Methods for electrosurgical spine surgery
First Claim
1. A method for treating a degenerative disc in a patient'"'"'s spine comprising:
- positioning an electrode terminal between adjacent vertebrae within in the patient'"'"'s spine; and
removing spinal tissue in contact with the vertebrae by applying a high frequency voltage difference between the electrode terminal and a return electrode, the voltage difference being sufficient to remove spinal tissue without damaging the vertebrae.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within of a patient'"'"'s body, particularly including tissue in the spine. The present invention applies high frequency (RF) electrical energy to one or more electrode terminals in the presence of electrically conductive fluid to remove, contract or otherwise modify the structure of tissue structures. In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for treating herniated discs within a patient'"'"'s spine by applying sufficient electrical energy to the disc tissue to reduce a volume of the disc, thereby relieving pressure on a spinal nerve. In one embodiment, the high frequency voltage is sufficient to ablate a portion of the nucleus pulposis, either the extruded portion outside of the annulus or a portion or all of the pulposis within the annulus. In another embodiment, the electrode terminal is advanced into the annulus and sufficient high frequency voltage is applied to contract or shrink the collagen fibers within the nucleus pulposis. This causes the pulposis to shrink and withdraw from its impingement on the spinal nerve.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for treating a degenerative disc in a patient'"'"'s spine comprising:
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positioning an electrode terminal between adjacent vertebrae within in the patient'"'"'s spine; and
removing spinal tissue in contact with the vertebrae by applying a high frequency voltage difference between the electrode terminal and a return electrode, the voltage difference being sufficient to remove spinal tissue without damaging the vertebrae. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
aspirating tissue fragments from the disc through an aspiration lumen within an instrument; and
applying high frequency voltage to an aspiration electrode coupled to the lumen, the high frequency voltage being sufficient to remove at least a portion of the tissue fragments.
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14. The method of claim 13, wherein the aspiration electrode comprises a screen electrode located across a distal opening of the aspiration electrode and having a plurality of openings for aspiration of tissue fragments therethrough.
Specification