System, method and apparatus for locating, measuring and evaluating the enlargement of a foramen

• US 20040102721A1
• Filed: 11/22/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aeolin, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lanx, LLC
• Inventors: McKinley, Laurence M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,172,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/564 Methods for bone or joint treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6877 Nerve

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for locating, measuring and evaluating the enlargement of a foramen are provided. An instrument has a handle, an angled region, and a tip to be inserted into the foramen. An instrument can be pressed onto the foramen to determine its location and whether the empty space within the foramen is large enough for the maximum width of the tip to be inserted. If the tip cannot insert, the foramen can be cut to enlarge it enough for the tip to insert. A kit of several instruments or a single instrument with tips of different maximum widths are provided for determining the amount of empty space within the foramen through the course of the enlargement.

Claims

1. An instrument for locating and measuring available open space for an exiting nerve in a foramen comprising:

a handle;

a tip; and

an angled region coupled between the handle and the tip,

wherein the tip is sized such that it is insertable into said foramen in at least one of an unenlarged and an enlarged state.

2. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the tip is substantially rounded.

3. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the tip is substantially spherical.

4. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the angled region forms an approximately 60 degree to 80 degree angle with the handle.

5. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the angled region forms an approximately 70 degree to 78 degree angle with the handle.

6. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the angled region forms an approximately 76 degree angle with the handle.

7. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the angled region is curved.

8. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the maximum width of the tip is in the range of approximately 0.5 mm to 8 mm.

9. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising at least one substitute tip, wherein the tip and the substitute tip are removably coupleable to the angled region.

10. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising a second tip coupled between a second angled region and the handle, wherein the second tip is sized such that it is insertable into said foramen in at least one of an unenlarged and an enlarged state.

11. A system for finding and evaluating available open space for an exiting nerve in a foramen comprising:

a plurality of instruments, each having a handle, a tip having a maximum width, and an angled region between the handle and the tip,

wherein each tip is sized such that it is insertable into said foramen in at least one of an unenlarged and an enlarged state, and

wherein the tip of each of the plurality of instruments has a different maximum width than the other of the plurality of instruments.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each tip is substantially rounded.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each tip is substantially spherical.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the angled region forms an approximately 60 degree to 80 degree angle with the handle.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the angled region forms an approximately 70 degree to 78 degree angle with the handle.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the angled region forms an approximately 76 degree angle with the handle.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the angled region is curved.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of instruments includes four instruments.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of instruments has a tip with a maximum width in the range of approximately 0.5 mm to 8 mm.

20. A method for evaluating adequate enlargement of a foramen comprising the steps of:

providing a first instrument, having a handle and a tip with a first size;

locating said foramen;

pressing the tip of the first instrument against said foramen;

determining whether the tip of the first instrument inserts into the foramen; and

cutting away at a periphery of said foramen if the tip of the first instrument does not insert into said foramen.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

providing a second instrument, having a handle, and a tip with a second size that is larger than the first size;

pressing the tip of the second instrument against said foramen;

determining whether the tip of the second instrument inserts into the foramen; and

cutting away at the periphery of said foramen if the tip of the second instrument does not insert into said foramen.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of locating comprises the steps of:

providing a locating instrument, having a handle and a tip with a maximum width less than an open space in said foramen;

pressing the locating instrument near said foramen until the locating instrument inserts into said foramen;

determining a location where the tip of the locating instrument inserts into said foramen.

23. An instrument for locating and measuring available open space for an exiting nerve in a foramen comprising:

a handle;

a tip; and

an angled region coupled between the handle and the tip,

wherein the tip is sized such that it is insertable into said foramen in at least one of an unenlarged and an enlarged state, and wherein the tip is shaped to allow for an accurate measurement of the size of the foramen independent of the angle of insertion.

24. An instrument for locating and measuring available open space for an exiting nerve in a foramen comprising:

a handle;

a tip; and

an angled region coupled between the handle and the tip,

wherein the tip is sized such that it is insertable into said foramen in at least one of an unenlarged and an enlarged state, and wherein the tip is shaped to allow for the insertion of the instrument into the foramen without interfering with an exiting nerve.

25. A system for finding and measuring available open space for an exiting nerve in a foramen comprising:

a plurality of instruments, each having a handle, a tip having a maximum width, and an angled region between the handle and the tip,

wherein the tip of each of the plurality of instruments has a different maximum width than the other of the plurality of instruments

wherein at least one instrument has a tip sized sufficiently small to ensure insertion into said foramen in an unenlarged state, and

wherein at least one instrument has a tip sized sufficiently large to ensure that the foramen may be sufficiently enlarged.

26. A system for finding and measuring available open space for an exiting nerve in a foramen comprising:

a plurality of instruments, each having a handle, a tip having a maximum width, and an angled region between the handle and the tip,

wherein the tip of each of the plurality of instruments has a different maximum width than the other of the plurality of instruments

wherein at least one instrument has a finder tip sized sufficiently small to ensure insertion into said foramen in an unenlarged state,

wherein at least one instrument has an enlarging tip sized sufficiently large to ensure that the foramen may be sufficiently enlarged, and

further including at least one instrument has a measuring tip sized intermediate between the finder and enlargement tips to provide an accurate measurement of the foramen during an enlargement procedure.