MEDICAL DEVICE WITH EXPANSION MECHANISM

• US 20080009877A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Orthophoenix, LLC (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Orthophoenix, LLC (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arcenio, Gregory, Sankaran, Meera
• Application Number:
  US11/773,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009877A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/084
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1617 with mobile or detachable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for accessing a tissue and expanding an apparatus within the tissue are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes rotating a distal end portion of an expandable medical device within a biological body such that at least a portion of tissue within the biological body is disrupted. The distal end portion of the medical device defines a plurality of openings in communication with an interior region. After rotating the distal end portion of the medical device, a distal end portion of an elongate member is moved distally within a lumen of the medical device and into the interior region of the distal end portion of the medical device. The elongate member is configured to displace tissue fragments from the interior region. In some embodiments, after the rotating, a fluid is introduced into the interior region of the medical device via the elongate member.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

rotating a distal end portion of an expandable medical device within a biological body such that at least a portion of tissue within the biological body is disrupted, the distal end portion of the medical device defining a plurality of openings in communication with an interior region; and

after the rotating, moving a distal end portion of an elongate member distally within a lumen of the medical device and into the interior region of the distal end portion of the medical device, the elongate member configured to displace tissue fragments from the interior region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting the medical device in a collapsed configuration into the biological body.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical device has a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the rotating being performed when the medical device is in the expanded configuration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the rotating, introducing a fluid into the interior region of the medical device via the elongate member.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

simultaneously with the moving, introducing a fluid into the interior region of the medical device via the elongate member.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical device includes a tapered distal end, the method further comprising:

prior to the rotating, penetrating tissue within the biological body with the tapered distal end of the medical device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suctioning tissue fragments out of the interior region and through a lumen defined by the elongate member.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the biological body is a vertebra.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the biological body is an intervertebral disc.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

an elongate body, the elongate body including a distal end portion having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration,

the distal end portion of the elongate body defining a plurality of openings in communication with an interior region when the distal end portion of the elongate body is in the expanded configuration; and

an elongate member movably disposable within a lumen of the elongate body, the elongate member configured to move tissue fragments from the interior region, through the plurality of openings when the distal end portion is in the expanded configuration.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a sheath, the elongate body at least partially disposed within a lumen of the sheath.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a proximal end of the elongate member includes a fitting configured to couple a syringe to the elongate member.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a proximal end of the elongate member includes a fitting configured to couple a suction device to the elongate member.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the elongate member defines a lumen and a plurality of openings on a distal end portion of the elongate member, the lumen of the elongate member configured to communicate a fluid to the interior region of the distal end portion of the elongate body to move tissue fragments out of the interior region.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a sheath, the elongate body at least partially disposed within a lumen of the sheath; and

an actuator operatively coupled to the sheath, the actuator configured to bias the sheath into a first position in which the distal end portion of the elongate body is in the expanded configuration, the actuator configured to move the sheath to a second position in which the distal end portion of the elongate body is in the collapsed configuration.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a distal end of the elongate body defines an opening, the elongate member defines a lumen, a distal end of the elongate member defines an opening in communication with the opening at the distal end of the elongate body, the elongate member configured to communicate fluid from the lumen of the elongate member to a location outside of the elongate body.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the distal end portion of the elongate body includes a plurality of arms configured to disrupt tissue within a biological body.

18. A method, comprising:

inserting a distal end portion of a medical device at least partially into a biological body while the distal end portion of the medical device is in a collapsed configuration;

after the inserting, moving the distal end portion of the medical device to an expanded configuration;

after the moving, rotating the medical device such that a plurality of arms at the distal end portion of the medical device disrupt tissue within the biological body; and

moving an elongate member distally within a lumen of the medical device and into an interior region defined by the plurality of arms such that tissue fragments disposed within the interior region are moved through openings defined by the plurality of arms.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

after the rotating, introducing a fluid into the interior region of the medical device through a lumen defined by the elongate member.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

simultaneously with the moving the elongate member, introducing a fluid into the interior region of the medical device via the elongate member.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the medical device includes a tapered distal end, the method further comprising:

prior to the moving the distal end portion of the medical device, penetrating tissue within the biological body with the tapered distal end of the medical device.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

suctioning tissue fragments out of the interior region and through a lumen defined by the elongate member.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the medical device includes an actuator configured to bias the medical device into the expanded configuration, the method further comprising:

actuating the actuator to move the medical device into the collapsed configuration before the inserting.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the biological body is a vertebra.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the biological body is an intervertebral disc.