Nerve surveillance cannulae systems
AssigneeNuVasive, Inc.
InventorsJames F. Marino, Corbett W. Stone, Troy K. Christopher, Jeffrey J. Blewett, Brian S. Kelleher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An expandable tip cannula system, comprising: a hollow cannula shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; and an expandable tip mounted at the distal end of the hollow cannula shaft, the expandable tip comprising a plurality of generally-triangular shaped petals held together in a radially-inwardly tapered arrangement between adjacent petals, each petal comprising a nerve sensing electrode disposed therein.
Claims23
A nerve surveillance system for detecting the presence of nerves during minimally invasive access of a surgical target site within a living body, comprising:
- a cannula having an inner lumen extending between a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end being dimensioned to be minimally invasively advanced to said surgical target site, said inner lumen being dimensioned to thereafter pass surgical instruments to said surgical target site;
- and
- at least one nerve stimulation electrode integrally associated with said cannula and located proximate said distal end thereof, said at least one nerve stimulation electrode for delivering energy during the advancement of said distal end of said cannula to said surgical target site in an amount sufficient to depolarize nerves adjacent said distal end of said cannula such that the presence of said nerves may be detected without effecting tissue ablation or cauterization.
A system for detecting the presence of nerves while minimally invasively accessing a surgical target site within a living body, comprising:
- a nerve surveillance instrument dimensioned to be minimally invasively advanced to said surgical target site, said nerve surveillance instrument having at least one nerve stimulation electrode integrally associated with said instrument and located proximate a distal end thereof, said at least one nerve stimulation electrode for delivering energy during the advancement of said instrument to said surgical target site in an amount sufficient to depolarize nerves adjacent said instrument such that the presence of said nerves may be detected without effecting tissue ablation or cauterization;
- and
- a cannula having an inner lumen with a proximal end and a distal end, said inner lumen dimensioned to be slidably received over said nerve surveillance instrument and such that, upon removal of said nerve surveillance instrument, said inner lumen may be used to pass surgical instruments to said surgical target site.
A method of minimally invasively providing a passageway to a surgical target site within a living body, comprising:
- providing a nerve surveillance instrument dimensioned to be minimally invasively advanced to said surgical target site and slideably received within a cannula, wherein said nerve surveillance instrument is equipped with at least one nerve stimulation electrode disposed proximate a distal end thereof, and wherein said cannula has an inner lumen dimensioned to pass surgical instruments therethrough;
- minimally invasively advancing said nerve surveillance probe and said cannula towards said surgical target site while energizing said at least one nerve stimulation electrode in an amount sufficient to depolarize nerves adjacent said instrument such that the presence of said nerves may be detected without effecting tissue ablation or cauterization;
- and
- removing said nerve surveillance instrument from said inner lumen after said cannula has been advanced to said surgical target site.
A method of detecting the presence of nerves during minimally invasive access of a surgical target site within a living body, comprising:
- providing a cannula having an inner lumen extending between a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end being dimensioned to be minimally invasively advanced to said surgical target site, said inner lumen being dimensioned to pass surgical instruments therethrough;
- providing at least one nerve stimulation electrode integrally associated with said cannula and located proximate said distal end thereof;
- and
- minimally invasively advancing said distal end of said cannula to said surgical target site while delivering energy through said at least one nerve stimulation electrode in an amount sufficient to depolarize nerves adjacent said distal end of said cannula such that the presence of said nerves may be detected without effecting tissue ablation or cauterization.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.