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Patent US6805697B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6805697B1
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Method and system for fusing a spinal region
Assignee: VIRGINIA PATENT FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY OF
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Filing: 2000-05-08
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Granted: 2004-10-19
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Expires: 2020-05-08
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for fusing a region in the spine involve the use of at least one guide tube ( 10 a ) to pass instruments and substances into the spinal region in a minimally invasive manner. In the preferred practice of the method, a guide tube is anchored to a vertebra and the guide tube is moved to thereby position the vertebra. A steerable drilling tool ( 20 a ) is passed through the guide tube and steered into position to abrade at least a portion of an intervertebral disc, thereby creating a cavity in the disc. A flowing substance is passed into the cavity and permitted to solidify to establish fusion in the cavity. Optionally, an uninflated balloon ( 40 ) is inserted into the cavity and the balloon is filled with the flowing substance to contain the flowing substance.
Inventors
- 👤 Gregory A. Helm
- 👤 David F. Kallmes
- 👤 Gerald R. Hankins
- 👤 Mary E. Jensen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 13:04
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/46; A61F2/4603; A61F2/4611; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/16; A61B17/1662; A61B17/1671; A61B17/17; A61B17/1739; A61B17/1757; A61B17/32; A61B17/320016; A61B17/32002; A61F2/44; A61F2/441; A61F2/4455; A61F2/4601; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00261; A61B2017/00292; A61B2017/003; A61B17/02; A61B17/025; A61B2017/0256; A61B90/00; A61B90/39; A61B2090/3937; A61B2090/3945; A61B34/00; A61B34/10; A61B34/20; A61F2/442; A61F2/28; A61F2002/2817; A61F2002/2835; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30003; A61F2002/3006; A61F2002/30062; A61F2002/3008; A61F2002/30316; A61F2002/30535; A61F2002/30581; A61F2002/30583; A61F2002/30667; A61F2002/30677; A61F2002/4625; A61F2002/4627; A61F2002/4632; A61F2002/4635; A61F2002/4687; A61F2210/00; A61F2210/0004; A61F2210/0085; A61F2250/00; A61F2250/0058; A61F2250/0096; A61F2250/0098; A61F2310/00; A61F2310/00005; A61F2310/00179; A61F2310/00293; A61F2310/00353; A61F2310/00365
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
A system for use in a spinal procedure, the system comprising: a steerable drilling tool having a rotatable bit configured to abrade at least one of vertebral material and disc material; and at least one guide tube having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, at least one lumen extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, the lumen being configured to allow for passage of the steerable drilling tool therethrough.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
75 words
A system for use in a spinal procedure, the system comprising: a steerable drilling tool having a rotatable bit configured to abrade at least one of vertebral material and disc material; and at least one guide tube having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, at least one lumen extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, the lumen being configured to allow for passage of the steerable drilling tool therethrough.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the distal end portion of the guide tube includes at least one thread configured to permit releasable anchoring of the guide tube in at least one vertebra.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the guide tube further includes at least one tracking element configured to interact with a computer controlled surgical navigation system for determining the position of the guide tube with respect to a known reference.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the steerable drilling tool includes a tubular member having at least one axially movable steering element, axial movement of the steering element varying position of a distal insertion end of the tubular member with respect to a remainder of the tubular member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 4 , wherein the drilling tool further includes a flexible, rotatable drive member in the tubular member and a drill bit at a distal insertion end of the drive member, rotation of the drive member rotating the drill bit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a tracking element on the drilling tool, the tracking element being configured to interact with a computer controlled surgical navigation system to determine the location of a drill bit relative to a known reference point.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a balloon implant configured to be filled with material to provide fusion in a cavity formed at least in an intervertebral disc.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 7 , wherein the balloon implant is made of a biodegradable substance.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 8 , wherein the biodegradable substance includes collagen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 7 , wherein the balloon implant contains growth factors.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 7 , wherein the balloon implant contains genetically modified cells.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the drilling tool further includes at least one lumen for coupling to a suction source.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
84 words
A method of fusing a spinal region, the method comprising: releasably anchoring a guide tube in at least one vertebra adjacent to a disc; removing at least a nucleus of the disc to form a cavity extending in at least the disc; moving the guide tube when the guide tube is anchored in the vertebra to thereby change position of the vertebra; and flowing a flowable fusion substance into the cavity, the fusion substance being configured to solidify to provide fusion in the cavity.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
84 words
A method of fusing a spinal region, the method comprising: releasably anchoring a guide tube in at least one vertebra adjacent to a disc; removing at least a nucleus of the disc to form a cavity extending in at least the disc; moving the guide tube when the guide tube is anchored in the vertebra to thereby change position of the vertebra; and flowing a flowable fusion substance into the cavity, the fusion substance being configured to solidify to provide fusion in the cavity.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein the movement of the guide tube includes at least one of distracting the vertebra away from the disc with a distraction tool and rotating the vertebra.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein the guide tube further includes at least one tracking element, and wherein the method further comprises determining the location of the guide tube relative to a known reference point with a computer controlled surgical navigation system configured to interact with the tracking element.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 13 , further comprising inserting an inflatable implant in the cavity, and wherein the flowing of the flowable fusion substance includes passing the fusion substance into the inflatable implant to inflate the implant in the cavity.