Apparatus and method for treatment of an intervertebral disc
First Claim
1. A surgical apparatus for thermal or electromagnetic treatment of tissue, which comprises:
- an elongated thermal probe member having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis, the probe member having a guidable region adjacent the distal end, the guidable region having an undulating groove defined in an outer surface thereof and being dimensioned to facilitate bending of the guidable region in at least one radial direction of movement relative to the longitudinal axis, the thermal probe being adapted for connection to a thermal energy source to provide thermal energy to tissue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for approaching the intervertebral disc through a percutaneous insertion from the back of a patient for thermal or electromagnetic treatment of an intervertebral disc, includes an elongated probe member having a guidable region adjacent its distal end with an undulating groove defined in its outer surface. The undulating groove is dimensioned to facilitate bending of the guidable region in at least one radial direction of movement relative to a longitudinal axis of the thermal probe. Preferably, the guidable region includes a plurality of undulating grooves, whereby adjacent undulating grooves are longitudinally spaced with respect to each other. The undulating grooves each define a sinusoidal configuration which may be arranged about an undulating axis extending in oblique relation to the longitudinal axis. The guidable region also includes a longitudinally extending backbone which resists bending of the guidable region in a radial direction of movement. The apparatus may also include a cannula to facilitate introduction of the thermal probe into the intervertebral disc. The cannula includes an arcuate end portion dimensioned to arrange the guidable region of the thermal probe at a desired orientation within the annulus fibrosis.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A surgical apparatus for thermal or electromagnetic treatment of tissue, which comprises:
an elongated thermal probe member having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis, the probe member having a guidable region adjacent the distal end, the guidable region having an undulating groove defined in an outer surface thereof and being dimensioned to facilitate bending of the guidable region in at least one radial direction of movement relative to the longitudinal axis, the thermal probe being adapted for connection to a thermal energy source to provide thermal energy to tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- 8. The apparatus according to 7 wherein the cannula includes an arcuate end portion, the arcuate end portion dimensioned to arrange the guidable region of the thermal probe to a desired orientation within the annulus fibrosis.
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18. A method for relieving pain associated with an intervertebral disc having a disc nucleus pulposus and an outer annulus fibrosis surrounding the nucleus pulposus, comprising:
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providing an elongated thermal probe member having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis, and having a flexible guidable region adjacent the distal end, the guidable region having a plurality of spaced undulating grooves defined in an outer surface thereof;
introducing the flexible guidable region of the thermal probe into the annulus fibrosis of the intervertebral whereby the flexible guidable region bends adjacent the undulating grooves to follow a generally arcuate path through the annulus fibrosis without entering the nucleus pulposus; and
supplying thermal or electromagnetic energy from an energy source to heat or induce an electromagnetic field adjacent the annulus fibrosis sufficiently to relieve pain associated with the intervertebral disc. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification