SPINAL DIAGNOSTIC METHODS AND APPARATUS

• US 20080009828A1
• Filed: 12/26/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kyphon Incorporated
• Inventors: Campbell, Peter, Alamin, Todd, Miller, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,955,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3472 for bones, e.g. intraosseus injections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00261 Discectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00469 for insertion of instruments, e.g. guide wire, optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3488 Fixation to inner organ or inner body tissue

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems facilitate diagnosis, and in some cases treatment, of back pain originating in intervertebral discs. Methods generally involve introducing one or more substances into one or more discs using a catheter device. In one embodiment, a patient assumes a position that causes back pain, and a substance such as an anesthetic or analgesic is introduced into the disc to determine whether the substance relieves the pain. Injections into multiple discs may optionally be performed, to help pinpoint a disc as a source of the patient'"'"'s pain. In some embodiments, the catheter device is left in place, and possibly coupled with another implantable device, to provide treatment of one or more discs. A catheter device includes at least one anchoring member for maintaining a distal portion of the catheter within a disc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

inserting a distal portion of an elongated body into an intervertebral disc in a patient'"'"'s body; and

deploying an anchor to secure a distal portion of the elongated body in the intervertebral disc.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the anchor comprises an expandable member.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the anchor comprises a balloon.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

injecting a substance into the intervertebral disc.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the substance comprises an anesthetic.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the intervertebral disc as a source of a pain.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

identifying the intervertebral disc as a source of a pain.

8. The method as in claim 6, wherein identifying comprises recording whether the anesthetic has alleviated the discogenic pain.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the substance is injected through the elongated body.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elongated body comprises a catheter body.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elongated body is flexible.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elongated body comprises an injection tube and an inflation tube.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining a source of pain within the patient'"'"'s spine.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elongated body has an injection lumen and an inflation lumen.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining a source of pain within the patient'"'"'s spine.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein inserting comprises inserting the distal portion of the elongated body into the patient'"'"'s body percutaneously prior to inserting the distal portion into the intervertebral disc.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein deploying an anchor comprises inflating a balloon in the intervertebral disc.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the anchor is configured to increase a cross-sectional diameter of the elongated body at one or more locations on the elongated body.

20. The method according to claim 2, wherein anchoring the fluid conduit comprises expanding an expandable member in the intervertebral disc.

21. The method according to claim 2, wherein the fluid conduit comprises a catheter.

22. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

injecting an anesthetic through the fluid conduit into the intervertebral disc.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein determining comprises determining whether the injected anesthetic alleviates the pain.

19. A method comprising:

identifying a location of pain within a patient'"'"'s spine;

inserting a distal portion of a fluid conduit into an intervertebral disc at the location in the patient'"'"'s spine;

anchoring the fluid conduit in the intervertebral disc; and

determining whether the intervertebral disc is a source of the pain within the patient'"'"'s spine.

24. A method comprising:

placing a distal portion of a catheter into an intervertebral disc in a patient'"'"'s body, wherein the catheter includes at least an injection lumen and an inflation lumen; and

determining a source of pain within the patient'"'"'s spine.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising:

deploying an anchoring member on the distal portion of the catheter by displacing a fluid into the inflation lumen.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the anchoring member comprises a balloon, and deploying an anchoring member further comprises inflating a balloon on the distal portion of the catheter.

27. A method as in claim 24, wherein determining the source of pain comprises administering an anesthetic through the catheter into the intervertebral disc to see if the pain is alleviated.

28. A method comprising:

placing a distal portion of a catheter into an intervertebral disc in a patient'"'"'s body, wherein the catheter comprises an anchoring member.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising:

determining a source of pain within the patient'"'"'s spine.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein determining a source of pain comprises injecting a substance into the intervertebral disc through the catheter to determine the source of pain within the patient'"'"'s spine.

31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising:

deploying the anchoring member within the intervertebral disc.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the anchoring member is configured to increase a cross-sectional diameter of the catheter at one or more locations on the catheter.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the anchoring member comprises an expandable member.

34. The method according to 31, wherein the anchoring member comprises a balloon, and deploying the anchoring member comprises inflating the balloon.

35. A method comprising:

administering an anesthetic to an intervertebral disc in a patient, wherein the patient suspects that such disc may be a source of pain;

determining whether the anesthetic has relieved the pain; and

if the anesthetic has relieved the pain, performing further interventional treatment on the intervertebral disc.

36. A method as in claim 35, wherein administering comprises anchoring a catheter in the disc and delivering the anesthetic through the catheter.

37. A method as in claim 36, wherein the patient repositions his or her spine in a manner which would be expected to cause pain in the intervertebral disc.

38. An apparatus comprising:

an elongated catheter wherein the distal portion of the elongated catheter being configured for inserting into an intervertebral disc; and

an anchoring member configured for anchoring the distal portion of the catheter in an annulus fibrosis of the intervertebral disc.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the anchoring member comprises an expandable member.

40. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the anchoring member is configured to increase a cross-sectional diameter of the catheter at one or more locations on the catheter.

41. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the anchoring member comprises an expandable member.

42. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the anchoring member comprises a balloon.