Iontophoretic and electroosmotic disc treatment
AssigneeRainbow Medical Ltd.
InventorYossi Gross
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Abstract
Apparatus (10) is provided for treating an intervertebral disc (20) of a subject. The apparatus (10) includes a first electrode (30), configured to be inserted into a nucleus pulposus (40) of the disc (20), and a second electrode (32), configured to be placed outside of the nucleus pulposus (40), in a vicinity of the nucleus pulposus (40). A control unit (34) is configured to drive a current between the first and second electrodes (30, 32), and to configure the current to electroosmotically drive fluid between inside and outside the nucleus pulposus (40). Other embodiments are also described.
Claims16
A method for treating an intervertebral disc of a subject, comprising:
- driving a current between a first site within a nucleus pulposus of the disc and a second site outside of the nucleus pulposus;
- and
- configuring the current to electroosmotically drive fluid between inside and outside the nucleus pulposus.
A method for treating an intervertebral disc, comprising:
- identifying that the disc requires treatment;
- and
- treating the disc by:
- inserting a first electrode into a nucleus pulposus of the disc,
- placing a second electrode, which is electrically coupled to the first electrode, outside of the nucleus pulposus, in a vicinity of the nucleus pulposus, and,
- electroosmotically driving a fluid between the nucleus pulposus and the outside of the nucleus pulposus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.