Endoscopic portal protective shield assembly
AssigneeSpinal Elements, Inc.
InventorsKaixuan Liu, Zsolt Csernatoni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscopic portal protective shield assembly has an elongate portal shaft and an elongated protective shield. The elongate portal shaft has a viewing portal. The shaft has a slotted tubular body with interior surfaces. The shaft has a distal end and a proximal end and a slotted opening at the distal end extending partially along the slotted tubular body toward the proximal end. The elongated protective shield has a longitudinal shield body, a proximal end and a distal end. The protective shield is configured to be slid into the slotted opening of the tubular body with an interior portion of the longitudinal shield body being inserted inside the tubular body while maintaining the viewing portal open.
Claims20
A method of treating a spinal injury or defect using a shield assembly comprising the steps of:
- inserting the shield assembly into a surgical field, wherein the shield assembly comprises an elongate portal shaft and an elongated protective shield, wherein an interior portion of the elongated protective shield is positioned inside a portal of the elongate portal shaft and an exterior portion of the elongated protective shield is positioned outside the portal of the elongate portal shaft, wherein the elongated protective shield cannot rotate relative to the elongate portal shaft, and wherein the interior portion of the elongated protective shield abuts against an interior surface of the elongate portal shaft;
- viewing a nerve root, blood vessel or tissue through the portal;
- positioning a distal end of the elongated protective shield between the nerve root, blood vessel or tissue and the portal;
- and
- withdrawing the elongate portal shaft from the surgical field, wherein the distal end of the elongated protective shield remains positioned in the surgical field.
A method of using a shield assembly comprising the steps of:
- inserting the shield assembly into a surgical field, the shield assembly comprising an elongate portal shaft and an elongated protective shield, wherein an interior portion of the elongated protective shield is positioned inside a portal of the elongate portal shaft and an exterior portion of the elongated protective shield is positioned outside the portal of the elongate portal shaft, and wherein the interior portion of the elongated protective shield abuts against an interior surface of the elongate portal shaft;
- viewing a nerve root, blood vessel, or tissue through the portal;
- rotating the shield assembly, wherein the elongated protective shield cannot rotate relative to the elongate portal shaft;
- positioning a distal end of the elongated protective shield between the nerve root, blood vessel, or tissue and the portal;
- locking in place the elongated protective shield to a surgical table after positioning the distal end of the elongated protective shield;
- and
- withdrawing the elongate portal shaft from the elongated protective shield while the elongated protective shield remains locked in place.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.