Access assembly for guiding instrumentation through soft tissue to a point on the spine

• US 20050137612A1
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mis Ip Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: TranS1 Incorporated (Baxano Surgical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Assell, Robert L., Cragg, Andrew H., Ainsworth, Stephen D., Dickhudt, Eugene A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,530,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/025 Joint distractors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1604 Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1615 Drill bits, i.e. rotating tools extending from a handpiece to contact the worked material
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1697 specially adapted for wire insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1757 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7074 Tools specially adapted for spinal fixation operations other than for bone removal or filler handling A61B17/7062, A61B17/808, A61B17/8858 take precedence; for spinal image producing devices A61B90/36, A61B34/20; markers A61B90/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8615 at the central region of the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/888 the driver bit acting on the central region of the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8888 at its central region
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8897 Guide wires or guide pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00261 Discectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00469 for insertion of instruments, e.g. guide wire, optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22038 with a guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22044 with a pointed tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3445 used as instrument channel for multiple instruments catheters A61B2017/22072
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/922 Devices for impaction, impact element

Abstract

Disclosed are surgical tools, tool sets and methods for percutaneously accessing and preparing treatment sites within the spine for subsequent treatment procedures. The treatment site may be an inter-vertebral motion segments in the lumbar and sacral regions of the spine. The tool set may comprise introducer tools and bone dilators for accessing and tapping into a targeted site, such as, for example, the anterior surface of the S1 vertebral body. The tool set may also comprise cutters and extractors for preparing the treatment site for subsequent treatment procedures. The tool set may additionally comprise a bone graft inserter, an exchange system, and/or a temporary distraction tool for further preparing the treatment site for subsequent treatment procedures.

Claims

1. An access assembly, for guiding instrumentation through soft tissue to a point on the spine, the assembly comprising:

an elongate, tubular guide pin introducer;

a blunt tipped stylet, slideably positionable within the guide; and

a guide pin, slideably positionable within the guide pin introducer.

2. An access assembly as in claim 1, wherein the guide pin comprises a beveled distal end.

3. An access assembly as in claim 1, wherein the guide pin comprises a proximal handle.

4. An access assembly as in claim 3, wherein the handle is removably carried by the guide pin.

5. An access assembly as in claim 1, wherein the stylet comprises a proximal handle.

6. An access assembly as in claim 1, wherein the guide pin comprises a sharpened distal tip.

7. An access assembly as in claim 1, wherein the proximal handle on the stylet is releasably engageable with the guide pin introducer.

8. An access assembly as in claim 1, wherein the guide pin comprises a proximal connector for connection to a guide pin extension.

9. An access assembly as in claim 7, wherein a distal end of the stylet is exposed beyond a distal end of the guide pin introducer when the stylet is engaged with the guide pin introducer.

10. A guide pin introducer, comprising:

an introducer tube, having a proximal end, a distal end and a central lumen extending therethrough;

a handle on the proximal end;

a blunt tipped stylet, axially movably positionable within the introducer tube; and

a lock, for releasably retaining the stylet within the introducer tube.

11. A guide pin introducer as in claim 10, wherein the blunt tip of the stylet is exposed beyond the distal end when the stylet is locked within the introducer tube.

12. A guide pin introducer as in claim 10, wherein the lock comprises a first surface structure carried by the stylet, which is releasably engageable with a second complementary surface structure carried by the introducer tube.

13. A guide pin introducer as in claim 12, wherein one of the first and second surface structures comprises a pin and the other of the first and second surface structures comprises a slot.

14. A guide pin introducer as in claim 10, wherein the introducer tube comprises a beveled tip.