Bone treatment systems and methods
First Claim
1. A system for treating bone, comprising:
- a bone cement injector having a flow channel extending therethrough for injecting bone cement into an interior of a bone;
a source of bone cement coupled to said flow channel;
an energy source coupled to a thermal energy emitter in the flow channel configured to apply energy to the bone cement to controllably increase the viscosity of the bone cement within the flow channel;
a sensor that provides a measurement of a parameter of the bone cement within the flow channel, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of impedance, temperature, viscosity, and volume; and
a controller detachably coupled to the thermal energy emitter, the controller including algorithms that adjust power delivery from the energy source to the thermal energy emitter based at least in part on measurements from the sensor, wherein the controller controls the energy source to alter the bone cement to a viscosity in a range of at least about 1,000,000 cps sufficient to controllably permeate and interdigitate with cancellous bone.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates in certain embodiments to medical devices for treating osteoplasty procedures such as vertebral compression fractures. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to instruments and methods for controllably restoring vertebral body height by controlling the geometry of fill material introduced into cancellous bone. An exemplary system utilizes Rf energy in combination a conductive bone fill material for polymerizing the surface of the inflow plume to control the geometry of the fill material and the application of force caused by inflows of fill material. In another embodiment, method of treating bone includes injecting a volume of fill material into a bone and selectively modifying a viscosity of a selected portion of the bone filler to control the direction of flow of the fill material within the bone. A system for treating bone using this method includes an introducer for delivering fill material into the bone and an energy source selectively coupleable to the fill material to alter the viscosity of the fill material as it flows out of the introducer.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A system for treating bone, comprising:
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a bone cement injector having a flow channel extending therethrough for injecting bone cement into an interior of a bone; a source of bone cement coupled to said flow channel; an energy source coupled to a thermal energy emitter in the flow channel configured to apply energy to the bone cement to controllably increase the viscosity of the bone cement within the flow channel; a sensor that provides a measurement of a parameter of the bone cement within the flow channel, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of impedance, temperature, viscosity, and volume; and a controller detachably coupled to the thermal energy emitter, the controller including algorithms that adjust power delivery from the energy source to the thermal energy emitter based at least in part on measurements from the sensor, wherein the controller controls the energy source to alter the bone cement to a viscosity in a range of at least about 1,000,000 cps sufficient to controllably permeate and interdigitate with cancellous bone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An osteoplasty system comprising:
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an elongated introducer with a flow channel extending therethrough for introducing bone cement to a bone portion; a pressurizable source of bone cement coupled to said flow channel; an electrical source operatively connected to at least one thermal energy emitter proximate to the flow channel for delivering thermal energy to the bone cement within the flow channel contemporaneously with the bone cement flowing through the flow channel, the electrical source configured to deliver thermal energy to the bone cement to controllably increase the viscosity of the bone cement; and means for electrically adjusting power delivery from the electrical source to the at least one thermal energy emitter based at least in part on a sensed parameter measurement of the bone cement within the flow channel, said parameter selected from the group consisting of impedance, temperature, viscosity, and volume, said means being detachably connectable to the electrical source and at least one thermal energy emitter; wherein the means for electrically adjusting power delivery controls the energy source to alter the bone cement to increase the viscosity of the bone cement flow by between about 10% and 1000% sufficient to controllably permeate and interdigitate with cancellous bone. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification