Variable opening delivery system for intervertebral disc therapies
First Claim
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1. An orthopedic needle assembly comprising:
- a needle comprising a hollow shaft having opposed distal and proximal ends and a lumen extending from said distal end of said hollow shaft and terminating at an opening on said proximal end of said hollow shaft, said distal end having an expandable needle head having 2 to 6 segments and a cutting surface,said segments configured to be interconnected to each other by a plurality of ductile hinges in an alternating arrangement to form a substantially cylindrical tube, said substantially cylindrical tube configured to expand or compress from a first diameter to a second diameter by deformation of said ductile hinges without substantial deformation of said segments, said plurality of ductile hinges configured to deform resiliently upon radial expansion or compression of said expandable needle head;
said cutting surface configured for penetration into an intervertebral disc of a patient wherein said cutting surface comprises a sharpened edge extending along a portion of a bottom of said expandable needle head; and
a movable band positioned around a portion of said expandable needle head and said segments and ductile hinges of said expandable needle head, wherein the expandable needle head is configured to expand to an expanded diameter upon movement of said movable band from a first position to a second position and said segments and ductile hinges of said expandable needle head are configured to compress to a diameter smaller than said expanded diameter upon movement of said movable band from said second position back to said first position.
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Abstract
The disclosure is directed to a needle system configured to enlarge an access path in a patient without further cutting into the tissue of the patient so as to reduce recovery time and trauma to the patient. Also provided are methods of using the needle system provided.
45 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An orthopedic needle assembly comprising:
a needle comprising a hollow shaft having opposed distal and proximal ends and a lumen extending from said distal end of said hollow shaft and terminating at an opening on said proximal end of said hollow shaft, said distal end having an expandable needle head having 2 to 6 segments and a cutting surface, said segments configured to be interconnected to each other by a plurality of ductile hinges in an alternating arrangement to form a substantially cylindrical tube, said substantially cylindrical tube configured to expand or compress from a first diameter to a second diameter by deformation of said ductile hinges without substantial deformation of said segments, said plurality of ductile hinges configured to deform resiliently upon radial expansion or compression of said expandable needle head; said cutting surface configured for penetration into an intervertebral disc of a patient wherein said cutting surface comprises a sharpened edge extending along a portion of a bottom of said expandable needle head; and a movable band positioned around a portion of said expandable needle head and said segments and ductile hinges of said expandable needle head, wherein the expandable needle head is configured to expand to an expanded diameter upon movement of said movable band from a first position to a second position and said segments and ductile hinges of said expandable needle head are configured to compress to a diameter smaller than said expanded diameter upon movement of said movable band from said second position back to said first position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An orthopedic needle assembly kit comprising:
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a needle comprising a hollow shaft having opposed distal and proximal ends and a lumen extending from said distal end of said hollow shaft and terminating at an opening on said proximal end of said hollow shaft, said distal end configured to accept an expandable needle head; a multiple of expandable needle heads each configured to removably attach to said distal end of said hollow shaft, each of said expandable needle heads having 2 to 6 segments and a cutting surface, said segments configured to be interconnected to each other by a plurality of ductile hinges in an alternating arrangement to form a substantially cylindrical tube, said substantially cylindrical tube configured to expand or compress from a first diameter to a second diameter by deformation of said ductile hinges without substantial deformation of said segments, said plurality of ductile hinges configured to deform resiliently upon radial expansion or compression of said expandable needle head; said cutting surface configured for penetration into an intervertebral disc of a patient wherein said cutting surface comprises a sharpened edge extending along a portion of a bottom of each of said expandable needle heads and each of said expandable heads having an increasing number of expandable segments; and a movable band positioned around a portion of said expandable needle head and said segments and ductile hinges of said expandable needle head configured to expand to an expanded diameter upon movement of said movable band from a first position to a second position and said segments and ductile hinges of said expandable needle head configured to compress to a diameter smaller than said expanded diameter upon movement of said movable band from said second position back to said first position. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of facilitating delivery of a therapeutic agent and/or evacuating tissue/fluid to/from an intervertebral disc comprising;
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(a) providing an orthopedic needle assembly comprising;
a needle comprising a hollow shaft having opposed distal and proximal ends and a lumen extending from said distal end of said hollow shaft and terminating at an opening on said proximal end of said hollow shaft, said distal end having an expandable needle head having 2 to 6 segments and a cutting surface, said segments configured to be interconnected to each other by a plurality of ductile hinges in an alternating arrangement to form a substantially cylindrical tube, said substantially cylindrical tube configured to expand or compress from a first diameter to a second diameter by deformation of said ductile hinges without substantial deformation of said segments, said plurality of ductile hinges configured to deform resiliently upon radial expansion or compression of said expandable needle head;said cutting surface configured for penetration into an intervertebral disc of a patient wherein said cutting surface comprises a sharpened edge extending along a portion of a bottom of said expandable needle head; and a movable band positioned around a portion of said expandable needle head and said segments and ductile hinges of said expandable needle head, wherein the expandable needle head is configured to expand to an expanded diameter upon movement of said movable band from a first position to a second position and said segments and ductile hinges of said expandable needle head are configured to compress to a diameter smaller than said expanded diameter upon movement of said movable band from said second position back to said first position; (b) thrusting said sharpened edge into a surface of an intervertebral disc to facilitate cutting into said intervertebral disc; (c) expanding said expandable needle head inside said intervertebral disc; (d) delivering or evacuating tissue/fluid through said expandable needle head into said hollow shaft; and (e) compressing said expandable needle head and removing said expandable needle head from said intervertebral disc.
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Specification