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:
May. 11, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 06, 2001
Hugh Sharkey, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Andy Uchida, Mountain View, CA (US);
John Ashley, San Francisco, CA (US);
Oratec Interventions, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US);
Abstract
An intervertebral disc device is provided comprising a distal probe sized to be extended from a distal end of an introducer that is percutaneously delivered into an interior of an intervertebral disc, a distal section of the probe comprising a flexible neck which tapers in a proximal to distal direction, and a distal tip which is larger in cross sectional diameter than the flexible neck adjacent the distal tip, the flexible neck and distal tip serving to prevent the probe distal end from piercing an internal wall of the intervertebral disc; and a proximal handle for externally guiding the probe within an intervertebral disc.