Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080228032 | CARDIAC VISUALIZATION DEVICES AND METHODS - Devices and methods for facilitating transvascular, minimally invasive and other “less invasive” surgical procedures generally include a sheath with an expandable balloon at the distal end, an inflation lumen for expanding the balloon, and a device passage lumen for allowing passage of one or more surgical instruments. The sheath is configured to house at least one visualization device such that an optical element of the device is positioned to view the surgical site. In some embodiments, instruments may be passed through the sheath, with the distal balloon partially or fully circumscribing or encircling the instruments. Any suitable instrument(s) may be passed through sheaths of the invention, such as a surgical clip applier for repairing a heart valve, an ablation member for treating atrial fibrillation, one or more pacemaker leads, a coronary sinus access device or the like. | 09-18-2008 |
20080234704 | DELIVERY DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HEART VALVE REPAIR - Devices, systems and methods facilitate positioning of a cardiac valve annulus treatment device, thus enhancing treatment of the annulus. Methods generally involve advancing an anchor delivery device through vasculature of the patient to a location in the heart for treating the valve annulus, contacting the anchor delivery device with a length of the valve annulus, delivering a plurality of coupled anchors from the anchor delivery device to secure the anchors to the annulus, and drawing the anchors together to circumferentially tighten the valve annulus. Devices generally include an elongate catheter having at least one tensioning member and at least one tensioning actuator for deforming a distal portion of the catheter to help it conform to a valve annulus. The catheter device may be used to navigate a subannular space below a mitral valve to facilitate positioning of an anchor delivery device. | 09-25-2008 |
20080234728 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HEART VALVE REPAIR - Devices and methods provide enhanced treatment of a cardiac valve annulus. Methods generally involve contacting an anchor delivery device with the valve annulus and releasing a plurality of coupled anchors from the anchor delivery device to secure the anchors to the annulus. Anchors, which in some embodiments are super-elastic or shape memory self-securing anchors, are then drawn together to tighten the annulus. Devices generally include an elongate catheter having a housing at or near the distal end for releasably housing a plurality of coupled anchors. The housing may be flexible, may conform to a valve annulus, and in some embodiments may be coupled with an expandable member to enhance contact of the housing with annular tissue. In one embodiment, self-securing anchors lie approximately flat within the delivery device housing, allowing anchors with relatively large deployed shapes to be housed in and deployed from a relatively narrow delivery device. | 09-25-2008 |
20080243150 | DELIVERY DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HEART VALVE REPAIR - Devices, systems and methods facilitate positioning of a cardiac valve annulus treatment device, thus enhancing treatment of the annulus. Methods generally involve advancing an anchor delivery device through vasculature of the patient to a location in the heart for treating the valve annulus, contacting the anchor delivery device with a length of the valve annulus, delivering a plurality of coupled anchors from the anchor delivery device to secure the anchors to the annulus, and drawing the anchors together to circumferentially tighten the valve annulus. Devices generally include an elongate catheter having at least one tensioning member and at least one tensioning actuator for deforming a distal portion of the catheter to help it conform to a valve annulus. The catheter device may be used to navigate a subannular space below a mitral valve to facilitate positioning of an anchor delivery device. | 10-02-2008 |
20080294177 | METHODS AND DEVICES FOR TERMINATION - Devices and methods used in termination of a tissue tightening procedure are described. Termination includes the cinching of a tether to tighten the tissue, locking the tether to maintain tension, and cutting excess tether. In procedures involving anchors secured to the tissue, the tether is coupled to the anchors and the tissue is tightened via tension applied to the anchors by cinching the tether. In general, the devices and methods can be used in minimally invasive surgical procedures, and can be applied through small incisions or intravascularly. A method for tightening tissue by fixedly coupling a first anchor to a tether and slidably coupling a second anchor to the tether, securing both anchors to the tissue, applying tension to the tether intravascularly, fixedly coupling the tether to the second anchor, and cutting the tether is described. The tissue to be tightened can comprise heart tissue, in particular heart valve annulus tissue. Various devices and methods for locking the tether in place and cutting excess tether are described. | 11-27-2008 |
20090043380 | Coatings for promoting endothelization of medical devices - A unique method and coatings are provided for promoting tissue encapsulation of medical devices, especially before antiproliferative drug therapy within a body of a patient in order to prevent excessive restenosis and while avoiding thrombosis (including late stage/stent thrombosis). The method involves delaying the activation of restenosis suppressing (i.e. antiproliferative) drugs in the vicinity of the medical device until a thin layer of geometrically streamlined tissue has deposited itself upon the device. Coatings of one or more layer that provide an aligned scaffolding (i.e. via aligned fibers or aligned grooves) may be used in the method to encourage tissue deposition and/or to delay elution of drug(s) stored beneath or within. The delay phase prior to degradation, erosion, and/or absorption of the coating to release an active drug should last until an optimal amount of controlled restenosis has provided a thin endothelial layer to encapsulate the device. | 02-12-2009 |
20100049213 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR TERMINATION - Devices and methods for locking and/or cutting tethers during a tissue modification procedure are described. In some variations, a tether may be used to tighten or compress tissue by bringing two pieces or sections of the tissue together. The tether, which may be under tension, may be locked to maintain the tension, and excess tether may be severed, using one or more of the devices and/or methods. The devices and/or methods may be used, for example, in minimally invasive procedures. | 02-25-2010 |
20100049225 | Atherectomy devices and methods - The devices and methods generally relate to treatment of occluded body lumens. In particular, the present devices and method relate to removal of the occluding material from the blood vessels as well as other body lumens. | 02-25-2010 |
20100082098 | DELIVERY DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HEART VALVE REPAIR - Devices, systems and methods facilitate positioning of a cardiac valve annulus treatment device, thus enhancing treatment of the annulus. Methods generally involve advancing an anchor delivery device through vasculature of the patient to a location in the heart for treating the valve annulus, contacting the anchor delivery device with a length of the valve annulus, delivering a plurality of coupled anchors from the anchor delivery device to secure the anchors to the annulus, and drawing the anchors together to circumferentially tighten the valve annulus. Devices generally include an elongate catheter having at least one tensioning member and at least one tensioning actuator for deforming a distal portion of the catheter to help it conform to a valve annulus. The catheter device may be used to navigate a subannular space below a mitral valve to facilitate positioning of an anchor delivery device. | 04-01-2010 |
20100094314 | TETHER TENSIONING DEVICES AND RELATED METHODS - Devices, methods, and kits for tensioning tethers during a tissue modification procedure are described. In some variations, a tether coupled to anchors embedded in tissue may be tensioned to provide a cinching effect that tightens or compresses the tissue by bringing two pieces or sections of the tissue together. In certain variations, the tether may then be locked (e.g., to maintain the tension), and/or excess tether may be severed. The devices, methods, and/or kits may be used, for example, in minimally invasive procedures. | 04-15-2010 |
20100198056 | Diagnostic catheters, guide catheters, visualization devices and chord manipulation devices, and related kits and methods - Described herein are devices, methods and kits for assessing and/or enhancing the accessibility of a subvalvular space of a heart, accessing the subvalvular space of the heart (e.g., to provide access for one or more other devices), and/or positioning one or more devices in the subvalvular space of the heart. The devices described herein may, for example, comprise catheters that may be used to manipulate one or more chordae tendineae, diagnostic catheters having different sizes and/or shapes (e.g., different curvatures), guide catheters having different sizes and/or shapes (e.g., different curvatures), and visualization catheters. In some variations, the devices, methods, and/or kits may be used to visualize a target site, such as a subannular groove of a heart valve. In certain variations, the devices, methods, and/or kits may be used to manipulate chordae tendineae to provide additional space in a ventricle of a heart (e.g., enhancing the accessibility of the ventricle). | 08-05-2010 |
20110172754 | DELIVERY DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HEART VALVE REPAIR - Devices, systems and methods facilitate positioning of a cardiac valve annulus treatment device, thus enhancing treatment of the annulus. Methods generally involve advancing an anchor delivery device through vasculature of the patient to a location in the heart for treating the valve annulus, contacting the anchor delivery device with a length of the valve annulus, delivering a plurality of coupled anchors from the anchor delivery device to secure the anchors to the annulus, and drawing the anchors together to circumferentially tighten the valve annulus. Devices generally include an elongate catheter having at least one tensioning member and at least one tensioning actuator for deforming a distal portion of the catheter to help it conform to a valve annulus. The catheter device may be used to navigate a subannular space below a mitral valve to facilitate positioning of an anchor delivery device. | 07-14-2011 |
