Transpedicular intervertebral disk access methods and devices

• US 7,318,826 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: SDGI Holdings Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Frank, Shaolian, Samuel M., Nguyen, Thanh Van, Pham, To V., Henson, Michael R., Teitelbaum, George P., Divino, Vincent Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFFMAN, MARY C
• Application Number:
  US10/420,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20040092993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 606/61, 606 79- 85, 606/90, 623 1611- 1716
• US Class Current: 606/80
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1617 with mobile or detachable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1642 for producing a curved bore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1675 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1757 for the spine
• 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 17/7097 Stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant, e.g. balloon; devices for inserting or filling such implants disc prostheses made of inflatable chambers or pockets filled with fluid A61F2/441; replacing the nucleus pulposus A61F2002/444
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00261 Discectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/564 Methods for bone or joint treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/442 Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/444 for replacing the nucleus pulposus

Abstract

A flexible drill and method of drilling a material are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a flexible drill includes a lower sub-assembly connected to an upper sub-assembly, where the lower sub-assembly comprises a retainer tube and the upper sub-assembly comprises a guiding tube; a drilling tip, and capable of orienting the drilling tip at a predetermined position after accessing a material to he drilled through a substantially straight passage having a lone axis. The predetermined position is at least 10° off of the lone axis of the substantially straight passage. According to one embodiment, a method of drilling a material includes the steps of (a) providing a flexible drill; (b) advancing the drill through a substantially straight passage until the drilling tip accesses the material to be drilled, thereby orienting the drilling tip at the predetermined position; and (c) actuating the drill.

Claims

1. A flexible drill comprising

a lower sub-assembly connected to an upper sub-assembly;

where the lower sub-assembly comprises a spin luer lock, a retainer tube, a piston anchor, a piston level, a piston, a distal O-ring and a proximal O-ring; and

where the upper sub-assembly comprises a drilling tip, guiding tube, a barrel knob, a barrel, a threaded adapter, a liner, a bearing housing, a flexible shaft, a distal bearing, a proximal bearing, a collet, a bearing cap and a motor receptacle;

where the guiding tube comprising a proximal segment having a central axis and a distal segment having a distal end;

where the drilling tip is connected to the distal end of the distal segment; and

where the guiding tube comprises a substance that has been processed to return to a shape where the distal segment has a radius of curvature sufficient to cause the drilling tip at the end of the distal segment to orient at between about 10° and

150°

off of the central axis of the proximal segment when the guiding tube is not subject to distortion.

2. The flexible drill of claim 1,

where the lower sub-assembly further comprises a spin luer lock, a piston anchor, a piston level, a piston, a distal O-ring and a proximal O-ring;

and

where the upper sub assembly further comprises the drilling tip, a barrel knob, a barrel, a threaded adapter, a liner, a bearing housing, a flexible shaft, a distal bearing, a proximal bearing, a collet, a bearing cap and a motor receptacle.

3. The flexible drill of claim 1, further comprising a guiding tip attached to the drilling tip.

4. The flexible drill of claim 1, further comprising an axial channel for accepting a guide wire.

5. A method of drilling a material, comprising:

a) providing a drill according to claim 1;

b) advancing the flexible drill under distortion into the material;

c) removing the distortion from the flexible drill; and

d) actuating the flexible drill.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising passing a guide wire through the flexible drill before actuating the flexible drill, after actuating the flexible drill, or both before and after actuating the flexible drill.

7. The method of claim 5, where the material to be drilled is selected from the group consisting of bone, cartilage and intervertebral disk.