Structures and methods for creating cavities in interior body regions

• US 6,440,138 B1
• Filed: 04/06/1998
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Orthophoenix, LLC (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kyphon Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Reiley, Mark A, Scholten, Arie
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirsch, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US09/055,805
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 606/45, 606/79
• US Class Current: 606/79
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1617 with mobile or detachable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/164 intramedullary
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1644 using fluid other than turbine drive fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32056 Surgical snare instruments for removing or smashing calculi A61B2017/2212; tonsillotomes A61B17/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320758 with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8805 for introducing fluid filler into bone or extracting it A61B17/7097, A61B17/8833 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00261 Discectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22014 the ultrasound transducer being outside patient's body; with an ultrasound transmission member; with a wave guide; with a vibrated guide wire not applied in A61B17/22012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320008 Scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320733 with a flexible cutting or scraping element, e.g. with a whip-like distal filament member
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/007 with irrigation system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/441 made of inflatable pockets or chambers filled with fluid, e.g. with hydrogel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4601 for introducing bone substitute, for implanting bone graft implants or for compacting them in the bone cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 : of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30583 : filled with hardenable fluid, e.g. curable in-situ
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30677 : Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics, into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0085 : hardenable in situ, e.g. epoxy resins

Abstract

Tools carry structures that are deployed inside bone and, when manipulated, cut cancellous bone to form a cavity.

Claims

1. A system for treating bone comprising

a cannula having an axis establishing a percutaneous path leading to inside bone,

a shaft adapted to be deployed inside bone by movement within and along the axis of the cannula, and

a cavity forming structure carried by the shaft comprising a surface which directly contacts and shears cancellous bone in response to rotating the shaft within and about the axis of the cannula.

2. A tool according to claim 1 wherein the shaft is flexible.

3. A tool according to claim 1 wherein the surface carries at least one marker to aid visualizing the cavity forming structure inside bone.

4. A tool according to claim 3 wherein the marker is made from a radiopaque material.

5. A tool according to claim 1 wherein the cavity forming structure comprises a resilient material.

6. A tool according to claim 5 wherein the resilient material is metal.

7. A tool according to claim 5 wherein the resilient material is plastic.

8. A tool according to claim 1 wherein the cavity forming structure comprises a shape memory material.

9. A tool according to claim 1 and further including an element to adjust extension of the cavity forming structure beyond the shaft.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the surface comprises a loop.

11. A method for treating bone comprising the steps of

providing a cannula having an axis that establishes a percutaneous path leading to inside bone,

providing a shaft adapted to be deployed inside bone through the cannula including a cavity forming structure carried by the shaft comprising a surface which directly contacts and shears cancellous bone in response to rotating the shaft within and about the axis of the cannula,

deploying the cannula percutaneously to establish a path leading to inside bone,

introducing the shaft by movement within and along the axis of the cannula to deploy the cavity forming structure inside bone, and

rotating the shaft within and about the axis of the cannula to cause the surface to shear cancellous bone and form a cavity.

12. A system according to claim 11 further including the step of filling the cavity with a material.