Expandable ports and methods for minimally invasive surgery

• US 20060106416A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Spine Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Spine Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Dziedzic, Sara, Marchek, Connie, Frasier, William, Pellegrino, Richard, Pavento, Nicholas, Connolly, Stephen, Murphy, Brian, Raymond, Douglas, White, Shinikequa, Carlone, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/02 for holding wounds open; Tractors specula A61B1/32 ; drainage appliances for wounds A61M27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3439 with means for changing the inner diameter of the cannula, e.g. expandable A61B17/3423, A61B17/3431 take precedence; catheters A61M25/0662

Abstract

An expandable port for minimally invasive surgery includes a first section, a second section, and at least one intermediate section. The port is expandable from a closed configuration in which the first section is proximate the second section along at least a portion of a length of the first section to an expanded configuration in which the first section is spaced apart from the second section. The intermediate portion spans a gap between the first section and the second section when the port is in the expanded configuration.

Claims

1. An expandable port for minimally invasive surgery, the port comprising:

a first section;

a second section; and

at least one intermediate section;

the port being expandable from a closed configuration in which the first section engages the second section along at least a portion of a length of the first section to an expanded configuration in which the first section is spaced apart from the second section, the first section retaining at least a portion of the at least one intermediate section when the port is in the closed configuration, the at least one intermediate portion spanning a gap between the first section and the second section when the port is in the expanded configuration.

2. The expandable port of claim 1, wherein the first section is generally arcuate in shape and the second section is generally arcuate in shape.

3. The expandable port of claim 2, wherein the port is generally circular in cross-section in the closed configuration.

4. The expandable port of claim 2, wherein the port is generally oval in cross-section in the closed configuration.

5. The expandable port of claim 1, wherein the at least one intermediate section comprises a first intermediate section and a second intermediate section, the first intermediate section spanning a first gap between the first section and the second section and the second intermediate section spanning a second gap between the first section and the second section when the port is in the expanded configuration.

6. The expandable port of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the first intermediate section is housed in the first section and at least a portion of the first intermediate section is housed in the second section when the port is in the closed configuration.

7. The expandable port of claim 1, wherein the first section comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, at least a portion of the inner wall being spaced apart from the outer wall to define a housing for a first portion of the at least one intermediate section when the port is in the closed configuration.

8. The expandable port of claim 7, wherein the second section comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, at least a portion of the inner wall of the second section being spaced apart from the outer wall of the second section to define a housing for a second portion of the at least one intermediate section when the port is in the closed configuration.

9. The expandable port of claim 1, wherein the first section has a length approximate to a length of the second section.

10. The expandable port of claim 9, wherein the at least one intermediate section has a length approximate to the length of the first section and the length of the second section.

11. The expandable port of claim 1, wherein the first section comprises at least one retaining member provided on an inner surface of the first section for retaining the at least one intermediate section when the port is in the closed configuration.

12. The expandable port of claim 11, wherein the first section comprises a proximal retaining member and a distal retaining member, the proximal retaining member and the distal retaining member be spaced apart a length of the intermediate section.

15. The expandable port of claim 12, wherein the second section comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, at least a portion of the inner wall of the second section being spaced apart from the outer wall of the second section to define a housing for a second portion of the first intermediate section and a second portion of the second intermediate section when the port is in the closed configuration.

16. The expandable port of claim 11, wherein the length of the first section is approximate to a length of the second section.

18. The expandable port of claim 15, wherein the length of the first intermediate section is approximate to a length of the second intermediate section.

13. An expandable port for minimally invasive surgery, the port comprising:

an arcuate shaped first section having a length;

an arcuate shaped second section;

a first intermediate section; and

a second intermediate section;

the port being expandable from a closed configuration in which the first section engages the second section along the length of the first section to an expanded configuration in which the first section is spaced apart from the second section, the first section and the second section each housing at least a portion of the first intermediate section and at least a portion of the second intermediate section when the port is in the closed configuration, the first intermediate portion spanning a first gap between the first section and the second section and the second intermediate portion spanning a second gap between the first section and the second section when the port is in the expanded configuration.

14. The expandable port of claim 13, wherein the first section comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, at least a portion of the inner wall being spaced apart from the outer wall to define a housing for a first portion of the first intermediate section and a first portion of the second intermediate section when the port is in the closed configuration.

17. The expandable port of claim 14, wherein the first intermediate section has a length approximate to the length of the first section and the length of the second section.

19. A method of minimally invasive spine surgery comprising,

making an incision,

positioning a port in the incision, the port having a length selected to span from the incision to a surgical site proximate a vertebra, and

expanding the port along the length of the port by separating a first section of the port from a second section of the port along the length of the port, the expanded port providing a continuous pathway from the incision to proximate the vertebra.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein expanding the port includes advancing an intermediate section from at least one of the first section and the second section into a space between the first section and the second section.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein expanding the port includes

advancing a first intermediate section from at least one of the first section and the second section into a first space between the first section and the second section, and

advancing a second intermediate section from at least one of the first section and the second section into a second space between the first section and the second section.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising sequentially dilating tissue to the surgical site and positioning the port in the incision by advancing the port over a dilator.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the port is advanced over the dilator in a closed configuration in which first section engages the second section.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the first section is spaced apart from the second section along the length of the port when the port is expanded and an intermediate section is positioned within the space between the first and second section to provide a pathway from the incision to the surgical site that is continuously enclosed by the port.

25. An expandable port for minimally invasive surgery, the port comprising:

a first section;

a second section; and

at least one intermediate section;

the port being expandable from a closed configuration in which the first section is proximate the second section to an expanded configuration in which the first section is spaced apart from the second section, the at least one intermediate portion spanning a gap between the first section and the second section when the port is in the expanded configuration.

26. The expandable port of claim 25, wherein the at least one intermediate section comprises a first intermediate section and a second intermediate section, the first intermediate section spanning a first gap between the first section and the second section and the second intermediate section spanning a second gap between the first section and the second section when the port is in the expanded configuration.

27. The expandable port of claim 25, wherein the at least one intermediate section expands from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration to span the gap between the first section and the second section.

28. The expandable port of claim 27, wherein the at least one intermediate section is an elastic member.

29. The expandable port of claim 28, wherein the elastic member is position about an outer surface of the first section and an outer section of the second section.

30. The expandable port of claim 29, wherein the elastic member is positioned in a groove formed in the outer surface of the first section and the outer surface of the second section.

31. The expandable port of claim 27, wherein the at least one intermediate section is a bellows-like membrane that is expandable from a folded collapsed position to an expanded configuration.

32. The expandable port of claim 27, wherein the at least one intermediate section is a spring member.

33. The expandable port of claim 32, wherein the spring member biases the port to an expanded configuration.

34. The expandable port of claim 27, wherein the at least one intermediate section comprises a pair of interconnected arms, each of the arms in contact at one end with the first section and in contact at another end with the second section.

35. The expandable port of claim 27, wherein the at least one intermediate section comprises a plurality of blades, the blades being expandable from a collapsed, generally overlapping configuration to an expanded, generally spread configuration.