Bone treatment systems and methods
First Claim
1. A bone fill material comprising:
- an in-situ hardenable component; and
an electrically conductive filler component that enables the bone fill material to function as an electrode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates in certain embodiments to medical devices for treating osteoplasty procedures such as vertebral compression fractures. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to instruments and methods for controllably restoring vertebral body height by controlling the geometry of fill material introduced into cancellous bone. An exemplary system utilizes Rf energy in combination a conductive bone fill material for polymerizing the surface of the inflow plume to control the geometry of the fill material and the application of force caused by inflows of fill material. In another embodiment, method of treating bone includes injecting a volume of fill material into a bone and selectively modifying a viscosity of a selected portion of the bone filler to control the direction of flow of the fill material within the bone. A system for treating bone using this method includes an introducer for delivering fill material into the bone and an energy source selectively coupleable to the fill material to alter the viscosity of the fill material as it flows out of the introducer.
218 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A bone fill material comprising:
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an in-situ hardenable component; and
an electrically conductive filler component that enables the bone fill material to function as an electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A bone fill material comprising:
a composite including an in-situ hardenable component and a filler component having at least one of an energy-absorbing property and an energy-transmitting property for cooperating with a remote energy source for absorbing energy for polymerizing the composite or for transmitting energy for heating tissue adjacent the composite. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A bone fill material comprising:
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an in-situ hardenable cement component; and
an electrically conductive filler component comprising a biocompatible conductive metal, wherein the filler component comprises microfilaments enabling the bone fill material to function as an electrode. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification