Percutaneous electrical therapy system with sharp point protection
First Claim
1. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
- an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable a the control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point;
wherein the sharp point protection assembly comprises a housing to contain at least the sharp point of the electrode when the electrode is in an undeployed state; and
wherein the sharp point protection assembly further comprises a locking assembly preventing relative movement between the electrode and the housing.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A percutaneous electrical therapy system includes sharp point protection. In one embodiment, the system includes a control unit; an electrode assembly adapted to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, where the electrode assembly has an electrode electrically connectable to the control unit, the electrode having a sharp point at a distal end adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing the risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point. The system can also include an electrode assembly and sharp point protection assembly for a percutaneous electrical therapy system, as described above, apart from the control unit. In another embodiment, a method of performing percutaneous electrical therapy can include providing an electrode assembly having an electrode, the electrode having a sharp point at a distal end; inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue without exposing the sharp point to anyone but the patient; and applying an electrical signal to the electrode from a control unit.
115 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
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an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable a the control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point;
wherein the sharp point protection assembly comprises a housing to contain at least the sharp point of the electrode when the electrode is in an undeployed state; and
wherein the sharp point protection assembly further comprises a locking assembly preventing relative movement between the electrode and the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
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an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable to a control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point;
wherein the sharp point protection assembly comprises a housing to contain at least the sharp point of the electrode when the electrode is in an undeployed state; and
wherein the electrode assembly further comprises an actuator attached to a proximal end of the electrode, the actuator being disposed within and movable within the housing; and
wherein the system further comprisesan actuator tool configured to interact with the actuator to move the sharp point of the electrode out of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
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an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable to a control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point;
wherein the sharp point protection assembly comprises a housing to contain at least the sharp point of the electrode when the electrode is in an undeployed state; and
wherein the housing is configured to contain none of the electrode when the electrode is in a deployed state in which the sharp point of the electrode has been inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
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an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable to a control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue;
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point;
a movable actuator configured to move the sharp point of the electrode into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
an actuator limit element limiting movement of the actuator and controlling depth of insertion of the sharp point of the electrode into the patient'"'"'s tissue.
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27. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
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an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable to a control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point;
wherein the electrode assembly further comprises an electrode insertion depth control mechanism.
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28. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
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an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable to a control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue;
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point; and
an electrode insertion axial stabilizer configured to provide axial stability to the electrode during insertion of the sharp point of the electrode into the patient'"'"'s tissue.
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29. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
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an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable to a control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue;
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point; and
an electrode insertion pain reducer configured to reduce pain experienced by the patient during insertion of the sharp point of the electrode into the patient'"'"'s tissue.
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30. A percutaneous electrical therapy system comprising:
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an electrode assembly configured to deliver electrical therapy to a patient, the electrode assembly comprising an electrode electrically connectable to a control unit, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s tissue;
a sharp point protection assembly operable with the electrode assembly for reducing risk of unintended exposure to the electrode'"'"'s point; and
an electrode angle of entry controller configured to control the electrode'"'"'s entry angle during insertion of the sharp point of the electrode into the patient'"'"'s tissue.
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31. A method of performing percutaneous electrical therapy comprising:
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providing an electrode assembly comprising an electrode, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end;
inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue without exposing the sharp point to anyone but the patient; and
applying an electrical signal to the electrode from a control unit;
wherein inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue comprises using the electrode assembly to guide electrode entry angle. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
removing the electrode from the patient'"'"'s tissue without exposing the sharp point to anyone but the patient.
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33. The method of claim 31 further comprising:
making an electrical connection between the electrode and the control unit.
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34. The method of claim 31 further comprising after the inserting step:
supporting the electrode in the patient'"'"'s tissue.
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35. A method of performing percutaneous electrical therapy comprising:
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providing an electrode assembly comprising an electrode, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end;
inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue without exposing the sharp point to anyone but the patient; and
applying an electrical signal to the electrode from a control unit;
wherein inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue comprises using an introducer to guide electrode entry angle. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
providing axial stability to the electrode during insertion.
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37. The method of claim 35 wherein the inserting step comprises:
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placing a housing adjacent the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
moving the sharp point of the electrode out of the housing and into the patient'"'"'s tissue.
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38. A method of performing percutaneous electrical therapy comprising:
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providing an electrode assembly comprising an electrode, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end;
inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue without exposing the sharp point to anyone but the patient; and
applying an electrical signal to the electrode from a control unit;
wherein inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue comprises;
placing a housing adjacent the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
moving the sharp point of the electrode out of the housing and into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
wherein the method further comprisesplacing a patch on the patient'"'"'s tissue prior to placing a housing adjacent the patient'"'"'s tissue, wherein placing a housing adjacent the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises placing the housing adjacent the patch. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
mechanically supporting at least a portion of the electrode with the patch.
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41. A method of performing percutaneous electrical therapy comprising:
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providing an electrode assembly comprising an electrode, the electrode comprising a sharp point at a distal end;
inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue without exposing the sharp point to anyone but the patient; and
applying an electrical signal to the electrode from a control unit;
wherein inserting the sharp point of the electrode into a patient'"'"'s tissue comprises;
placing a housing adjacent the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
moving the sharp point of the electrode out of the housing and into the patient'"'"'s tissue;
wherein moving the sharp point of the electrode comprises;
moving the entire electrode out of the housing; and
removing the housing from the patient'"'"'s tissue;
wherein the housing comprises a first housing, the method further comprising;
removing the electrode from the patient'"'"'s tissue into a second housing without exposing the sharp point to anyone but the patient.
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Specification