Early intervention spinal treatment methods and devices for use therein
First Claim
1. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
- a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe, wherein the first treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a first tissue site, the second treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a second different tissue site,wherein the first and second sources each have a surface energy flux, and the surface energy flux of the first source is different than the surface energy flux of the second source,wherein the surface energy flux of the first source is at least twice as large as the surface energy flux of the second source,wherein the first and second sources emit energy in first and second directions, the directions defining an angle therebetween of between 45 and 135 degrees, andwherein the first and second different tissue sites are selected from the group consisting of;
i) a first intervertebral disc, and ii) a first vertebra.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided a device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion,
b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe,
wherein the first treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a first tissue site, the second treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a second different tissue site, and
wherein the first and second different tissue sites are selected from the group consisting of:
i) a first intervertebral disc,
ii) a first vertebra,
iii) a first spinal ligament, and
iv) a first spinal facet joint capsule,
v) a second intervertebral disc,
vi) a second vertebra,
vii) a second spinal ligament, and
viii) a second spinal facet joint capsule.
364 Citations
76 Claims
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1. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
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a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe, wherein the first treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a first tissue site, the second treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a second different tissue site, wherein the first and second sources each have a surface energy flux, and the surface energy flux of the first source is different than the surface energy flux of the second source, wherein the surface energy flux of the first source is at least twice as large as the surface energy flux of the second source, wherein the first and second sources emit energy in first and second directions, the directions defining an angle therebetween of between 45 and 135 degrees, and wherein the first and second different tissue sites are selected from the group consisting of; i) a first intervertebral disc, and ii) a first vertebra. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
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a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe, wherein the first treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a first tissue site, the second treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a second different tissue site, wherein the first and second sources each have a surface energy flux, and the surface energy flux of the first source is different than the surface energy flux of the second source, wherein the first and second sources have respective emission angles α and
β
, andwherein α
is different than β
, wherein the first and second sources emit energy in first and second directions, the directions defining an angle therebetween of between 135 and 225 degrees andwherein the first and second different tissue sites are selected from the group consisting of; i) a first intervertebral disc, ii) a first vertebra, iii) a first spinal ligament, and iv) a first spinal facet joint capsule, v) a second intervertebral disc, vi) a second vertebra, vii) a second spinal ligament, and viii) a second spinal facet joint capsule. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
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a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe, wherein the first treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a first tissue site, the second treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a second different tissue site, wherein the first and second sources each have a surface energy flux, and the surface energy flux of the first source is different than the surface energy flux of the second source, and wherein the first and second different tissue sites are selected from the group consisting of; i) a first intervertebral disc, ii) a first vertebra, iii) a first spinal ligament, and iv) a first spinal facet joint capsule, v) a second intervertebral disc, vi) a second vertebra, vii) a second spinal ligament, and viii) a second spinal facet joint capsule, and wherein the first and second sources respectively comprise first and second ultrasound transducers respectively having first and second ceramic component compositions, and the first ceramic component composition is different than the second ceramic component composition.
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12. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
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a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe, wherein the first treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a first tissue site, the second treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a second different tissue site, wherein the first and second sources each have a surface energy flux, and the surface energy flux of the first source is different than the surface energy flux of the second source, and wherein the first and second different tissue sites are selected from the group consisting of; i) a first intervertebral disc, ii) a first vertebra, iii) a first spinal ligament, and iv) a first spinal facet joint capsule, v) a second intervertebral disc, vi) a second vertebra, vii) a second spinal ligament, and viii) a second spinal facet joint capsule, and wherein the first and second sources respectively comprise first and second ultrasound transducers respectively having first and second ceramic components, and the first ceramic component has a first wall thickness and the second ceramic component has a second wall thickness, and the first wall thickness is different than the second wall thickness, wherein the first thickness is at least 20% greater than the second thickness.
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13. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
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a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe, wherein the first treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a first tissue site, the second treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a second different tissue site, wherein the first and second sources each have a surface energy flux, and the surface energy flux of the first source is different than the surface energy flux of the second source, and wherein the first and second different tissue sites are selected from the group consisting of; i) a first intervertebral disc, ii) a first vertebra, iii) a first spinal ligament, and iv) a first spinal facet joint capsule, v) a second intervertebral disc, vi) a second vertebra, vii) a second spinal ligament, and viii) a second spinal facet joint capsule, and wherein the first and second sources respectively comprise first and second ultrasound transducers having first and second ceramic components, wherein the first ceramic component has a first coating thereon and the second ceramic component has a second coating thereon, and the first coating is different than the second coating.
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14. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
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a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe, wherein the first treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a first tissue site, the second treatment source is adapted to therapeutically treat a second different tissue site, wherein the first and second sources each have a surface energy flux, and the surface energy flux of the first source is different than the surface energy flux of the second source, and wherein the first and second different tissue sites are selected from the group consisting of; i) a first intervertebral disc, ii) a first vertebra, iii) a first spinal ligament, and iv) a first spinal facet joint capsule, v) a second intervertebral disc, vi) a second vertebra, vii) a second spinal ligament, and viii) a second spinal facet joint capsule, and further comprising;
c) a third treatment source located at the distal portion of the probe, wherein the third treatment source is adapted to treat a third tissue site having the same tissue structure as the first tissue site. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
d) a fourth treatment source located in the distal portion of the probe, wherein the fourth treatment source is adapted to treat a fourth tissue site having the same tissue structure as the second tissue site.
