Patent EP0681811A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0681811A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Surgical instruments useful for endoscopic spinal procedures
Assignee: United States Surgical Corp
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Filing: 1995-03-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-03-16
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides endoscopic instrumentation and surgical techniques especially useful for accessing and removing at least a portion of an intervertebral disc. Instrumentation includes tissue spreaders 50 and cutting instruments 662. In particular, the tissue spreading instruments include instruments for spreading pre-sacral tissue such as fascia and for spreading adjacent vertebrae to facilitate access to the intervertebral disc. Endoscopic cutting instruments deliver a cutting blade 662 in a sheathed position to the site of the disc nucleus followed by deployment to remove portions of the disc nucleus.
Inventors
- 👤 David T. Green
- 👤 Salvatore Castro
- 👤 Carlo A. Mililli
- 👤 Keith Ratcliff
- 👤 Michael Castro
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 13:01
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/02; A61B17/0218; A61B17/025; A61B17/32; A61B17/320016; A61B17/34; A61B17/3494; A61B17/3496; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00261; A61B2017/0256; A61B17/28; A61B17/29; A61B2017/2901; A61B2017/2902; A61B2017/2926; A61B2017/2931; A61B2017/2932; A61B2017/2933; A61B2017/2937; A61B2017/2943; A61B2017/2946
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
154 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument for spreading vertebrae comprising: a handle portion including an actuation member; an elongated endoscopic section extending distally from said handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis; a vertebrae spreading mechanism operatively associated with a distal end portion of said endoscopic section, said vertebrae spreading mechanism including first and second vertebrae spreading arm members; an actuation mechanism at least partially housed within said endoscopic section and movable in response to movement of said actuation member, said actuation mechanism including at least one camming element engageable with said first and second arm members to cam said arm members from a closed to an open position, said first and second vertebrae spreading arm members deployable in a transverse direction with respect to said longitudinal axis in response to movement of said actuation member such that said first and second arm members remain substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the instrument during deployment.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
39 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said actuation mechanism includes a rod member coaxially reciprocable within said endoscopic section and said at least one camming element is positioned at a distal end of said rod member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said first and second vertebrae spreading arms include camming surfaces on an interior surface thereof, said camming surfaces configured to interfit with said at least one camming element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said first and second vertebrae spreading arms include a substantially planar tissue-contacting surface or a curved tissue contacting surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said vertebrae spreading arms include means for enhancing contact with tissue selected from ridges, knurling, and serration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second vertebrae spreading arm members include vertebrae contacting portions on an external surface and substantially extending in first and second planes respectively, said first and second planes being parallel to each other when the vertebrae spreading mechanism is in said closed position; wherein during deployment of said vertebrae spreading mechanism said first and second planes remain substantially parallel between said closed and open positions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
137 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument for spreading vertebrae comprising: a handle portion including an actuation member; an elongated endoscopic section extending distally from said handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis; an actuation mechanism at least partially extending within said elongated endoscopic section and movable in response to movement of said actuation member; a vertebrae spreading mechanism operatively associated with a distal end of said endoscopic section and movable between open and closed positions by said actuation mechanism is response to movement of said actuation member, said vertebrae spreading mechanism including at least two vertebrae spreading arm members having exterior tissue contacting surfaces, wherein said actuation mechanism includes a threaded driving member and said at least two tissue spreading arm members include threaded apertures cooperating with said threaded driving member for movement between said open and closed positions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said actuation mechanism includes a drive chain positioned between said actuation member and said threaded driving member for rotating said driving member to move said spreading arm members between said open and closed positions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said vertebrae contacting surfaces form an acute angle of elevation towards a proximal end of the instrument with respect to said longitudinal axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
97 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument for cutting tissue comprising: a handle portion including an actuation member; an elongated endoscopic portion extending distally from said handle portion; an actuation rod longitudinally reciprocable within said endoscopic portion and operatively associated with said actuation member; a cutting member operatively associated with said actuation rod, said cutting member being movable by said actuation member between a sheathed position within said endoscopic portion and a deployed position in which at least a portion of said cutting member extends distally from said endoscopic portion; and a gaseous sealing member disposed within said endoscopic portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 10 further comprising means for locking said cutting member in said sheathed position and said deployed position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
73 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 11 wherein said locking means comprises a longitudinal slot having transversely extending first and second notches, said slot and said notches engaging an actuation pin extending from said actuation member such that positioning of said pin within said first notch portion locks said cutting member in said sheathed position and positioning said pin within said second notch portion locks said cutting member in said deployed position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein said longitudinal slot is formed in said handle portion and said first notch portion is positioned at a proximal end of said slot and said second notch portion is positioned at a distal end of said slot.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
81 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument for spreading tissue comprising: a handle portion; an elongated endoscopic section extending from said handle portion and having a proximal and distal portion and a longitudinal axis; a resilient tissue spreading mechanism extending from said distal portion of said endoscopic section, said tissue spreading mechanism removably mounted to said endoscopic section and being spring biased to an open position; an engaging member positioned at least partially within said endoscopic section for releasably engaging said tissue spreading mechanism.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
An endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 14, wherein said tissue spreading mechanism includes a coiled spring having an aperture therethrough, said coiled spring receiving said engaging member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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