Intradiscal lesioning apparatus
US6562033B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 9, 2001 |
| Grant date | May 13, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 9, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2018/1435
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An intradiscal lesioning device for percutaneous treatment of a patient's intervertebral disc. An elongate introducer having a longitudinal hollow bore is surgically inserted from the patient's skin to extend through the annulus fibrosus thereby providing external surgical access to the nucleus pulposus through the introducer bore. An elongate probe slides through and flexibly conforms to the bore when longitudinally inserted through the bore of the introducer. The distal portion of the probe is capable of resiliently conforming to the bore in a longitudinally slidably confined configuration and resiliently rebounding to a deployed configuration when released within the nucleus pulposus. The distal portion houses lesioning devices for emitting energy toward the inner wall of the annulus fibrosus when the distal portion is in the deployed configuration. Examples of suitable energy sources include: thermal energy; radio frequency electric current; microwave emission; ultrasound emission; radioactive emission; and optical emission.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.