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16. The device of claim 15 wherein the first, second, third and fourth sources emit energy in first, second, third and fourth directions, the directions respectively defining an angle γ
- between the first and second directions, an angle δ
between the first and third direction, and an angle ε
between the first and fourth directions, wherein angle γ
is between 80 and 100 degrees, angle δ
is between 170 and 190 degrees, angle ε
is between 260 and 280 degrees.
- between the first and second directions, an angle δ
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17. A method of treating an intervertebral disc, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a device comprising an energy output source, b) placing the energy output source into the human body, and c) energizing the energy output source to cause energy to flow from the energy output source and into a vertebral endplate in an amount sufficient to heat the vertebral endplate to a temperature which causes heat transfer from the vertebral endplate to the intervertebral disc in an amount sufficient to cause at least one of collagen shrinkage or nerve denervation within the intervertebral disc. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of treating back or leg pain, comprising the step of therapeutically treating first and second different tissue sites with a single device, each tissue site being selected from the group consisting of:
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i) a first intervertebral disc, ii) a first vertebra, iii) a first spinal ligament, iv) a first spinal facet joint capsule, v) a second intervertebral disc, vi) a second vertebra, vii) a second spinal ligament, and viii) a second spinal facet joint capsule. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
a) placing the device at least partially within the human body, b) activating the first treatment source to treat the first tissue site, c) activating the second treatment source to treat the second tissue site, and, d) withdrawing the device from the human body.
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22. The method of claim 21 wherein step a) comprises placing the device into an intervertebral disc.
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23. The method of claim 21 wherein step a) comprises placing the device between adjacent first and second vertebrae and outside an intervertebral disc therebetween.
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24. The method of claim 21 wherein step a) comprises placing the device into a vertebral body portion of the first vertebra.
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25. The method of claim 20 wherein the device is an implant comprising first and second treatment sources, and the step of therapeutically treating comprises the steps of:
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a) placing the implant substantially completely within the human body, b) activating the first treatment source to treat the first tissue site, c) activating the second treatment source to treat the second tissue site.
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26. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first intervertebral disc.
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27. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of therapeutically treating the first intervertebral disc comprises coagulating collagen within the disc.
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28. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of therapeutically treating the first intervertebral disc comprises denervating at least a portion of a nerve within the disc.
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29. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of therapeutically treating the first intervertebral disc comprises removing mass from within the disc.
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30. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first vertebra.
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31. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of therapeutically treating the first vertebra comprises denervating at least a portion of a basivertebral nerve within a vertebral body portion of the first vertebra.
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32. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first vertebra and the second tissue site is the second vertebra.
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33. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first intervertebral disc and the second tissue site is the second intervertebral disc.
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34. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first spinal ligament, and the step of therapeutically treating the first spinal ligament comprises denervating a nerve within the first spinal ligament.
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35. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first spinal ligament, and the step of therapeutically treating the first spinal ligament comprises shrinking collagen within the first spinal ligament.
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36. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first spinal facet joint capsule.
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37. The method of claim 36 wherein the step of therapeutically treating the first spinal facet joint capsule comprises denervating a nerve within the capsule.
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38. The method of claim 36 wherein the step of therapeutically treating the first spinal facet joint capsule comprises shrinking a collagenous ligament of the capsule.
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39. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first intervertebral disc and the second tissue site is the first vertebra.
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40. The method of claim 39 wherein the step of therapeutically treating comprises heating an annulus fibrosus portion of the first intervertebral disc and denervating at least a portion of a basivertebral nerve located in the first vertebra.
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41. The method of claim 40 further comprising the step of b) removing at least a portion of a nucleus pulposus located within the disc.
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42. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of removing at least a portion of the nucleus pulposus includes the step of liquifying the nucleus pulposus.
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43. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first intervertebral disc and the second tissue site is the first spinal ligament.
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44. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first spinal facet joint capsule, and the second tissue site is the second spinal facet joint capsule.
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45. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first vertebra and the second tissue site is the first spinal ligament.
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46. The method of claim 20 wherein the first tissue site is the first spinal ligament, and the second tissue site is the second spinal ligament.
- 47. A method of treating back or leg pain, comprising the step of therapeutically treating first and second components within an intervertebral disc with a single device.
- 52. A method of treating back or leg pain, comprising the step of therapeutically treating first and second different components within a vertebra with a single device.
- 56. A method of treating back or leg pain, comprising the step of therapeutically treating first and second different components within a spinal facet joint capsule with a single device.
- 60. A method of treating back or leg pain, comprising the step of therapeutically treating first and second vertebral bodies with a single device.
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66. A method of thermally treating a bony tissue site and a soft tissue site, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a device having first and second treatment sources, b) placing the treatment sources into a target site within the human body, activating the device to cause the first treatment source to therapeutically heat the bony tissue site, and to cause the second treatment source to therapeutically heat the soft tissue site. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
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a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe and adapted to therapeutically treat at least a first tissue site, wherein the first treatment source provides therapy by a form of energy which is different than that of the second treatment source, wherein the first treatment source is an ultrasonic transducer and the second treatment source is a resistive heating element.
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74. A device for therapeutically treating back or leg pain, comprising:
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a) a probe having a proximal portion and a distal portion, b) first and second treatment sources, each source located in the distal portion of the probe and adapted to therapeutically treat at least a first tissue site, wherein the first treatment source provides therapy by a form of energy which is different than that of the second treatment source, wherein the first treatment source is an energy source and the second treatment source is a chemical delivery source. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76)
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Specification