20110270289 | ATHERECTOMY DEVICES AND METHODS - The devices and methods generally relate to treatment of occluded body lumens. In particular, the present devices and method relate to removal of the occluding material from the blood vessels as well as other body lumens. | 11-03-2011 |
20110301626 | ATHERECTOMY DEVICES AND METHODS - The devices and methods generally relate to treatment of occluded body lumens. In particular, the present devices and method relate to removal of the occluding material from the blood vessels as well as other body lumens. | 12-08-2011 |
20120209273 | TISSUE REMOVAL SYSTEM WITH RETENTION MECHANISM - Systems and methods for minimally invasive discectomy procedures are described herein. In some variations, a tissue removal system may comprise a handheld housing, an outer shaft comprising a distal portion and a proximal portion coupled to the handheld housing, a distal sheath coupled to the distal portion of the outer shaft, a motor, an inner shaft coupled to the motor, where the inner shaft is located partially within the outer shaft and partially within the distal sheath, a tip portion coupled to a distal portion of the inner shaft, and an elongate member distally extending through a distal opening of the inner shaft, the elongate member having a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, where the distal sheath comprises at least one element (e.g. at least one protrusion) that engages the tip portion to couple the tip portion to the distal sheath. | 08-16-2012 |
20120271331 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ANCHORING TISSUE - Anchors, anchoring systems, anchor delivery devices, and method of using anchors are described. An anchor may be a flexible anchor having two curved legs that cross in a single turning direction to form a loop, wherein the legs are adapted to penetrate tissue. The ends of the curved legs may be blunt or sharp. The anchor can assume different configurations such as a deployed configuration and a delivery configuration, and the anchor may switch between these different configurations. In operation, the anchor may be inserted into tissue by releasing the anchor from a delivery configuration so that the anchor self-expands into the deployed configuration, so that the legs of the anchor may penetrate the tissue in a curved pathway. | 10-25-2012 |
20130072936 | ANGLED GRINDER - A tissue removal system comprises a rotatable burr element located within a distal housing and a burr opening. The burr opening is located about a distal surface and side surface of the distal housing. The distal housing is configured to bend or pivot with respect to a proximal housing. The proximal housing comprises an auger hole configured to draw fluid and particulate matter for transport proximally along the length of the tissue removal system. A linkage assembly attaches a drive shaft of the tissue removal assembly to the rotatable burr element to permit rotation of the rotatable burr element when the distal housing is bent or pivoted. | 03-21-2013 |
20130090674 | ATHERECTOMY DEVICES AND METHODS - The devices and methods generally relate to treatment of occluded body lumens. In particular, the present devices and method relate to removal of the occluding material from the blood vessels as well as other body lumens. | 04-11-2013 |
20130103062 | ATHERECTOMY DEVICES AND METHODS - The devices and methods generally relate to treatment of occluded body lumens. In particular, the present devices and method relate to removal of the occluding material from the blood vessels as well as other body lumens. | 04-25-2013 |
20130103063 | DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING ATHERECTOMY INCLUDING DELIVERY OF A BIOACTIVE MATERIAL - Devices, systems, and methods are employed to perform an atherectomy in an identified region to restore patency to arterial lesions. A bioactive material is introduced into the identified region before, after or during performing the atherectomy. The bioactive material can be introduced, e.g., on a balloon coated with the bioactive material, which is expanded in contact with the identified region to deliver the bioactive material. The bioactive material can be, e.g., at least one of a restenosis-inhibiting agent, a thrombus-inhibiting agent, and an anti-inflammatory agent. | 04-25-2013 |
20130144292 | SAFE CUTTING HEADS AND SYSTEMS FOR FAST REMOVAL OF A TARGET TISSUE - A safe and efficient cutting heads for removing a target tissue from a subject during a surgical procedure are provided, the cutting heads composing a part of systems that address several problems, including clogging of state-of-the-art systems during removal of such tissue, for example. The target tissue can include any tissue that is accessible through a small surgical opening, for example, a joint tissue such as a meniscus or an intervertebral tissue, such as a nucleus pulposus. The devices can be referred to as orthopedic tissue removal devices having cutting heads associated with vacuum systems, making the systems useful in several procedures, including X-LIF (lateral approach to an intervertebral fusions) procedures, T-LIF (transforaminal approach to intervertebral fusions) procedures, P-LIF (posterior approach to intervertebral fusions), and a percutaneous, transforaminal approach (Kambin triangle access). | 06-06-2013 |
