1. An implantable facet arthroplasty device for association with a first vertebra and a second vertebra comprising:
(a) a crossbar;
(b) a first component having a first attachment mechanism adapted to attach to a first location of a spinal fusion device attached to a first vertebra and a second attachment mechanism adapted to engage the crossbar; and
(c) a second component having a second attachment mechanism adapted to attach to a second location of a spinal fusion device attached to the first vertebra and a second attachment mechanism adapted to engage the crossbar,
wherein, the first component articulates relative to the second component; further wherein the first vertebra articulates relative to the facet arthroplasty device.
2. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 1 further comprising a first arm having a bone engaging end adapted to attach to a vertebral body at a first end and adapted to engage the crossbar at a second end.
3. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 2 wherein the first arm is configured to engage a caudal vertebral body.
4. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 2 wherein the first arm is configured to engage a cephalad vertebral body.
5. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 1 further comprising a spinal fusion device.
6. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 5 wherein the spinal fusion device comprises a pair of elongated members configured to extend along a portion of the spine adjacent a cephalad vertebra and a caudal vertebra and a plurality of attachment mechanism for mounting the spinal fusion device to the cephalad vertebra and the caudal vertebra.
7. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 2 further comprising a second arm having a bone engaging end adapted to attach to a vertebral body at a first end and adapted to engage the crossbar at a second end.
8. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 7 wherein the second arm is configured to engage a caudal vertebral body.
9. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 7 wherein the second arm is configured to engage a cephalad vertebral body.
10. The implantable facet arthroplasty device of claim 7 wherein the first arm articulates relative to the second arm.
11. An implantable spinal restoration device comprising:
(a) an elongated member configured to extend along a portion of a length of a spine adjacent a cephalad vertebra and a caudal vertebra;
(b) an attachment mechanism adapted to attach the elongated member to a portion of the spine;
(c) a facet arthroplasty element;
(d) a support component having a first end and a second end sized to span a portion of the vertebral body and adapted to receive the facet arthroplasty element at the first end and the second end; and
(e) a connector adapted to connect the support component to the elongated member.
12. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, further comprising an arm with a bone engaging end adapted to attach to a vertebra at a first end and adapted to attach to the support component at a second end.
13. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 12, wherein the arm is configured to engage a caudal vertebral body.
14. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 12, wherein the arm is configured to engage a cephalad vertebral body.
15. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 12, further comprising a second arm having a first end adapted to engage a vertebral body at a first end and second end adapted to engage the crossbar.
16. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 15, wherein the first arm articulates relative to the second arm.
17. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, wherein the support component is sized to span a portion of a vertebral body between a left lamina and a right lamina.
18. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, wherein the support component is sized to span a portion of a vertebral body between a left pedicle and a right pedicle.
19. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, wherein the support component is further adapted to have an adjustable width.
20. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, wherein the facet arthroplasty element is positioned relative to the support component to provide a symmetric anatomical solution.
21. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, wherein the facet arthroplasty element is positioned relative to the support component to provide an asymmetrical anatomical solution.
22. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, wherein the ends of the support component are adapted to receive an opening in the facet arthroplasty element.
23. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, wherein the facet arthroplasty element is selected from a plurality of facet arthroplasty elements each having an opening with a different depth.
24. The implantable spinal restoration device of claim 11, further comprising evenly distributing the weight on the vertebral body using the support component.
25. An adaptable implantable spine stabilization device, comprising:
(a) a crossbar having a first end and a second end;
(b) a pair of vertebral engaging elements each having a bone engaging end and an end adapted to couple to the crossbar; and
(c) a pair of anchoring elements each having a first end having a surface adapted to receive a crossbar end and second end adapted to fix the anchoring element to a spinal fusion system.
26. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, further comprising an arm with a bone engaging end adapted to attach to a vertebra at a first end and adapted to attach to the support component at a second end.
27. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the arm is configured to engage a caudal vertebral body.
28. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the arm is configured to engage a cephalad vertebral body.
29. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, further comprising a second arm having a first end adapted to engage a vertebral body at a first end and second end adapted to engage the crossbar.
30. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the first arm articulates relative to the second arm.
31. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the support component is sized to span a portion of a vertebral body between a left lamina and a right lamina.
32. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the support component is sized to span a portion of a vertebral body between a left pedicle and a right pedicle.
33. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the support component is further adapted to have an adjustable width.
34. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the facet arthroplasty element is positioned relative to the support component to provide a symmetric anatomical solution.
35. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the facet arthroplasty element is positioned relative to the support component to provide an asymmetrical anatomical solution.
36. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the ends of the support component are adapted to receive an opening in the facet arthroplasty elements.
37. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, wherein the facet arthroplasty element is selected from a plurality of facet arthroplasty elements each having an opening with a different depth.
38. The adaptable implantable spine stabilization device of claim 25, further comprising evenly distributing the weight on the vertebral body using the support component.
39. A method for revising spinal fusion surgery to provide support to adjacent vertebra comprising:
(d) accessing a spinal location having a spinal fusion device, comprising a pair of elongated members, attached adjacent a caudal vertebral body and a cephalad vertebral body;
(e) attaching a facet arthroplasty device comprising an articulating attachment mechanism adapted to receive a crossbar and an attachment mechanism adapted to connected to the elongated member of the spinal fusion device; and
(f) closing the wound.
40. The method for revising spinal fusion surgery of claim 39 wherein the vertebra adjacent the spinal fusion device are stabilized.
41. An implantable adjacent level arthroplasty device for implantation between a first vertebra and a second vertebra having a vertebra engaging a fusion device comprising:
(g) a crossbar;
(h) a first component having a first attachment mechanism adapted to attach to a first location of a spinal fusion device attached to a first vertebra and a second attachment mechanism adapted to attach to the crossbar; and
(i) a second component having a second attachment mechanism adapted to attach to a second location of a spinal fusion device attached to the first vertebra and a second attachment mechanism adapted to attach to the crossbar,
wherein, the first component articulates relative to the second component; further wherein the first vertebra articulates relative to the facet arthroplasty device.
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 toner for developing a latent electrostatic image, comprising:
toner particles,
wherein each toner particle comprises at least:
a releasing agent; and
a modified layered inorganic mineral in which at least a part of ions present in between layers of a layered inorganic mineral is replaced with an organic ion,
wherein the toner satisfies one of the following conditions (1) and (2):
(1) the releasing agent has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.5 \u03bcm in the toner particle, and the toner has a ratio AB of 0.2 to 2.0 where A denotes the average dispersed particle diameter of the releasing agent and B denotes an average dispersed particle diameter of the modified layered inorganic mineral; and
(2) the releasing agent has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.5 \u03bcm, a proportion of the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a diameter of 1 \u03bcm or more in the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a diameter of 0.5 \u03bcm or more is 20% by number or less, and
wherein the toner is obtained by a method comprising:
dissolving or dispersing at least a binder resin or a precursor of a binder resin, a colorant, the releasing agent, and the modified layered inorganic mineral in an organic solvent so as to prepare an oil phase;
dispersing the oil phase in an aqueous medium so as to prepare an emulsified dispersion; and
removing the solvent from the emulsified dispersion so as to yield the toner particles.
2. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner is obtained by a method comprising:
dissolving or dispersing at least a polymer having a site reactive with a compound having an active hydrogen group, a binder resin or a precursor of a binder resin, a colorant, the releasing agent, a kneaded composite of the binder resin and a modified layered inorganic mineral in which at least a part of ions present in between layers of a layered inorganic mineral is replaced with an organic ion, in an organic solvent so as to prepare an oil phase;
dispersing the oil phase in an aqueous medium containing resin fine particles so as to allow the polymer to react; and
removing the solvent after or during the reaction so as to yield the toner particles.
3. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the modified layered inorganic mineral has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.55 \u03bcm.
4. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the modified layered inorganic mineral is added to the oil phase as a kneaded lo composite with the binder resin, and the modified layered inorganic mineral has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.55 \u03bcm in the kneaded composite.
5. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the precursor of the binder resin is a modified polyester resin, and
wherein a compound which is capable of being elongated or crosslinked with the modified polyester resin is dissolved in the oil phase, the oil phase is dispersed in the aqueous medium in the presence of fine particle dispersant so as to prepare the emulsified dispersion, the modified polyester is allowed to proceed a crosslinking reaction or an elongation reaction in the emulsified dispersion, and the organic solvent is removed from the emulsified dispersion so as to yield the toner particles.
6. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner comprises 0.05% by mass to 5.0% by mass of the modified layered inorganic mineral.
7. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the modified layered inorganic mineral is a layered inorganic mineral in which at least a part of metallic cations present in between layers of the layered inorganic mineral is replaced with an organic cation.
8. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner has a volume average particle diameter Dv of 3.0 \u03bcm to 7.0 \u03bcm, and a ratio DvDn of 1.00 to 1.30, where Dv denotes the volume average particle diameter and Dn denotes a number average particle diameter.
9. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a particle diameter of 0.5 \u03bcm or more has an aspect ratio of the particle of 0.800 or less, and a proportion of the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a particle diameter of 1 \u03bcm or more in the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a particle diameter of 0.5 \u03bcm or more is 20% by number or less.
10. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner comprises 1% by mass to 10% by mass of the releasing agent.
11. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the modified layered inorganic mineral is added as a kneaded composite with the binder resin to the oil phase, the modified layered inorganic mineral has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.55 \u03bcm in the kneaded composite, and the modified layered inorganic mineral having a particle diameter of 1 \u03bcm or more accounts for 15% by volume or less in the kneaded composite.
12. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner has an average circularity of 0.93 to 0.97.
13. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner particles having a circularity of 0.950 or less account for 20% by number to 80% by number in the entire toner particles.
14. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner has a shape factor SF-1 of 110 to 200 and a shape factor SF-2 of 110 to 300.
15. The toner according to claim 7, wherein the organic cation is a quaternary ammonium ion.
16. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner particles having a diameter of 2 \u03bcm or less account for 1% by number to 20% by number in the entire toner particles.
17. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the binder resin comprises a polyester resin.
18. The toner according to claim 2, wherein the polymer having a site reactive with a compound having an active hydrogen group has a weight-average molecular weight of 3,000 to 20,000.
19. A toner manufacturing method, comprising:
dissolving or dispersing at least a binder resin or a precursor of a binder resin, a colorant, a releasing agent, and a modified layered inorganic mineral in which at least a part of ions present in between layers of a layered inorganic mineral is replaced with an organic ion in an organic solvent so as to prepare an oil phase;
dispersing the oil phase in an aqueous medium so as to prepare an emulsified dispersion; and
removing the solvent from the emulsified dispersion so as to yield the toner particles,
wherein the toner satisfies one of the following conditions (1) and (2):
(1) the releasing agent has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.5 \u03bcm in the toner particle, and the toner has a ratio AB of 0.2 to 2.0 where A denotes the average dispersed particle diameter of the releasing agent and B denotes an average dispersed particle diameter of the modified layered inorganic mineral; and
(2) the releasing agent has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.5 \u03bcm, a proportion of the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a diameter of 1 \u03bcm or more in the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a diameter of 0.5 \u03bcm or more is 20% by number or less.
20. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a transferring unit configured to transfer a toner image formed of a toner and carried on a toner image bearing member to a transfer material; and
a cleaning unit configured to clean the toner remained on the toner image bearing member after the transferring, by using a blade,
wherein the toner comprises:
toner particles,
wherein each toner particle comprises at least:
a releasing agent; and
a modified layered inorganic mineral in which at least a part of ions present in between layers of a layered inorganic mineral is replaced with an organic ion,
wherein the toner satisfies one of the following conditions (1) and (2):
(1) the releasing agent has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.5 \u03bcm in the toner particle, and the toner has a ratio AB of 0.2 to 2.0 where A denotes the average dispersed particle diameter of the releasing agent and B denotes an average dispersed particle diameter of the modified layered inorganic mineral; and
(2) the releasing agent has an average dispersed particle diameter of 0.1 \u03bcm to 0.5 \u03bcm, a proportion of the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a diameter of 1 \u03bcm or more in the dispersed particles of the releasing agent having a diameter of 0.5 \u03bcm or more is 20% by number or less, and
wherein the toner is obtained by a method comprising:
dissolving or dispersing at least a binder resin or a precursor of a binder resin, a colorant, the releasing agent, and the modified layered inorganic mineral in an organic solvent so as to prepare an oil phase;
dispersing the oil phase in an aqueous medium so as to prepare an emulsified dispersion; and
removing the solvent from the emulsified dispersion so as to yield the toner particles.