Endius, Inc.

Zimmer Spine, Inc.

Other

Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Aust & Taylor Medical Corporation

Timothy E Taylor

Thomas W Davison

Adam Sher

Gilbert M Aust

Christopher T Zirps

Clyde Riley

George W Maybee

Harold D Coble

William R Lacefield, Jr

Matthew Emans

J Todd Strong

Harini Dasarathy

Michael J Sillers

Elmer L Field

A cannula () receives surgical instruments () for performing a surgical procedure on a body (). The cannula () comprises a tube structure () defining a passage () through which the surgical instruments () are inserted into the body (). The tube structure () has a proximal end () and a distal end (). The tube structure () includes an expandable portion () for enabling an increase in the cross-sectional area of the passage () at the distal end (). The expandable portion () of the tube structure (), when expanded, has a conical configuration.

Cannula for receiving surgical instruments

A method of fixing vertebrae of a patient together at a surgical site includes the following steps: inserting a first cannula () into the body () of the patient; moving a first fastener () through the cannula () and securing the first fastener () through the cannula () and securing the first fastener () to a first vertebrae (or); moving a second fastener () through the cannula () and securing the second fastener () to a second vertebrae (or); moving a first fixation element () through the cannula (); and fixing the first fixation element () to the first and second fasteners ().

Method and apparatus for securing vertebrae

A method of performing a surgical procedure on a body includes providing a cannula having a tubular structure with first and second tubular portions defining first and second passages for receiving surgical instruments. The second tubular portion is inserted inside the body and the first tubular portion is inserted so that the first tubular portion extends from an exterior of the body to inside the body. The second tubular portion expands to increase the cross-sectional area of the second passage in the second tubular portion while the second tubular portion is inside the body. The cross-sectional area of the first passage in the first tubular portion is maintained. The first tubular portion has a first thickness and the second tubular portion has a second thickness different than the first thickness.

Method for performing a surgical procedure and a cannula for use in performing the surgical procedure

A surgical instrument includes a tubular stem section which extends from a handle. A tubular articulated section connects a surgical instrument with the stem section. An actuator assembly is connected with the handle and is operable to bend the articulated section to change the orientation of an instrument on an outer end portion of the articulated section relative to body tissue. The instrument on the outer end of the articulated section may be a rotatable cutting tool which is driven by a tubular drive element having a flexible section which extends through the articulated section. The articulated section is bent or flexed by a plurality of flexible elongated elements (wires). In one embodiment of the invention, a pair of elongated elements are provided to flex the articulated section in opposite directions. In another embodiment of the invention, four flexible elongated elements are provided to flex the articulated section in any one of four directions.

Surgical instrument

Methods and cannulae for providing access to a surgical location within a patient are described. A cannula () receives surgical instruments () for performing a surgical procedure on a body (). The cannula () comprises a tube structure () defining a passage () through which the surgical instruments () are inserted into the body (). The tube structure () has a proximal end () and a distal end (). The tube structure () includes an expandable portion () for enabling an increase in the cross-sectional area of the passage () at the distal end (). The expandable portion () of the tube structure (), when expanded, has a conical configuration.

Growing community of inventors

Hoover, AL, United States of America

Timothy E Taylor