The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 06, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 24, 1997
Hugh J Sharkey, Redwood City, CA (US);
Joel Saal, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Jeffrey A Saal, Portola Valley, CA (US);
John Ashley, San Francisco, CA (US);
Oratec Interventions, Inc., , US;
Abstract
An externally guidable intervertebral disc apparatus manipulates tissue at a selected location of an intervertebral disc. The apparatus comprises a catheter having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis, the catheter having an intradiscal section at the distal end of the catheter, the intradiscal section being extendible into the disc. The intradiscal section has sufficient rigidity to be advanceable through a nucleus pulposus and around an inner wall of an annulus fibrosus under a force applied longitudinally to the proximal end, sufficient flexibility in a direction of a disc plane to be compliant with the inner wall, but insufficient penetration ability to be advanceable out through the annulus fibrosus under the force. The apparatus also has an electromagnetic energy device located at the intradiscal section. Methods of using the apparatus are also provided.