Device for monitoring penetration into anatomical members

• US 20050119660A1
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sicav-Fis Ipf Fund I Sca
• Original Assignee: SpineGuard
• Inventors: Bourlion, Maurice, Vanquaethem, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/80
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1615 Drill bits, i.e. rotating tools extending from a handpiece to contact the worked material
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1626 Control means; Display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625

Abstract

The invention relates to a device that can be used to monitor the penetration of a penetration member into anatomical structures and, in particular, bone structures of a living body, the structures having at least two different electrical impedance areas. The device is characterized in that it comprises: at least one impedance meter which can be connected to at least two electrodes, at least one of the electrodes being located at a distal end of the penetration member; and at least one alert device which can produce an alert signal if the impedance meter detects an impedance variation. The invention also relates to a penetration member for the device and to an electronic board for the device.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A drilling device for monitoring the penetration of a penetrating means into a bone structure of a living being having at least two regions of different electrical impedance, said device comprising at least one impedance meter that can be connected to at least two electrodes, at least one of said electrodes being located at a distal end of said penetrating means, said at least one impedance meter continuously measuring the impedance between the at least two electrodes at least during the penetration and at least one warning device delivering a warning signal modulated proportionally with the change in impedance detected by the at least one impedance meter.

19. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said warning signal is a modulated visual warning signal.

20. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said warning signal is a frequency-modulated audible warning signal.

21. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said warning signal is an intensity-modulated audible warning signal.

22. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said warning signal is a frequency-modulated tactile warning signal.

23. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said warning signal is an intensity-modulated tactile warning signal.

24. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said warning signal is an audible signal having a frequency that is a linear function of the measured impedance.

25. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said warning signal is an audible signal having a frequency that is a stepped function of the measured impedance.

26. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, further including at least one electrostimulator capable of producing a stimulation and able to be connected to the at least two electrodes.

27. The drilling device as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least one first electrode is connected to said at least one electrostimulator and at least pne second electrode is connected to an impedance meter.

28. The drilling device as claimed in claim 26, wherein neuromuscular stimulation produced by the at least one electrostimulator has a frequency of less than or equal to 10 Hz, a voltage of less than or equal to 4 volts, and a pulse of duration of less than or equal to 400 μ

s.

29. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein one electrode is formed by a contact surface located at the distal end of said penetrating means and in that another electrode is formed by a contact surface intended to be positioned on an external surface of an anatomical structure.

30. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said electrodes are each formed by a contact surface respectively located at the distal end of said penetrating means, and said contact surfaces being separated by an insulator.

31. The drilling device as claimed in claim 21, wherein a proximal electrode has a contact surface greater in area than a contact surface of a distal electrode.

32. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the penetrating means comprises a conducting central portion and a conducting outer portion, said conducting central portion and said conducting outer portion being separated by a cylindrical insulator, the conducting outer portion forming a conducting outer tube, hollow at its center, and the conducting central portion forming a conducting inner cylinder, and the conducting central and outer portions both emerging at the end of the penetrating means so as to form two surfaces that are isolated from each other.

33. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein a proximal electrode has a first contact surface greater in area than a second contact surface of a distal electrode and in that the first contact surface has an area of less than 10 mm², and the second contact surface has an area of greater than 10 mm², the contact surfaces being separated by an insulator having a thickness less than or equal to 1 mm along an axis of penetration of said penetrating means.

34. The drilling device as claimed in claim 33, wherein the first contact surface has an area around 4 mm² and the second contact surface has an area around 40 mm².

35. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least one distal electrode is formed by a contact surface located on a partial peripheral portion of the distal end of the penetrating means so as to make it possible to detect a change in impedance in a direction approximately perpendicular to an axis of penetration of the penetrating means.

36. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said device includes means for rotating said penetrating means.

37. The drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one impedance meter, the at least one warning device and optionally an electrostimulator are positioned on a removable electronic card, which card includes means for connecting said electrodes.

38. The drilling device as claimed in claim 37, wherein said device includes a hollow handle for accommodating said electronic card.

39. A fixed penetrating means and especially a probe, squared tip, spatula or curette, or a penetrating means that can be rotated, and especially a drill screw or drill bit, for a drilling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein it includes at least one electrode.

40. A manual or motor-operated drilling instrument, especially for drilling the vertebral pedicle, said instrument comprising a penetrating means, and a device for monitoring the penetration of said penetrating means as claimed in claim 18.

41. An electronic card for a device as claimed in claim 37, which includes means for connecting at least two electrodes.

42. The electronic card as claimed in claim 41, which card can be sterilized.

43. The electronic card for a device as claimed in claim 42, wherein said card is positioned in a casing that preserves sterility.