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein the removing does not remove any circumferential segment of the annulus fibrosis of the disc.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein the removing includes removing material from the medullary area of the at least one vertebra.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the disc is located between first and second vertebrae and the cavity extends between the first and second vertebrae, and the method further comprises releasably anchoring a second guide tube in the second vertebra, and wherein the moving includes moving at least one of the first and second guide tubes to thereby position the first and second vertebrae with respect to one another.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of fusing a spinal region, the method comprising: contacting a guide tube against at least one vertebra; inserting a steerable drilling tool through the guide tube; steering the steerable drilling tool toward a disc; abrading at least a portion of the end plates of the disc with the drilling tool; removing at least the abraded end plates of the disc and a nucleus of the disc to form a cavity extending in at least the disc; and flowing a flowable fusion substance into the cavity, the fusion substance being configured to solidify to provide fusion in the cavity.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of fusing a spinal region, the method comprising: contacting a guide tube against at least one vertebra; inserting a steerable drilling tool through the guide tube; steering the steerable drilling tool toward a disc; abrading at least a portion of the end plates of the disc with the drilling tool; removing at least the abraded end plates of the disc and a nucleus of the disc to form a cavity extending in at least the disc; and flowing a flowable fusion substance into the cavity, the fusion substance being configured to solidify to provide fusion in the cavity.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 20 , further comprising releasably anchoring the guide tube in the at least one vertebra.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein an insertion end of the guide tube includes at least one thread, and wherein the anchoring includes threading the insertion end of the guide tube in the at least one vertebra.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 21 , further comprising moving the guide tube when the guide tube is anchored in the vertebra to thereby position the vertebra.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 23 , wherein the movement of the guide tube includes at least one of distracting the vertebra away from the disc with a distraction tool and rotating the vertebra.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the guide tube further includes at least one tracking element, and wherein the method further comprises determining the location of the guide tube relative to a known reference point with a computer controlled surgical navigation system configured to interact with the tracking element.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the steerable drilling tool includes a tubular member having at least one axially movable steering element, and wherein the steering comprises axially moving the steering element to vary position of a distal insertion end of the tubular member with respect to a remainder of the tubular member.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 26 , wherein the drilling tool further includes a flexible, rotatable drive member in the tubular member and a drill bit at a distal insertion end of the drive member, and wherein the abrading includes rotating the drive member to rotate the drill bit.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the removing of the end plates and nucleus includes removing disc material with at least one of suction and irrigation.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 20 , further comprising inserting an inflatable implant in the cavity, and wherein the flowing of the flowable fusion substance includes passing the fusion substance into the inflatable implant to inflate the implant in the cavity.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the flowable substance includes a solidifying agent comprising polymethacrylate.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the flowable substance includes material for inducing bone growth.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 31 , wherein the bone growth inducing material is chosen from morphogenic protein, fibroplast growth factor, genetically modified cells, and stem cells.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises inserting a balloon into the cavity, inflating the balloon with a contrast agent, and viewing the balloon with imaging equipment to evaluate the cavity.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the removing does not remove any circumferential segment of the annulus fibrosis of the disc.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the abrading includes abrading material in the medullary area of the at least one vertebra.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
86 words
The method of claim 35 , wherein the disc is located between first and second vertebrae and the cavity extends between the first and second vertebrae, and wherein the method further comprises contacting a second guide tube against the second vertebra, and wherein the inserting includes inserting the drilling tool through at least one of the first and second guide tubes and wherein the removing includes removing at least one of vertebra material and disc material via at least one of the first and second tubes.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 36 , wherein the method further comprises releasably anchoring the first guide tube in the first vertebra, releasably anchoring the second guide tube in the second vertebra, and moving at least one of the first and second guide tubes to thereby position the first and second vertebrae with respect to one another.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 37 , wherein at least one of the first and second guide tubes includes a tracking element and wherein the method further comprises determining the location of said at least one guide tube relative to a known reference point with a computer controlled surgical navigation system configured to interact with the tracking element.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 37 , wherein at least one of the first and second guide tubes includes a tracking element and wherein the method further comprises determining the location of said at least one guide tube relative to a known reference point with a computer controlled surgical navigation system configured to interact with the tracking element.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the method includes determining the location of a drill bit on the drilling tool by determining the location of the drill bit relative to a known reference point with a computer controlled surgical navigation system.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-10-19 | 2008-04-19 | 2008-10-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-10-19 | 2012-04-19 | 2012-10-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-10-19 | 2016-04-19 | 2016-10-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |