Methods and devices for delivering therapeutic materials to the intervertebral disc

A device for delivering a therapeutic agent to a nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc, the device comprising:

• a needle;
• a probe disposed about at least a portion of the needle;
• and
• a cannula configured to slidably receive the needle, wherein the cannula has a distal end configured to penetrate through an anterior portion, a lateral portion, a posterior portion or an anterolateral portion of an annulus fibrosus and into the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc;
• wherein the needle is configured to slide in at least a portion of the cannula, and has a tip configured to contact the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc and facilitate the delivery of the therapeutic agent from the device to the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc;
• wherein the needle is transitionable between a retracted position in which a distal end of the needle entirely resides in a first channel of the probe and an extended position in which at least a portion of the distal end of the needle protrudes out from the cannula;
• wherein the probe is transitionable between a retracted position in which a distal end of the probe entirely resides in a second channel of the cannula and an extended position in which at least a portion of the distal end of the probe protrudes out from the cannula;
• and
• wherein the probe and the needle are configured to simultaneously slide within the second channel towards the distal end of the cannula such that the probe and the needle transition from the retracted positions of the needle and the probe respectively to the extended positions of the needle and the probe respectively.