Probes For Surgical Access System

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a probe for use in minimally invasive surgery. The probe includes a shaft and a tip extending from the shaft. The tip includes a bulbous shape with a smooth and rounded outer surface. In some embodiments, the shaft is separated from the tip by a neck such that both the shaft and the tip expand outward from a concave surface of the neck. In some embodiments, one or both of a neuromonitoring element and an ultrasound sensor are disposed on the tip. In some embodiments, a probe may include a surface feature that resists expulsion of the probe from a human body when the probe is disposed in the human body. In further embodiments, a probe may include insulated material over a first surface region and conductive material over a second surface region.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.