Dave's PCF WIP: Paragraphs

Paragraphs

Actions	Application	Content	Paragraph Number	Notes	Modified
		Content		Paragraph Number	Notes	Any Field
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Figure 1C is a front view of a rotatable structure 112, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The rotatable structure 112 includes a tube 109 that extends from the bottom surface 103. The tube 109 may be cylindrical and have a circular cross section. The tube 109 may serve to couple the rotatable structure 112 to the bone plate 108. In one embodiment, the rotatable structure 112 engages the bone plate 108 through a hole sized to accept a tube of the rotatable structure 112. In one embodiment, the tube 109 fits through the hole in the bone plate 108 in a slip fit. After the tube 109 is slip fit through the hole in the bone plate 108, the open, disconnected, end of the tube 109 may be swaged to flare the open-end outward such that the flared-out portion of the tube 109 engages the hole in the bone plate 108 and thereby retains the rotatable structure 112 within the hole.	53	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	The detent mechanism and the rotation limiter described above are only examples. It will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many other mechanisms may alternatively be used for guiding and/or limiting rotation of the rotatable structure 112. For example, in one embodiment, the rotatable structures 112 may not be seated in recesses. Rather, the flat surfaces 122 may protrude from the outer surface of the bone plate 108, as opposed to being disposed in the partially circular recesses 120 and may still provide the desired limitation on rotation. Detent mechanisms likewise need not be defined by a recess, but may, in some embodiments, be defined by protruding features and/or niches that are otherwise provided on the surface of the bone plate 108 and/or on the rotatable structures. Positioning the rotatable structures 112 in the partially circular recesses 120 as in FIG. 1A may help to reduce the profile of the locking mechanisms 110, helping the locking mechanisms 110 avoid damage to surrounding soft tissues or discomfort to a patient.	52	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Thus, the flat surfaces 122 and the corresponding surfaces 124 may cooperate to define rotation limiters as described above. Notably, the rotatable structures 112 may rotate clockwise from the unlocked orientation into the locked orientation. Loosening rotation of the screws 104 (counterclockwise) may tend to rotate the rotatable structures 112 further in the clockwise direction. Engagement of the flat surfaces 122 with the corresponding surfaces 124 may prevent such further clockwise rotation of the rotatable structures 112, thereby ensuring that the rotatable structures do not over-rotate clockwise, beyond the locked orientation, in response to torque tending to loosen the screws 104. Rather, as the rotatable structures 112 are unable to rotate further clockwise, counterclockwise (loosening) motion of the screws 104 may be prevented. Any counterclockwise torque in the screws 104 may tend to retain the rotatable structure 112 in the locked orientation, ensuring that the rotatable structure 112 does not migrate to the unlocked orientation after a surgical procedure is complete. This is more clearly shown and described in FIG. 3A.	51	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Rotation of each of the rotatable structures 112 may be limited by flat surfaces 122 manufactured into each of the partially circular recesses 120. Each of the flat surfaces 122 may engage a corresponding surface 124 associated with each of the arms 114 of the rotatable structure 112, thereby limiting the degree of rotation and deployment of each of the rotatable structures 112 beyond the unlocked and locked orientations. The corresponding surface 124 may be flat but does not have to be.	50	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Further, each of the locking mechanisms 110 may have a rotation limiter configured to engage the rotatable structure 112. The rotatable structure 112 limits a degree of rotation of the rotatable structure 112. The rotation limiter limits rotation of the rotatable structure 112 in either direction, beyond the locked orientation and the unlocked orientation, while allowing rotation of the rotatable structure 112 between the locked orientation and the unlocked orientation.	49	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Thus, the niche 130 and the ears 132 may cooperate to define a detent mechanism as described above. Via such a detent mechanism, the surgeon may be sure the rotatable structure 112 has been fully rotated into the desired configuration. Further, the engagement of niche 130 and the ear 132 pertaining to the locked orientation may tend to retain the rotatable structure in the locked orientation, further ensuring that the rotatable structure 112 does not migrate to the unlocked orientation after the surgical procedure is complete.	