advancing a substantially concave orthopedic implant through an opening made in a posterior aspect of a disc space.

Claim (Index 24):
A method for stabilization of a spinal segment, the spinal segment comprising a first vertebral bone, a second vertebral bone adjacent to the first vertebral bone, and an intervertebral disc space disposed between the first vertebral bone and the second vertebral bone, the intervertebral disc space comprising an anterior surface and a posterior surface, the method comprising:\n forming a tissue corridor within tissues of a living subject utilizing a non-implantable tissue retractor, the tissue corridor being positioned outside of the spinal segment; exposing and removing a segment of a facet joint that couples the first vertebral bone and the second vertebral bone; advancing a first implant through the tissue corridor so as to approach a posterior aspect of the intervertebral disc space at least partly through a transforaminal corridor, the transforaminal corridor being continuous with the tissue corridor after the act of removing the segment of the facet joint; creating an opening in an annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc space for insertion of the first implant into the intervertebral disc space, the opening in the annulus fibrosus being ipsilateral to the first facet joint; advancing the first implant into the intervertebral disc space through the opening in the annulus fibrosis; and advancing a second implant into the intervertebral disc space at least partially through the opening in the annulus fibrosus; wherein the non-implantable tissue retractor comprises at least a distraction arm configured to selectively adjust at least one dimension of the tissue corridor; wherein a first body of the first implant comprises a first top surface and an opposing first bottom surface that are connected by a first side surface and an opposing second side surface, the first side surface comprising a concave segment that extends inwardly towards the opposing second side surface; wherein a second body of the second implant comprises a second top surface and an opposing second bottom surface that are connected by a third side surface and an opposing fourth side surface, the third side surface of the second implant comprising a convex segment that extends outwardly and away from the opposing fourth side surface; and wherein, after each of the acts of advancing the first implant into the intervertebral disc space and advancing the second implant into the intervertebral disc space, the first implant and the second implant are positioned within the intervertebral disc space with the concave segment of the first implant facing the convex segment of the second implant.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 134.0
- Percentile: 88.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.71429
- Patent Class: 606.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['13875228', '14616439', '15620633', '15162468', '13357509']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.9226129238137216
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.597131188505954
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8900647502829448
- Mean Citation Score: 545.6202999999998
- Max Citation Score: 638.2602
- Similarity Product: 527.1463009845256

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