US 11,813,172 B2
Facet screw and delivery device
Shigeru Tanaka, Half Moon Bay, CA (US); Christopher U. Phan, Dublin, CA (US); Christopher Lambert, Oakland, CA (US); Bon Champ, Campbell, CA (US); Edward Liou, Pleasanton, CA (US); Jeffrey D. Smith, Clayton, CA (US); and Nicholas Domek, Oakland, CA (US)
Assigned to Providence Medical Technology, Inc., Pleasanton, CA (US)
Filed by Providence Medical Technology, Inc., Pleasanton, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/095,138.
Application 18/095,138 is a continuation of application No. 16/959,522, granted, now 11,648,128, previously published as PCT/US2019/012367, filed on Jan. 4, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/613,547, filed on Jan. 4, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/667,951, filed on May 7, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/734,568, filed on Sep. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0181327 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. A61F 2/44 (2006.01); A61F 2/30 (2006.01); A61F 2/46 (2006.01); A61B 17/70 (2006.01); A61B 17/16 (2006.01); A61B 17/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/4405 (2013.01) [A61F 2/30749 (2013.01); A61F 2/446 (2013.01); A61F 2/4611 (2013.01); A61B 17/1671 (2013.01); A61B 17/7035 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0256 (2013.01); A61F 2002/3085 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30433 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30616 (2013.01); A61F 2002/4627 (2013.01); A61F 2002/4658 (2013.01); A61F 2002/4681 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of implanting an intra-facet implant in a facet joint of a patient, wherein said facet joint is between an upper vertebra comprising an inferior facet articulating surface and an adjacent, lower vertebra comprising a superior facet articulating surface, said method comprising:
gaining access to said facet joint from a posterior portion of said patient's anatomy;
positioning a distal end of a guide tube at said facet joint, said guide tube comprising a lumen;
passing said intra-facet implant through said lumen towards said facet joint, with said intra-facet implant releasably coupled to a distal portion of a delivery instrument;
inserting said intra-facet implant into said facet joint, wherein during said inserting, said intra-facet implant is connected to said delivery instrument, and further wherein said intra-facet implant comprises
a proximal portion,
a distal portion,
a cylindrical body extending between said proximal portion and said distal portion,
wherein said cylindrical body comprises a central axis extending from said proximal portion to said distal portion;
an external thread extending from said proximal portion to said distal portion, and
at least one channel extending along a first portion of said implant and defined both along and within an external surface of said first portion of said implant such that a portion of said external thread is disrupted by said at least one channel;
wherein upon implantation of said implant, said axis of said cylindrical body resides in said facet joint between said inferior and superior articulating surfaces in an intra-facet manner; and
releasing the intra-facet implant from the delivery instrument.