48	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	In certain embodiments, the implant assembly 100 may include a bone plate 108 having one or more openings 506. The opening 506 may serve as a window that permits a surgeon, post-operation, to view progress of a bone fusion procedure between bones 102 secured with the implant assembly 100. Alternatively, or in addition, the opening 506 can provide structural integrity to the bone plate 108. The openings 506 may mitigate coverage of body parts of a patient unnecessarily, may reduce the weight and amount of material used to form the bone plate 108, enable desirable flexing or stretching of the bone plate 108 as a patient moves. Alternatively, or in addition, the opening 506 may provide an aesthetic appeal for the bone plate 108.	78	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Each level 704 can include one or more locking mechanisms 110. Adjacent levels (e.g., level 704a and level 704b) can share a common locking mechanism 110 between them. Those of skill in the art recognize that the present disclosure supports embodiments of an implant assembly 100 that supports any number of levels 704. For each number of levels, the implant assembly 100 may include one more pair of screw openings 106, corresponding pair of screws 104, and locking mechanism 110 or rotatable structure 112 than the number of levels. For example, an implant assembly 100 that support two levels may include three rotatable structures 112, three pairs of screw openings 106, and three corresponding pair of screws 104. Likewise, an implant assembly 100 that supports one level may include two rotatable structures 112, two pairs of screw openings 106, and two corresponding pair of screws 104. In certain embodiments, the implant assembly 100 may include a bone plate 108, a rotatable structure 112, a pair of screw openings 106 and screws may not be included in the implant assembly 100.	87	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a vertebral implant 700 that may include two levels 704a, 704b. Each level 704 can include one or more screw openings 106 that receive corresponding screws 104 and one or more locking mechanisms 110 that can include corresponding rotatable structures 112. In one embodiment, each level 704 can include a pair of screw openings 106 that receive corresponding pair of screws 104 and two locking mechanisms 110 that can include corresponding rotatable structures 112. In certain embodiments of the implant assembly 100, the opening 506 may serve as a window that permits a surgeon or other user to view a condition of parts between bones 102 secured with the vertebral implant 700 installed.	86	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	In one embodiment, a vertebral implant 700 may be configured, designed, engineered, or adapted to support one or more levels 704. In such an embodiment, the bone plate 108 may be sized to support the one or more levels 704. As used herein, a “level” refers to a location within the body of a patient that includes a bone on either end of the level with another body part of section between the bones 102. For example, the vertebral implant 700 can be used to secure adjacent vertebral bodies that may include either a cervical disc, a cervical fixation implant, or a combination of all, or part of, a cervical disc and a cervical fixation implant in between each vertebral body.	85	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	FIG. 7 illustrates one example of an implant assembly that can serve as a vertebral implant 700. In this example, the bone plate 108 can include three pairs of screw openings 106 and the vertebral implant can include three rotatable structures 112. Each rotatable structure 112 may be positioned in, or on, the bone plate 108 and adapted to retain a pair of screws 104. Each screw 104 is positioned within a screw opening 106 of the three pairs of screw openings 106.	84	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	In one embodiment, the bone plate 108 may include a single niche 130 for each rotatable structure 112. The niche 130 may be formed in a straight section of the rim 304 around the recess 120. The niche 130 may serve as part of a detent mechanism that secures two ears 132. For example, in one embodiment, a detent mechanism includes a niche 130 and two ears 132. A first ear 132a that fits within the niche 130 when the rotatable structure 112 is in the locked orientation and a second ear 132b and that seats within the same niche 130 when the rotatable structure 112 is in the unlocked orientation. (See FIG. 1) The second ear 132b and the first ear 132a may be sized to be received in the niche 130. The bone plate 108 may include one or more openings 506.	83	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Together the bone plate 108 and rotatable structure 112 can cooperate to create a detent mechanism. The detent mechanism can retain the rotatable structure 112 in a locked orientation and may include a niche 130 and at least one ear 132. In the illustrated embodiment, the detent mechanism can include a niche 130 and one or more ears 132. The niche 130 and/or ears 132 can be formed in either the rotatable structure 112 (e.g., along an edge of the rotatable structure 112) and/or in the bone plate 108, for example in a rim 304 of a recess 120.	