System and method for cooling a spinal correction device comprising a shape memory material for corrective spinal surgery

Abstract

A device and method of correcting a spinal defect in a patient employs the use of shape memory material in a spinal correction device. The shape memory material may be transitioned between a flexible martensitic state to allow shaping of the spinal correction device and a rigid austenitic state to apply corrective forces to the spine. The shape memory material may be transitioned to the flexible martensitic by applying a coolant, such as cold gas, directly or indirectly to the shape memory material to transfer heat away from the material. The cooling device and method may allow for in-vivo shaping of the spinal correction device while inserted in the body and attached to bone anchors by cooling the spinal correction device after insertion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.