20130144295 | SINGLE-UNIT CUTTING HEAD SYSTEMS FOR SAFE REMOVAL OF NUCLEUS PULPOSIS TISSUE - Single-unit cutting head systems for safe removal of nucleus pulposis tissue are provided. The cutting heads compose a part of the systems that are provided to address several problems, including clogging of state-of-the-art systems during removal of such tissue, for example. The target tissue can include any tissue that is accessible through a small surgical opening, for example, a joint tissue such as a meniscus or an intervertebral tissue, such as a nucleus pulposus. The devices can be referred to as orthopedic tissue removal devices having cutting heads associated with vacuum systems, making the systems useful in several procedures, including X-LIF (lateral approach to an intervertebral fusions) procedures, T-LIF (transforaminal approach to intervertebral fusions) procedures, P-LIF (posterior approach to intervertebral fusions), and a percutaneous, transforaminal approach (Kambin triangle access). | 06-06-2013 |
20130144320 | DISCECTOMY KITS WITH AN OBTURATOR, GUARD CANNULA - Discectomy kits with obturator, guard cannulas are provided. The kits have a safe and efficient cutting heads for removing a target tissue from a subject during a surgical procedure are provided, the cutting heads composing a part of systems that address several problems, including clogging of state-of-the-art systems during removal of such tissue, for example. The target tissue can include any tissue that is accessible through a small surgical opening, for example, a joint tissue such as a meniscus or an intervertebral tissue, such as a nucleus pulposus. The devices can be referred to as orthopedic tissue removal devices having cutting heads associated with vacuum systems, making the systems useful in several procedures, including X-LIF (lateral approach to an intervertebral fusions) procedures, T-LIF (transforaminal approach to intervertebral fusions) procedures, P-LIF (posterior approach to intervertebral fusions), and a percutaneous, transforaminal approach (Kambin triangle access). | 06-06-2013 |
20130231534 | FLOATING, MULTI-LUMEN-CATHETER RETRACTOR SYSTEM FOR A MINIMALLY-INVASIVE, OPERATIVE GASTROINTESTINAL TREATMENT - Improved methods and devices for performing an endoscopic surgery are provided. Systems are taught for operatively treating gastrointestinal disorders endoscopically in a stable, yet dynamic operative environment, and in a minimally-invasive manner. Such systems include, for example, an endoscopic surgical suite. The surgical suite can have a reversibly-expandable retractor that expands to provide a stable, operative environment within a subject. The expansion can be asymmetric around a stabilizer subsystem to maximize space for a tool and an endoscope to each be maneuvered independently to visualize a target tissue and treat the target tissue from outside the patient in a minimally invasive manner. | 09-05-2013 |
20130274553 | MULTI-LUMEN-CATHETER RETRACTOR SYSTEM FOR A MINIMALLY-INVASIVE, OPERATIVE GASTROINTESTINAL TREATMENT - Improved methods and devices for performing an endoscopic surgery are provided. Systems are taught for operatively treating gastrointestinal disorders endoscopically in a stable, yet dynamic operative environment, and in a minimally-invasive manner. Such systems include, for example, an endoscopic surgical suite. The surgical suite can have a reversibly-expandable retractor that expands to provide a stable, operative environment within a subject. The expansion can be asymmetric around a stabilizer subsystem to maximize space for a tool and an endoscope to each be maneuvered independently to visualize a target tissue and treat the target tissue from outside the patient in a minimally invasive manner. | 10-17-2013 |
20130304093 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR TERMINATION - Devices and methods for locking and/or cutting tethers during a tissue modification procedure are described. In some variations, a tether may be used to tighten or compress tissue by bringing two pieces or sections of the tissue together. The tether, which may be under tension, may be locked to maintain the tension, and excess tether may be severed, using one or more of the devices and/or methods. The devices and/or methods may be used, for example, in minimally invasive procedures. | 11-14-2013 |
