US 5,472,426 AGranted

Cervical discectomy instruments

AssigneeB.E.I. Medical

InventorsAlfred O. Bonati, Philip J. Ware

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Abstract

Arthroscopic cervical discectomy instruments include a push knob for a guide wire, a pair of telescopically mounted dilator tubes, one of which includes a water port so that the tube provides the additional function of an irrigation tube, a ligament cutter, a continuous suction punch, a cervical osteotone, a cervical cureet, a nucleus extractor and a cureet nucleus extractor. The dilator tubes, the ligament cutter, and the continuous suction punch are all centrally bored to receive the guide wire. All of the instruments are of arthroscopic proportions and each instrument, exclusive of its handle, is slideably insertable through the bore of the largest in diameter dilator tube. The largest in diameter dilator tube serves as a dilator, an irrigation tube, and as the main sheath through which the other tools are inserted. In a second embodiment, the pair of dilator tubes are replaced with a plurality of telescoping dilator tubes of progressively larger diameters and shorter lengths. The tools enable a novel dilation method and a novel surgical method.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A method of dilating an incision, comprising the steps of:

inserting a stylet having an inner bore and an outer barrel through said incision and withdrawing said inner bore;
providing a first tube of cylindrical construction having a first predetermined length and a first predetermined diameter;
providing a second tube of cylindrical construction having a second predetermined length greater than said first predetermined length and a second predetermined diameter less than said first predetermined diameter but greater than an outer diameter of said outer barrel so that said first tube telescopically receives said second tube and so that said second tube telescopically receives said outer barrel;
tapering a leading end of said second tube so that said leading end is easily slid into a ligament without imparting trauma to the ligament;
dilating an incision a first amount by inserting the tapered leading end of the second tube through said incision;
dilating said incision further by inserting the leading end of the first tube thereinto, said insertion being accomplished by sliding said first tube toward the incision over said second tube until the leading end of the first tube is flush with the leading end of the second tube, said second tube serving to guide the first tube to the incision;
and
withdrawing said second tube from the inner bore of said first tube and leaving said first tube in the incision so that subsequent surgical instruments may be introduced to a surgical site through the inner bore of said first tube.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/108,036Filed 17 Aug 1993 · continuation in part
Priority: 12 Sep 1991
Granted: 5 Dec 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

A61B 17/1604
Instruments for performing osteoclasis; Drills or chisels for bones; Trepans: chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps
A61B 17/320016
Surgical cutting instruments: endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes
A61B 17/3417
Trocars; Puncturing needles: details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating
A61B 17/2909
Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery: handles