Dilator
First Claim
1. A dilator comprising:
- a proximal portion and a distal portion interconnected by an elongated body portion;
at least a part of the distal portion has a cross-sectional area decreasing as the cross-sectional area gets closer to a distal end; and
two oppositely located channels formed in the body portion and extending longitudinally into the distal portion, each channel configured to receive a spinous process of a human subject distracted by the distal portion and having a first end portion opposite a second end portion, wherein each of the first end portions commences in the distal portion and each of the second end portions terminates in the body portion at a location proximate to the distal portion,wherein the two oppositely located channels are positioned to receive the spinous processes distracted by the distal portion and are configured to hold the distracted spinous process when the distracted spinous processes are positioned between longitudinally-extending sidewalls of the channels extending distally and proximally past the distracted spinous processes and the body portion extends in a direction generally perpendicular to a cephalad-caused direction.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dilator that facilitates implantation of an interspinous spacer is provided. The dilator includes a proximal portion and a tapered distal portion interconnected by an elongated body portion. The tapered distal portion is ideally suited for splitting ligamentous tissue for creating a posterior midline pathway through the supraspinous ligament as well as for distracting the adjacent spinous processes. Two oppositely located and longitudinally extending channels or grooves are formed in the outer surface of the dilator for stabilizing the dilator with respect to the spinous processes. An accompanying cannula together with the dilator form a system for the distraction of the adjacent spinous processes, stabilization of the spinous processes with respect to the system and creation of a working channel for the implantation of an interspinous spacer.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A dilator comprising:
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a proximal portion and a distal portion interconnected by an elongated body portion; at least a part of the distal portion has a cross-sectional area decreasing as the cross-sectional area gets closer to a distal end; and two oppositely located channels formed in the body portion and extending longitudinally into the distal portion, each channel configured to receive a spinous process of a human subject distracted by the distal portion and having a first end portion opposite a second end portion, wherein each of the first end portions commences in the distal portion and each of the second end portions terminates in the body portion at a location proximate to the distal portion, wherein the two oppositely located channels are positioned to receive the spinous processes distracted by the distal portion and are configured to hold the distracted spinous process when the distracted spinous processes are positioned between longitudinally-extending sidewalls of the channels extending distally and proximally past the distracted spinous processes and the body portion extends in a direction generally perpendicular to a cephalad-caused direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25)
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24. A system comprising:
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a dilator comprising; a proximal portion and a distal portion interconnected by an elongated body portion, wherein at least a part of the distal portion has a distal end and a cross-sectional area that decreases as the cross-sectional area gets closer to the distal end; and two oppositely located channels formed in the body portion and extending longitudinally into the distal portion, each channel configured to receive a spinous process distracted by the distal portion and having a first end and a second end, wherein each of the first ends of the channels commences in the distal portion, wherein each channel is positioned to receive and hold the spinous process distracted by the distal portion; and a cannula including two oppositely located channels on an outer surface and having a passageway configured to receive the dilator, wherein the channels of the cannula are positioned relative to the channels of the dilator such that the distracted spinous processes move from the channels of the dilator to the respective channels of the cannula when the cannula is moved along the dilator.
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26. A system comprising:
a dilator including a proximal end; a distal portion that has a cross-sectional area that decreases towards a distal end of the dilator; an elongated body portion between the proximal end and the distal portion; a first channel configured to receive a first spinous process and including a distal first channel end at the distal portion and a proximal first channel end, the proximal first channel end is closer to the distal end of the dilator than the proximal end of the dilator; and a second channel spaced apart from the first channel and configured to receive a second spinous process, the second channel including a distal second channel end at the distal portion and a proximal second channel end, the proximal second channel end is closer to the distal end of the dilator than the proximal end of the dilator, wherein the first channel and the second channel are positioned to receive and laterally hold the respective first and second spinous processes distracted by the distal portion. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for distracting a first spinous process and a second spinous process of a human subject, comprising:
a dilator including a proximal portion; a distal portion configured to distract the first spinous process and the second spinous process; an elongated body portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion; a first channel positioned along the body portion and including longitudinally-extending first sidewalls spaced apart to be positioned on either side of the first spinous process distracted by the distal portion; and a second channel positioned along the body portion and spaced apart from the first channel, wherein the second channel includes longitudinally-extending second sidewalls spaced apart to be positioned on either side of the second spinous process distracted by the distal portion such that the first spinous process is between the first sidewalls of the first channel and the second spinous process is between the second sidewalls of the second channel while the dilator moves relative to the first and second spinous processes. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
Specification