1. A metal cyanide catalyst complexed with a complexing agent that is miscible in a 2000 Mn polypropylene oxide)homopolymer diol at an elevated temperature, but which is not miscible in the polypropylene oxide) at a lower temperature at which the poly(propylene oxide) is a liquid.
2. The metal cyanide catalyst of claim 1, wherein the elevated temperature is at least 50\xb0 C. and the lower temperature is at least 25\xb0 C.
3. The metal cyanide catalyst of claim 2, wherein the elevated temperature is at least 80\xb0 C. and the lower temperature is at least 25\xb0 C.
4. The metal cyanide catalyst of claim 3, wherein the elevated temperature is at least 100\xb0 C. and the lower temperature is at least 25\xb0 C.
5. The metal cyanide catalyst of claim 4, wherein the elevated temperature is at least 130\xb0 C. and the lower temperature is at least 25\xb0 C.
6. The metal cyanide catalyst of claim 1, wherein the complexing agent is a poly(ethylene oxide) polymer or a block copolymer having a poly(ethylene oxide) block and a block of another monomer or monomers.
7. The metal cyanide catalyst of claim 6, wherein the complexing agent is a block copolymer having a poly(ethylene oxide) block and a block of polyethylene or polypropylene.
8. The metal cyanide catalyst of claim 7, wherein the poly(ethylene oxide) block has a weight of 150-2000 daltons and the polyethylene or polypropylene block has a weight of 150-2000 daltons.
9. The metal cyanide catalyst of claim 1 wherein the metal cyanide is a zinc hexacyanocobaltate.
10. A metal cyanide catalyst complexed with an immiscible complexing agent comprising poly(ethylene oxide) polymer or block copolymer having poly(ethylene oxide) blocks and blocks of another monomer or monomers, wherein the immiscible complexing agent has a melting temperature between 25\xb0 C. and 150\xb0 C.
11. A process wherein a metal cyanide catalyst is mixed with an alkylene oxide and the resulting mixture subjected to conditions including an elevated temperature sufficient to polymerize the alkylene oxide to form a poly(alkylene oxide), wherein the metal cyanide catalyst is complexed with a complexing agent which is miscible in the poly(alkylene oxide) at the elevated temperature, but which is not miscible in the poly(alkylene oxide) at a lower temperature at which the poly(alkylene oxide) is a liquid.
12. The process of claim 11 wherein the alkylene oxide comprises propylene oxide.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein the poly(alkylene oxide) is subsequently cooled to a temperature at which the poly(alkylene oxide) is a liquid and at which the complexing agent is not miscible in the poly(alkylene oxide).
14. The process of claim 13 wherein the metal cyanide catalyst is removed from the cooled poly(alkylene oxide).
15. The process of claim 14 wherein the metal cyanide catalyst is removed from the cooled poly(alkylene oxide) by filtration.
16. The process of claim 11, wherein the completing agent is a poly(ethylene oxide) polymer or a block copolymer having a poly(ethylene oxide) block and a block of another monomer or monomers.
17. The process of claim 16, wherein the complexing agent is a block copolymer having a poly(ethylene oxide) block and a block of polyethylene or polypropylene.
18. The process of claim 17, wherein the poly(ethylene oxide) block has a weight of 150-2000 daltons and the polyethylene or polypropylene block has a weight of 150-2000 daltons.
19. A process wherein a metal cyanide catalyst is mixed with an alkylene oxide and the resulting mixture subjected to conditions including an elevated temperature sufficient to polymerize the alkylene oxide to form a poly(alkylene oxide), wherein the metal cyanide catalyst with an immiscible complexing agent comprising a poly(ethylene oxide) polymer or block copolymer having poly(ethylene oxide) blocks and blocks of another monomer or monomers, wherein the immiscible complexing agent has a melting temperature between 25\xb0 C. and 150\xb0 C.
20. A polymer made in the process of claim 11.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A device comprising:
a first disc portion being shaped and sized to correspond generally to a first intervertebral disc section including a pivot point positioned on a first surface opposite a second surface of the first disc portion and a first lattice structure with a negative Poisson’s ratio; and
a second disc portion being shaped and sized to correspond generally to a second intervertebral disc section including a pivot point receptacle positioned on a third surface opposite a fourth surface of the second disc portion and a second lattice structure with a negative Poisson’s ratio;
wherein the first disc portion is positioned relative to the second disc portion with the pivot point of the first disc portion within the pivot point receptacle of the second disc portion and the first surface of the first disc portion adjacent to the third surface of the second disc portion;
wherein the first disc portion includes an endplate positioned adjacent and substantially parallel with the second surface of the first disc portion, and
wherein the first disc portion and the second disc portion are configured to exhibit an auxetic behavior when subject to compression approximately perpendicular to a surface plane parallel to at least one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface and the fourth surface.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the endplate includes a threaded portion.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the end plate includes a nano-porous material structured to allow biological material transfer.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second disc portion includes a second endplate approximate the fourth surface of the second disc portion.
5. The device of claim 1, comprising at least one vertical extension extending along a first outer surface of the first disc portion and a second outer surface of the second disc portion from a position approximate the second surface to a position approximate the fourth surface, the at least one vertical extension being orthogonal to the surface plane parallel to at least one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface and the fourth surface.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one vertical extension further includes micro-porous channels with trabecular characteristics.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first disc portion includes an additive layer disc portion.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the additive layer disc portion includes a plurality of layers joined to provide a sequential configuration of the first intervertebral disc section.
9. The device of claim 7, wherein the second disc portion includes a second additive layer disc portion having a plurality of layers joined to provide a sequential configuration of the second intervertebral disc section.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein the first surface comprises one or more protruding locating features; and
the third surface comprises one or more locating pockets structured to engage the locating features.
11. The device of claim 1 wherein a layer of shock absorbing material is positioned between the first surface and the third surface.
12. A device comprising:
a first disc portion of a intervertebral disc having a pivot point positioned relative to a first surface of the first disc portion; and
a second disc portion of the intervertebral disc having a pivot point receptacle positioned relative to a second surface of the second disc portion,
wherein the pivot point on the first surface of the first disc portion is positioned with respect to the pivot point receptacle on the second surface of the second disc portion to form the intervertebral disc,
wherein the first disc portion includes an endplate positioned opposite the first surface of the first disc portion, and
wherein the first disc portion and the second disc portion have a lattice structure configured to exhibit a negative Poisson’s ratio when subject to compression perpendicular to a plane parallel to at least one of the first surface and the second surface.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein the endplate includes at least one feature selected from a group comprising antimicrobial characteristics, a nano-porous structure, outer threads, and a metamaterial structured to allow biological material transfer.
14. The device of claim 12, wherein the second disc portion includes a second endplate positioned opposite the second surface of the second disc portion.
15. The device of claim 12, wherein the first disc portion includes at least one vertical extension having microporous channels with trabecular characteristics.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein the first disc portion includes an additive layer disc structure and the second disc portion further includes a second additive layer disc structure.
17. The device of claim 16, wherein the additive layer disc structure includes a plurality of layers joined to provide a sequential configuration of the first disc portion of the intervertebral disc and the second additive layer disc structure further includes a plurality of layers joined to provide a sequential configuration of the second disc portion of the intervertebral disc.
18. A method comprising:
analyzing an intervertebral space including a patient’s intervertebral disc;
creating a disc model in response to said analyzing;
forming a first disc portion and a second disc portion with a plurality of additive layers in response to the disc model, each having a lattice structure configured to exhibit an auxetic behavior; and
replacing the patient’s intervertebral disc with an implant disc including the first disc portion and the second disc portion.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said forming includes joining a set of additive layers of the first disc portion having a first mating surface and joining a second set of additive layers of the second disc portion having a second mating surface.
20. The method of claim 19, further including positioning the first mating surface of the first disc portion relative to the second mating surface of the second disc portion to firm the implant disc.
21. A method comprising:
creating a disc model for a patient based upon the patient’s existing vertebral disc; and
forming a first disc portion and a second disc portion with a plurality of additive layers in response to the disc model, each having a lattice structure configured to exhibit an auxetic behavior.