SPINAL DIAGNOSTIC METHODS AND APPARATUS
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- inserting a catheter into an intervertebral disc in a patient'"'"'s body, wherein the catheter includes at leas one radiopaque marker;
determining the position of the catheter within the intervertebral disc through visualizing the location of the radio marker; and
injecting an anesthetic into the spinal disc through the catheter.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
112 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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inserting a catheter into an intervertebral disc in a patient'"'"'s body, wherein the catheter includes at leas one radiopaque marker; determining the position of the catheter within the intervertebral disc through visualizing the location of the radio marker; and injecting an anesthetic into the spinal disc through the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for placement of a catheter in an intervertebral disc comprising:
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percutaneously inserting a distal portion of a catheter into the intervertebral disc, wherein the distal portion of the catheter comprises an anchor; and releasing the anchor from constraint to anchor the distal portion of the catheter in the intervertebral disc. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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percutaneously inserting a distal portion of a catheter into an intervertebral disc, wherein the catheter comprises an outer shaft, and inner shaft, and an anchoring member coupled with both the outer shaft and the inner shaft; and deploying the anchoring member within the intervertebral disc. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method comprising:
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percutaneously inserting a distal portion of a catheter into an intervertebral disc through a split-away introducer device, wherein the distal portion of the catheter comprises an expandable anchor; and removing the split-away introducer device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A catheter device comprising:
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an elongated flexible catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a first lumen for introducing one or more substance into an intervertebral disc, the outer diameter of the catheter body is less than 2 mm; a radiopaque marker located within a distal portion of the catheter body; and an anchoring member disposed on the catheter body, the anchoring member being configured to anchor the distal portion of the catheter body in the intervertebral disc, the catheter body further having a second lumen for deploying the anchoring member. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification