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US 2012/0239046 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for distracting a joint
AssigneePivot Medical, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Kaiser, Paritosh Ambekar, Ed Carcamo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A joint-spacing balloon catheter comprising: a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end; first and second balloons mounted to the distal end of the shaft, the first balloon being disposed distal to, and spaced from, the second balloon, with the portion of the shaft between the first and second balloons being flexible; and a handle attached to the proximal end of the shaft.
Claims30
A method for creating space in a joint formed at the convergence of two bones, the method comprising:
- applying force to a body part so as to separate the two bones from one another by a distance which is greater than the distance that they are normally separated from one another when the joint is in a healthy state, whereby to distract the joint and create an intra joint space;
- inserting at least one balloon into the intra joint space while the at least one balloon is in a contracted condition;
- expanding the at least one balloon within the intra joint space;
- and
- reducing the force applied to the body part so that the joint is supported on the at least one balloon, with the two bones remaining separated from one another by a distance which is greater than the distance that they are normally separated from one another when the joint is in a healthy state.
2 more elements
A joint-spacing balloon catheter comprising:
- a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end;
- first and second balloons mounted to the distal end of the shaft, the first balloon being disposed distal to, and spaced from, the second balloon, with the portion of the shaft between the first and second balloons being flexible;
- and
- a handle attached to the proximal end of the shaft.
1 more element
Apparatus for maintaining space within a joint, the apparatus comprising:
- a cannula for providing a corridor to an interior space, the distal end of the cannula comprising a beveled surface;
- and
- a joint-spacing balloon catheter comprising:
- a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end;
- first and second balloons mounted to the distal end of the shaft, the first balloon being disposed distal to, and spaced from, the second balloon, with the portion of the shaft between the first and second balloons being flexible;
- and
- a handle attached to the proximal end of the shaft.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.