Implant with independent endplates

Inventors

Laine, Christopher • Helmar, Ian • Diehl, Lucas • Tinley, Jason • Chappuis, Kevin D. • Sullivan, John F.

Assignees

Nanohive Medical LLC

Abstract

The biocompatible lattice structures and implants disclosed herein have an increased or optimized lucency, even when constructed from a metallic material. The lattice structures can also provide an increased or optimized lucency in a material that is not generally considered to be radiolucent. Lucency can include disparity, maximum variation in lucency properties across a structure, or dispersion, minimum variation in lucency properties across a structure. The implants and lattice structures disclosed herein may be optimized for disparity or dispersion in any desired direction. A desired direction with respect to lucency can include the anticipated x-ray viewing direction of an implant in the expected implantation orientation.

Core Innovation

An implant includes a first independent endplate and a second independent endplate spaced apart from each other, with each endplate having an upper surface and a lower surface configured to contact corresponding tissue segments upon implantation. At least one portion of the first independent endplate is mechanically connected to the second independent endplate only via a biocompatible three-dimensionally printed body disposed between them, and the body comprises a metallic lattice structure.

The implant is configured to promote bone growth. The biocompatible three-dimensionally printed body comprises at least one pore having a diameter of 600 μm, and the first and second independent endplates comprise porosity configured to promote bone growth. The metallic lattice structure includes a scaffold configured to support bone growth, and an elastic modulus of the body is lower than elastic modulus of the first independent endplate and elastic modulus of the second independent endplate.

In particular embodiments, the elastic modulus of the body is configured to allow new bone growth to be loaded with physiological forces. The metallic lattice structure comprises a plurality of unit cells forming a repeating rhombic dodecahedron (RDD) structural scaffold, and the lattice structure is defined as 30% volumetric density filled by primary material and 70% void volume. In additional embodiments, the first independent endplate comprises a tool engagement area configured to receive a surgical tool during implantation and a threaded opening configured to receive a device for facilitating placement of the implant.

Claims Coverage

The provided material includes four independent claims. Across these claims, the inventive features center on an implant architecture with two independent endplates mechanically connected only through a biocompatible three-dimensionally printed metallic lattice body, combined with pore and porosity features for bone growth, elastic-modulus relationships, lattice-specific structures, and an endplate tool engagement area.

Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage is an implant having two independent endplates with tissue-contacting upper and lower surfaces, mechanically connected to each other only through an interposed biocompatible three-dimensionally printed metallic lattice body. The claims further require bone-growth-promoting pore and porosity, specify that the body has a lower elastic modulus than the endplates, and include lattice-specific options such as repeating rhombic dodecahedron scaffolds and quantified volumetric density, along with an endplate tool engagement area having a threaded opening.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications