Apparatus and methods for treating cervical inter-vertebral discs
First Claim
1. An active electrode for a medical device, comprising:
- a proximal portion comprising a filament; and
a distal electrode head, wherein the electrode head is formed by making a void in a distal portion of the filament, and shaping the void to form a loop.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for treating an inter-vertebral disc by ablation, coagulation, shrinking, stiffening, or other treatment of disc tissue. A method of the invention includes positioning at least one active electrode within the inter-vertebral disc, and applying at least a first high frequency voltage between the active electrode(s) and one or more return electrode(s), wherein the volume of the nucleus pulposus is decreased, pressure exerted by the nucleus pulposus on the annulus fibrosus is reduced, and discogenic pain of a patient is alleviated. An apparatus of the invention includes an electrosurgical probe, an introducer needle adapted for passing the distal end of the probe therethrough, and a positioning unit for monitoring a position of the probe in relation to the introducer needle.
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Citations
109 Claims
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1. An active electrode for a medical device, comprising:
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a proximal portion comprising a filament; and
a distal electrode head, wherein the electrode head is formed by making a void in a distal portion of the filament, and shaping the void to form a loop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An electrode for an electrosurgical probe, comprising:
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an electrode filament having a filament distal end and a filament proximal end, the filament comprising a first wire and a second wire; and
an electrode head disposed on the filament distal end, the electrode head comprising a distal portion of the first wire and a distal portion of the second wire, wherein the distal portion of the first wire and the distal portion of the second wire are united at an apex of the electrode head. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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13. An electrosurgical probe, comprising:
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a shaft having a shaft proximal end and a shaft distal end;
an active electrode located at the shaft distal end;
a return electrode located proximal to the active electrode;
a handle affixed to the shaft proximal end; and
a connection unit including a connection block and an extension lead, the extension lead having a lead proximal end and a lead distal end, the lead distal end coupled to the active electrode and to the return electrode, and the lead proximal end coupled to the connection block, the connection block adapted for coupling the probe to a high frequency power supply.
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27. An apparatus for performing percutaneous electrosurgical procedures, comprising:
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an introducer unit including a needle, the needle having a needle distal end and an introducer lumen within the needle;
an electrosurgical probe, the probe including a shaft and an electrode assembly located at the shaft distal end, the shaft distal end adapted for passage within the introducer lumen, and the electrode assembly including an active electrode having a distal electrode head and a return electrode located proximal to the electrode head; and
a positioning unit for monitoring an axial location of the probe relative to the needle.
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49. An electrosurgical system, comprising:
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an electrosurgical probe including a shaft having a shaft distal end and a shaft proximal end, and an electrode assembly disposed on the shaft distal end, the electrode assembly including an active electrode and a return electrode located proximal to the active electrode, the active electrode comprising a loop;
a high frequency power supply coupled to the active electrode and to the return electrode, the high frequency power supply adapted for supplying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and the return electrode in at least an ablation mode or a sub-ablation mode;
an introducer unit including a needle having an introducer lumen therethrough, the introducer lumen adapted for passing the shaft distal end therethrough; and
a positioning unit for positioning the introducer unit relative to the probe.
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58. A method of treating a target tissue of an inter-vertebral disc, comprising:
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a) inserting an introducer needle into the inter-vertebral disc, the introducer needle having a needle lumen therethrough and a needle distal end;
b) positioning the needle distal end with respect to the target tissue within the inter-vertebral disc;
c) positioning an active electrode of an electrosurgical probe in relation to the needle distal end, the probe including a shaft having a shaft distal end, the active electrode disposed at the shaft distal end;
d) retracting the introducer needle by at least a first distance, wherein the first distance represents a minimum distance, between the active electrode and the needle distal end, for activating the probe; and
e) after said step d), applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode, the high frequency voltage sufficient to ablate or modify at least a portion of the target tissue.
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84. A method of treating a target tissue of an inter-vertebral disc, comprising:
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a) introducing a distal portion of an electrosurgical apparatus into the inter-vertebral disc, the apparatus comprising an electrosurgical probe having a shaft and an active electrode disposed on the shaft distal end, an introducer device adapted for passage of the shaft therethrough, and a positioning unit adapted for monitoring a location of the probe in relation to the introducer device;
b) positioning the active electrode into at least close proximity to the target tissue of the disc, wherein the active electrode includes an active electrode filament and an electrode head disposed on the filament distal end; and
c) applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and the return electrode, wherein the high frequency voltage is sufficient to ablate or modify the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99)
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100. A method of treating a target tissue of an inter-vertebral disc, comprising:
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a) introducing a distal portion of an electrosurgical apparatus into the inter-vertebral disc, the apparatus comprising an electrosurgical probe and an introducer device, the probe including a shaft having a shaft distal end and an electrically insulating spacer disposed at the shaft distal end, and an active electrode disposed distal to the spacer, wherein the introducer device includes an introducer lumen adapted for passage of the shaft therethrough, and the shaft makes electrical contact with the introducer device when the shaft is engaged within the introducer lumen;
b) positioning the active electrode in at least close proximity to the target tissue; and
c) applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode, wherein the return electrode comprises the shaft in combination with the introducer device, and the high frequency voltage is sufficient to ablate or modify the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (101)
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102. A method of treating a patient experiencing discogenic pain, comprising:
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a) inserting an electrosurgical apparatus into a cervical inter-vertebral disc, the apparatus coupled to a high frequency power supply; and
b) applying RF energy to a target tissue within the cervical disc, wherein the discogenic pain is alleviated or eliminated. - View Dependent Claims (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109)
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Specification