20130345511 | FLOATING, MULTI-LUMEN-CATHETER RETRACTOR SYSTEM FOR A MINIMALLY-INVASIVE, OPERATIVE GASTROINTESTINAL TREATMENT - Improved methods and devices for performing an endoscopic surgery are provided. Systems are taught for operatively treating gastrointestinal disorders endoscopically in a stable, yet dynamic operative environment, and in a minimally-invasive manner. Such systems include, for example, an endoscopic surgical suite. The surgical suite can have a reversibly-expandable retractor that expands to provide a stable, operative environment within a subject. The expansion can be asymmetric around a stabilizer subsystem to maximize space for a tool and an endoscope to each be maneuvered independently to visualize a target tissue and treat the target tissue from outside the patient in a minimally invasive manner. | 12-26-2013 |
20130345519 | FLOATING, MULTI-LUMEN-CATHETER RETRACTOR SYSTEM FOR A MINIMALLY-INVASIVE, OPERATIVE GASTROINTESTINAL TREATMENT - Improved methods and devices for performing an endoscopic surgery are provided. Systems are taught for operatively treating gastrointestinal disorders endoscopically in a stable, yet dynamic operative environment, and in a minimally-invasive manner. Such systems include, for example, an endoscopic surgical suite. The surgical suite can have a reversibly-expandable retractor that expands to provide a stable, operative environment within a subject. The expansion can be asymmetric around a stabilizer subsystem to maximize space for a tool and an endoscope to each be maneuvered independently to visualize a target tissue and treat the target tissue from outside the patient in a minimally invasive manner. | 12-26-2013 |
20140039625 | A MINIMALLY-INVASIVE, LATEROVERTICALLY EXPANDING, INTERVERTEBRAL DISC SCAFFOLDING - A laterovertically expandable scaffolding is provided for supporting an intervertebral disc space using a minimally invasive procedure. The scaffolding can be configured to provide a low-profile entry in a collapsed configuration through the single point of entry through the annulus. The expanding including laterally expanding at least a portion of a first support and at least a portion of a second support away from each other; and, vertically expanding at least a portion of the first support or at least a portion of the second support for a distraction of the intervertebral space. The lateral movement can include a rotation at a point of intersection between the first support and the second support, the intersection being biased anteriorly in the intevertebral space to facilitate the adding of the grafting material. | 02-06-2014 |
20140107680 | ATHERECTOMY DEVICES AND METHODS - The devices and methods generally relate to treatment of occluded body lumens. In particular, the present devices and method relate to removal of the occluding material from the blood vessels as well as other body lumens. | 04-17-2014 |
20140142393 | MULTI-LUMEN-CATHETER RETRACTOR SYSTEM FOR A MINIMALLY-INVASIVE, OPERATIVE GASTROINTESTINAL TREATMENT - A system for performing minimally invasive procedures in a body lumen of a patient including a flexible catheter having a first lumen configured and dimensioned to receive an endoscope therethrough and a second lumen configured and dimensioned to receive a first flexible tube therethrough. The first flexible tube is movable through the second lumen and has a distal portion including a first curve extending in a first direction with respect to the longitudinal axis and a second curve extending in a second different direction with respect to the longitudinal axis. A retractor system is positioned at a distal portion of the catheter and is movable from a non-expanded insertion position to an expanded position forming an expanded cage to form a larger working space. The distal portion of the first flexible tube is movable within the expanded cage. | 05-22-2014 |
20140155695 | CANNULOTOME - Systems and methods for treating spinal stenosis include endoscopic access devices and bone removal devices used to perform a foraminotomy or other bone removal procedures. A bone removal device includes a cannulotome with an endoscopic imaging lumen. Optionally, an endoscope retaining device can be used to facilitate advancement of the endoscope through the cannulotome. | 06-05-2014 |
20140172106 | INTERVERTEBRAL SCAFFOLDING SYSTEM - An intervertebral scaffolding system is provided having a central beam having a proximal portion having an end, a grafting portion having a top and a bottom, a distal portion having a end, a central beam axis, a graft distribution channel having an entry port at the end of the proximal portion, a top exit port at the top of the grafting portion, and a bottom exit port at the bottom of the grafting portion. These systems can also include a laterovertically-expanding frame operable for a reversible collapse from an expanded state into a collapsed state. The expanded state, for example, can be configured to have an open graft distribution window that at least substantially closes upon the reversible collapse. | 06-19-2014 |
20140194976 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HEART VALVE REPAIR - Devices and methods provide enhanced treatment of a cardiac valve annulus. Methods generally involve contacting an anchor delivery device with the valve annulus and releasing a plurality of coupled anchors from the anchor delivery device to secure the anchors to the annulus. Anchors, which in some embodiments are super-elastic or shape memory self-securing anchors, are then drawn together to tighten the annulus. Devices generally include an elongate catheter having a housing at or near the distal end for releasably housing a plurality of coupled anchors. The housing may be flexible, may conform to a valve annulus, and in some embodiments may be coupled with an expandable member to enhance contact of the housing with annular tissue. In one embodiment, self-securing anchors lie approximately flat within the delivery device housing, allowing anchors with relatively large deployed shapes to be housed in and deployed from a relatively narrow delivery device. | 07-10-2014 |
20140249554 | ATHERECTOMY DEVICES AND METHODS - The devices and methods generally relate to treatment of occluded body lumens. In particular, the present devices and method relate to removal of the occluding material from the blood vessels as well as other body lumens. | 09-04-2014 |
20140358170 | TISSUE REMOVAL SYSTEMS WITH ARTICULATING CUTTING HEADS - Articulating, safe and efficient cutting heads for removing a target tissue from a subject during a surgical procedure are provided, the cutting heads composing a part of systems that address several problems, including clogging of state-of-the-art systems during removal of such tissue, for example. The target tissue can include any tissue that is accessible through a small surgical opening, for example, a joint tissue such as a meniscus or an intervertebral tissue, such as a nucleus pulposus. The devices can be referred to as orthopedic tissue removal devices having cutting heads associated with vacuum systems, making the systems useful in several procedures, including X-LIF (lateral approach to an intervertebral fusions) procedures, T-LIF (transforaminal approach to intervertebral fusions) procedures, P-LIF (posterior approach to intervertebral fusions), and a percutaneous, transforaminal approach (Kambin triangle access). | 12-04-2014 |
20150025314 | ENDOLUMINAL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GASTROINTESTINAL TREATMENT - Improved methods and devices for performing an endoscopic surgery are provided. Systems are taught for operatively treating gastrointestinal disorders endoscopically in a stable, yet dynamic operative environment, and in a minimally-invasive manner. Such systems include, for example, an endoscopic surgical suite. The surgical suite can have a reversibly-expandable retractor that expands to provide a stable, operative environment within a subject. The expansion can be asymmetric around a stabilizer subsystem to maximize space for a tool and an endoscope to each be maneuvered independently to visualize a target tissue and treat the target tissue from outside the patient in a minimally invasive manner. | 01-22-2015 |
20150073552 | STAGED, BILATERALLY EXPANDABLE TRIAL - Systems and methods for distracting an intervertebral disc space are provided. The systems use a staged, bilaterally expandable trial. The systems and methods of distracting an intervertebral space are provided in a manner that addresses the problem of subsidence. The method includes inserting the trial into the intervertebral space in a collapsed state and, once inserted, the trial is then used for distracting the intervertebral space using an expansion that includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage includes expanding the trial laterally toward the peripheral zones of the top vertebral plate and the bottom vertebral plate, and the second stage includes expanding the trial vertically to distract the intervertebral space. | 03-12-2015 |
20150073555 | STAGED, BILATERALLY EXPANDABLE TRIAL - Systems and methods for distracting an intervertebral disc space are provided. The systems use a staged, bilaterally expandable trial. The systems and methods of distracting an intervertebral space are provided in a manner that addresses the problem of subsidence. The method includes inserting the trial into the intervertebral space in a collapsed state and, once inserted, the trial is then used for distracting the intervertebral space using an expansion that includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage includes expanding the trial laterally toward the peripheral zones of the top vertebral plate and the bottom vertebral plate, and the second stage includes expanding the trial vertically to distract the intervertebral space. | 03-12-2015 |
20150080896 | ANTI-CLOGGING DEVICE FOR A VACUUM-ASSISTED, TISSUE REMOVAL SYSTEM - An anti-clogging device for a vacuum-assisted tissue removal system is provided. The device includes a tissue-separation chamber in a close proximity to (i) a cutting head operated by a physician and (ii) the physician for a filling and emptying by the physician during a tissue removal procedure, the cutting head and the tissue separation chamber in an operable communications with the suction assembly. The tissue separation chamber has an entry port in an operable communication with the cutting head for the entry of an excised tissue into the chamber, the excised tissue having a solid component and a liquid component; a baffle to separate the liquid component from the solid component; and, an exit port for the exit of liquid component out of the chamber. The tissue can include any tissue accessible through a small surgical opening, such as a nucleus pulposus tissue removed during a discectomy procedure. | 03-19-2015 |