Surgical tools for spinal facet therapy to alleviate pain and related methods
AssigneeMedovex Corp.
InventorsRobert D. Carter, Adam L. Gullickson, Scott M. W. Haufe, Seth Iverson, Jacob Blank, Arik Zoran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and surgical tools for treating back pain use a spinal facet debridement tool with cautery and denuding action and minimally invasive protocol that can denude and cauterize soft tissue associated with a synovial capsule of the spinal facet joint.
Claims24
A method of minimally invasively treating a patient for back pain, comprising:
- introducing a guide cannula into the patient so that a distal end resides proximate a target spinal facet joint;
- coupling the guide cannula to an external stabilizer before, during or after the introducing step;
- inserting a tool with a denuding and cauterization head through the guide cannula;
- connecting the tool to an electrosurgical generator with an RF source before, during or after the insertion;
- then
- denuding and cauterizing soft tissue at the target spinal facet joint, serially or concurrently, using the denuding and cauterization head, wherein the denuding is carried out by rotating the denuding and cauterization head of the tool to remove an end plate receptor region comprising a synovial capsule of the spinal facet joint thereby treating back pain, wherein the cauterizing is carried out using the electrosurgical generator configured with a power curve with a maximum output wattage of 60 Watts, a maximum current of 1000 mA, and a maximum voltage in a range of 180 V and 220 V with an ohmic range of 0-3000 ohms;
- and
- suctioning fluid from the guide cannula during the cauterizing to exhaust heat generated from the cauterizing.
A surgical tool system for spinal facet therapy comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft held by the housing that rotates at a low speed, wherein the shaft has a distal face with a cautery element and one or more tissue scraping members;
- a connector coupled to the cautery element that electrically connects the cautery element to a cautery power source that is separate from the housing;
- and
- a circuit in the housing configured to carry out one or both of:
- (i) monitor wattage supplied by the cautery power source to inhibit or prevent operation if wattage is above 60 Watts;
- and/or (ii) destroy or disengage one or more components of the circuit based on at least one defined triggering event to inhibit re-use.
A medical external stabilizer with a base and an upwardly extending tube above the base, wherein the base comprises a bottom surface with a perimeter with a width that is in a range of 2-6 inches, wherein the tube has a smaller width than the base, wherein the tube has an outer wall with a vacuum port extending therethrough and an axially extending open through channel, wherein the tube further comprises an arm that releasably engages conduit that extends to a vacuum source, and wherein the bottom surface of the base is adapted to reside external of and against skin of a patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.