Low-compliance expandable medical device

• US 20070050035A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyphon SARL (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Kyphon SARL (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Leung, Andrea, Layne, Richard, Schwardt, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,955,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7097 Stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant, e.g. balloon; devices for inserting or filling such implants disc prostheses made of inflatable chambers or pockets filled with fluid A61F2/441; replacing the nucleus pulposus A61F2002/444
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8855 inflatable, e.g. kyphoplasty balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

An apparatus includes an elongate body and an expandable member coupled to the elongate body. In one embodiment, the expandable member has a collapsed configuration, an unfolded configuration and an expanded configuration. The expandable member is configured to be percutaneously inserted into an interior portion of a bone structure when the expandable member is in the collapsed configuration. The expandable member is configured to exert a pressure in a vertical direction on a first portion of the bone structure in contact with the expandable member greater than a pressure exerted in a lateral direction on a second portion of the bone structure in contact with the expandable member when the expandable member transitions from the unfolded configuration to the expanded configuration.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an elongate body; and

an expandable member coupled to the elongate body, the expandable member having a collapsed configuration, an unfolded configuration and an expanded configuration, the expandable member configured to be percutaneously inserted into an interior portion of a bone structure when the expandable member is in the collapsed configuration,

the expandable member configured to exert a pressure in a vertical direction on a first portion of the bone structure in contact with the expandable member greater than a pressure exerted in a lateral direction on a second portion of the bone structure in contact with the expandable member when the expandable member transitions from the unfolded configuration to the expanded configuration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expandable member is constructed with a low-compliance material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a cannula configured to provide percutaneous access to the interior portion of the bone structure, the elongate body configured to be movably disposed within a lumen of the cannula.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expandable member is configured to expand a greater distance in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis defined by the elongate body than in a direction parallel to the axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expandable member in the expanded configuration is configured to move at least a portion of the interior portion of the bone structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bone structure is a vertebral body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unfolded configuration is when the expandable member is partially unfolded.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unfolded configuration is when the expandable member is fully unfolded.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

an elongate body; and

an expandable member constructed with low-compliance material releasably coupled to the elongate body, the expandable member having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the expandable member configured to be percutaneously disposed entirely within an interior portion of a single vertebral body, the expandable member in the expanded configuration configured to be released from the elongate body and remain within the interior portion of the vertebral body after the elongate body has been removed from the vertebral body.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the expandable member is permeable and configured to permit bone growth between at least a portion of the interior portion of the vertebral body and the expandable member.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the expandable member in the expanded configuration is configured to move at least a portion of the interior portion of the vertebral body.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a cannula configured to provide percutaneous access to the interior portion of the vertebral body, the elongate body configured to be movably disposed within a lumen defined by the cannula.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the expandable member in the expanded configuration has a width dimension perpendicular to a longitudinal axis defined by the elongate body and a length dimension parallel to the longitudinal axis, the width dimension is greater than the length dimension.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

an elongate body defining a longitudinal axis; and

an expandable member constructed with low-compliance material, the expandable member configured to be disposed within an interior portion of a vertebral body, the expandable member having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the expandable member when in the expanded configuration has a width substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that is greater than a length substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the expandable member when in the expanded configuration configured to exert a pressure on cancellous bone disposed between the expandable member and an endplate of the vertebral body.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a cannula configured to provide percutaneous access to the interior portion of the vertebral body, the elongate body configured to be movably disposed within a lumen defined by the cannula.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the expandable member in the expanded configuration is configured to be released from the elongate body and remain within the interior portion of the vertebral body after the elongate body has been removed from the vertebral body.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the expandable member in the expanded configuration is configured to be released from the elongate body and remain within the interior portion of the vertebral body after the elongate body has been removed from the vertebral body,

the expandable member being permeable and configured to permit bone growth between at least a portion of the interior portion of the vertebral body and the expandable member.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the expandable member, when in the expanded configuration, is configured to exert a pressure on a portion of sclerotic bone within the interior portion of the vertebral body sufficient to break through the portion of sclerotic bone.

19. A method comprising:

inserting an expandable member while in a collapsed configuration into an interior portion of a bone structure;

expanding the expandable member while inserted in the interior portion of the bone structure such that the expandable member expands to an unfolded configuration; and

expanding the expandable member while inserted in the interior portion of the bone structure such that the expandable member moves from the unfolded configuration to an expanded configuration such that the expandable member exerts a pressure in a vertical direction on a first portion of the interior portion of the bone structure in contact with the expandable member greater than a pressure exerted in a lateral direction on a second portion of the bone structure in contact with the expandable member.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the expandable member is constructed with a low-compliance material.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein when the expandable member is expanded to move the expandable member from the unfolded configuration to the expanded configuration, the expandable member expands a greater distance in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis defined by the elongate body than in a direction parallel to the axis.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the bone structure is a vertebral body.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

prior to inserting the expandable member into the interior of the bone structure, inserting a cannula into the interior portion of the bone structure, the expandable member being inserted through the cannula when the expandable member is inserted into the interior of the bone structure.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the expandable member is releasably coupled to an elongate body, the method further comprising:

releasing the expandable member from the elongate body; and

removing the elongate body from the interior of the bone structure such that the expandable member remains within the interior of the bone structure.