Treatment of spinal tissue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317997-A1
Application number	US-201815955815-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 18, 2018
Priority date	May 5, 2017
Publication date	Nov 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of treating an intervertebral disc without piercing the disc involves navigating a treatment element to the intervertebral disc and contacting the treatment element with an exterior of the intervertebral disc. The method further involves applying an energy-based treatment to the exterior of the intervertebral disc to modify a property of a target tissue of the intervertebral disc. The target tissue may be, for example, annulus fibrosus and/or nucleus pulposus tissue. The treatment element is then removed, and the property remains modified after the treatment element is removed and the target tissue heals, thereby treating the intervertebral disc.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of treating an intervertebral disc without piercing the disc, the method comprising:
navigating a treatment element to the intervertebral disc; contacting the treatment element with an exterior of the intervertebral disc; applying an energy-based treatment to the exterior of the intervertebral disc to modify a property of a target tissue of the intervertebral disc, wherein the target tissue is selected from the group consisting of annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus; and removing the treatment element, wherein the property remains modified after the treatment element is removed and the target tissue heals, thereby treating the intervertebral disc.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the property is a size of bulging tissue of the intervertebral disc.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a temperature at or near the target tissue.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising adjusting a level of energy delivered to the target tissue, based at least in part on the measured temperature.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the energy-based treatment comprises applying energy in a form selected from the group consisting of ultrasound, microwave, heat, radio frequency, electrical, light and laser.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the energy-based treatment comprises delivering radio frequency energy.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising cooling at least one of the target tissue or the exterior of the intervertebral disc at least one of before, during, or after delivering the radio frequency energy.

8 . A method of treating an intervertebral disc, the method comprising:
selecting a patient having a bulging intervertebral disc; navigating a first treatment element to the intervertebral disc; contacting the first treatment element with a first treatment site on an exterior of the intervertebral disc; navigating a second treatment element to the intervertebral disc; contacting the second treatment element with a second treatment site on the exterior of the intervertebral disc; applying an energy-based treatment through the exterior of the intervertebral disc using the first and second treatment elements to make a modification in a target tissue, wherein the target tissue is selected from the group consisting of an annulus fibrosus or a nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc, thereby treating the intervertebral disc; and removing the first and second treatment elements; wherein the modification in the target tissue remains at least partially after the first and second treatment elements are removed and the target tissue heals.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein applying the energy-based treatment comprises transmitting energy from the first treatment element to the second treatment element.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the transmitted energy is radio frequency energy.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising cooling tissue of the intervertebral disc before, during, or after applying the energy-based treatment.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the modification comprises a reduction in size of target tissue of the intervertebral disc.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the second treatment site is a contralateral side of the intervertebral disc.

Assignees

• Aerin Medical Inc

Inventors

• Dinger Fred
• Frazier Andrew

Classifications

• A61B2018/00339

  Spine, e.g. intervertebral disc · CPC title

• A61B18/14 Primary

  Probes or electrodes therefor · CPC title

• A61N1/36062

  Spinal stimulation · CPC title

• A61B18/1442 Primary

  Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps · CPC title

• A61B2018/0072

  Current · CPC title