Dilation introducer for orthopedic surgery
First Claim
1. A dilation introducer for orthopedic surgery, the dilation introducer having a locked assembled configuration for initial placement of the dilation introducer against a patient'"'"'s bone tissue to be treated, and an unlocked, collapsed configuration dilating the patient'"'"'s soft tissue down to the bone tissue to be treated to a desired degree of dilation to permit minimally invasive surgical procedures on the patient'"'"'s bone tissue to be treated, comprising:
- a first dilator tube having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end having a tapered tip;
a second dilator tube, the first dilator tube being removably received in the second dilator tube for slidable telescoping movement within the second dilator tube, the second dilator tube having a distal end and a proximal end, an inner lumen with a distal opening and a proximal opening, the distal end having a tapered tip; and
means for removably connecting the first and second dilator tubes together in a locked configuration, whereby in the locked configuration the distal end of the first dilator tube can be pressed against the patient'"'"'s bone tissue to be treated, and whereby in the unlocked configuration the second dilator tube is permitted to slidably telescope over the first dilator tube to dilate the patient'"'"'s soft tissue at the distal end of the dilation introducer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The dilation introducer has a locked assembled configuration for placement of the dilation introducer against a patient'"'"'s bone tissue to be treated, and an unlocked, collapsed configuration for dilating the patient'"'"'s soft tissue down to the bone tissue to be treated to a desired degree of dilation to permit minimally invasive surgical procedures on the patient'"'"'s bone tissue to be treated. Dilator tubes are successively released and advanced to progressively expand the patient'"'"'s soft tissue down to the bone tissue to be treated. A method for a minimally invasive procedure utilizing the telescoping dilation introducer to insert a bone fixation device into a patient'"'"'s spine for posterior spine fusion is also provided.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A dilation introducer for orthopedic surgery, the dilation introducer having a locked assembled configuration for initial placement of the dilation introducer against a patient'"'"'s bone tissue to be treated, and an unlocked, collapsed configuration dilating the patient'"'"'s soft tissue down to the bone tissue to be treated to a desired degree of dilation to permit minimally invasive surgical procedures on the patient'"'"'s bone tissue to be treated, comprising:
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a first dilator tube having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end having a tapered tip;
a second dilator tube, the first dilator tube being removably received in the second dilator tube for slidable telescoping movement within the second dilator tube, the second dilator tube having a distal end and a proximal end, an inner lumen with a distal opening and a proximal opening, the distal end having a tapered tip; and
means for removably connecting the first and second dilator tubes together in a locked configuration, whereby in the locked configuration the distal end of the first dilator tube can be pressed against the patient'"'"'s bone tissue to be treated, and whereby in the unlocked configuration the second dilator tube is permitted to slidably telescope over the first dilator tube to dilate the patient'"'"'s soft tissue at the distal end of the dilation introducer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for dilating a patient'"'"'s soft tissue down to bone tissue to be treated in orthopedic surgery, comprising the steps of:
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locating an entry point on the bone tissue to be treated;
placing a tip of a guide wire down to the entry point on the bone tissue to be treated;
driving the guide wire into the patient'"'"'s soft tissue to a target point of the bone tissue to be treated;
forming a vertical midline incision to a desired depth in the patient'"'"'s soft tissue, using the entry point as a middle of the incision;
passing a first dilator tube of a dilation introducer over the guide wire until the first dilator tube reaches the target point of the bone tissue to be treated;
driving the guide wire into the bone tissue to be treated to a desired depth;
passing a second dilator tube of the dilation introducer over the first dilator tube to the bone tissue to be treated, and removing the first dilator tube, leaving the second dilator tube remaining in position in the patient'"'"'s soft tissue against the bone tissue to be treated;
passing at least one additional dilator tube of the dilation introducer successively over the prior dilator tube remaining in position in the patient'"'"'s soft tissue against the bone tissue to be treated, to progressively expand the patient'"'"'s soft tissue down to the entry point on the bone tissue to be treated;
passing a drill over the guide wire to the target point of the bone tissue to be treated, and into the bone tissue to be treated until the drill reaches an appropriate depth;
removing the drill leaving a last remaining dilator tube in place to allow minimally invasive implantation of a bone fixation device over the guide wire in the bone tissue to be treated;
removing the guide wire; and
removing the last remaining dilator tube.
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Specification