Method and apparatus for monitoring disc pressure during heat treatment of an intervertebral disc

A method of treating back or neck pain of a patient by heating an intervertebral disc, comprising the steps of:

• providing a probe having a proximal end and a distal end, said probe having a key slot defined therein, said distal end of said probe having a tip, said probe operatively coupled to a power source, a key portion connected to the probe, the key slot including at least two openings that are separated from eaeh other by a distance along the length of the probe, the at least two openings being configured to operably engage the key portion;
• providing a pressure sensor in proximity to said tip of said probe and a pressure monitoring apparatus operatively coupled to the pressure sensor via the probe;
• delivering power from said power source to said distal end of said probe, causing heating of the disc when the distal end of the probe is disposed within the disc, to relieve patient pain associated with the disc thereby;
• and
• measuring pressure of the disc at least each time said probe is moved a fixed distance each time that the key is positioned within one of the at least two openings of the key slot of the probe.

A method of treating back or neck pain of a patient by heating the interior of an intervertebral disc, comprising the steps of:

• providing:
• a probe, the probe having a proximal end and a distal end having a tip, said probe coupled to a power source;
• said probe having a key slot defined therein, a key portion connected to the probe, the key slot including at least two openings that are separated from each other by a distance along the length of the probe, the at least two openings being configured to operably engage the key portion;
• a pressure sensor at one of at said tip of said probe and in proximity to said tip of said probe;
• and
• a pressure monitoring apparatus operatively coupled to said pressure sensor via said probe;
• inserting said probe into said patient so that said tip at said distal end of said probe is positioned inside the intervertebral disc;
• delivering power via said probe to said probe tip so as to heat tissue around said probe tip when said probe tip is in the intervertebral disc so that said probe tip causes heating of the interior of the intervertebral disc to a temperature substantially above body temperature by absorption of at least a portion of said power delivered via said probe tip to the tissue of the intervertebral disc, thereby causing heating and resultant changes in the disc material and nearby neurological structures to relieve the patient's pain;
• and
• monitoring pressure of the intervertebral disc by reading output of said pressure monitoring apparatus operatively coupled to said pressure sensor at least each time said probe is moved a fixed distance each time that the key is positioned within one of the at least two openings in the key slot of said probe, and thereby quantitatively monitoring said heating process of the intervertebral disc.