82	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	In one embodiment, the pair of opposed arms 702 extend in opposite directions from each other. In one embodiment, the pair of opposed arms 702 may be in the shape of a delta shape, like a delta wing. In this manner, given the placement and orientation of the recess 120, rotatable structure 112, and the screw opening(s) 106, a single pair of opposed arms 702 can engage two screws 104 positioned within a pair of screw openings 106 when the rotatable structure 112 is in a locked orientation. The arm 114 serves to restrict back-out of the screw 104. The rotatable structures 112 also include a drive feature 118 that can receive torque from a driver to rotate the rotatable structure 112 between the locked orientation and an unlocked orientation.	81	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	FIG. 7 is a top view of an implant assembly 700, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The implant assembly 100 can include three pairs of screws 104 inserted within corresponding pairs of screw openings 106. Of course, in other implementations, each screw opening 106 may not include a screw 104. The implant assembly 100 includes three rotatable structures 112 that are each coupled to the bone plate 108 and that each include a pair of opposed arms 702.	80	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	FIG. 6 is a perspective top view of an exemplary screw 104 of FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure showing an enlarged version of the head feature 107. In particular, FIG. 6 shows a plurality of raised ridges 216. Looking at a single ridge 216, as one example, each ridge 216 may include a long ramp 602 and a short ramp 604. In one embodiment, the angle and size and relationship of the long ramp 602 and the short ramp 604 are designed, or selected, such that the long ramp 602 facilitates sliding of a lock feature 105 past one or more of the raised ridges 216 as a rotatable structure 112 is rotated to the locked orientation.	79	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Specifically, each of the rotatable structures 112 may sit in a recess 120 manufactured into an outer surface of the bone plate 108. In one embodiment, the recess 120 may be a partially circular recess 120. Further, each of the partially circular recesses 120 may define a niche 130 that can receive either of two ears 132 protruding from a central hub 134 of the rotatable structure 112. One of the ears 132 may reside in the niche 130 in the locked orientation, and the other may reside in the niche 130 in the unlocked orientation. As the rotatable structure 112 approaches the locked orientation or the unlocked orientation, the corresponding ear 132 may slide into the niche 130, causing the rotatable structure 112 to “snap” into the locked configuration or the unlocked configuration. The engagement of an ear 132 within the niche 130 can provide either an audible “snap” as the two parts engage and/or the engaging ear 132 and niche 130 can provide a tactile movement that an operator can feel in a driver (not shown) that engages the drive feature 118 of the rotatable structure 112 to move the rotatable structure 112 into a locked orientation. Similarly, engagement of an ear 132 within the niche 130 can provide a tactile feedback to an operator using the driver to move the rotatable structure 112 into an unlocked orientation	47	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	In certain embodiments, the rotatable structure 112 can be made from a variety of materials including plastic (e.g., ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW). In such embodiments, a color for the rotatable structure 112 may be chosen to provide a high contrast between the rotatable structure 112 and other structures of the implant assembly 100 and/or parts of a patient’s body. In one embodiment, the rotatable structure 112 may be made of a material having a bright color and/or a high contrast color such as yellow. Using a bright color (e.g., yellow) may be advantageous and facilitate a user connecting a driver (not shown) to a drive feature 118 of the rotatable structure 112. The drive feature 118 can receive torque from the driver to rotate the rotatable structure 112 between an unlocked orientation and a locked orientation and/or vice versa.	77	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	In the illustrated example, the rotation limiter 502 can engage the rotatable structure 112 and thereby limit the degree of rotation 504. In one embodiment, the degree of rotation 504 can range between 0 degrees and about 50 degrees.	76	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM
View Edit Delete	FLO-4	Rotation of the rotatable structures 112 may be limited by flat surfaces 122 manufactured into one or more partially circular recesses 120. Each of the flat surfaces 122 may engage a corresponding surface 124 associated with each of the arms 114 of the rotatable structure 112, thereby limiting the degree of rotation 504 and deployment of each of the rotatable structures 112 beyond the unlocked and locked orientations. The corresponding surface 124 may be flat but does not have to be.	75	Added by DJM 5 2021	5/1/21, 12:00 AM

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