Here are four new spine patents that have been secured so far in 2024:
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of new patents from the year.
1. A neurosurgeon and spine surgeon in Naples, Fla., is working on a breakthrough in spinal fusion surgery. Mark Frenkel, MD, a surgeon at Neuroscience and Spine Associates, is patenting a new approach to spinal fusion that does not use any rods or screws. In Dr. Frenkel's surgery, he uses small needles, curving them through one bone, through the spacer and into another bone. He then injects cement that is already approved for use in the spine to reinforce fractures.
2. OrtoWay earned a U.S. patent for the OrtoWell distractor system for spinal corpectomy. OrtoWell's patent was issued July 1 and has been used in more than 50 spine surgeries worldwide. The patent covers OrtoWell's application of hydraulically powered distractor for corpectomies.
3. Aurora Spine earned another U.S. patent for its Dexa technology for spine implants. The new patent will be used to create implants that match a patient's bone density based on a Dexa scan.
4. Aurora Spine earned a U.S. patent for its translucent Ghost Tube. The Ghost Tube was designed for anchoring with a translucent thermoplastic body and non-slipping titanium anchors. It ensures minimally invasive surgery access without blocking X-ray visualization during procedures.