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. 12, 2009
Filed:
Oct. 22, 2004
Robert L. Assell, Wilmington, NC (US);
Steven D. Ainsworth, Wilmington, NC (US);
Andrew H Cragg, Edina, MN (US);
Robert L. Assell, Wilmington, NC (US);
Steven D. Ainsworth, Wilmington, NC (US);
Andrew H Cragg, Edina, MN (US);
TranS1 Inc., Wilmington, NC (US);
Abstract
Surgical tools, tool sets and methods for percutaneously accessing and preparing treatment sites within the spine. A method of treating the spine, comprising the steps of percutaneously accessing an anterior target site on the surface of the sacrum, forming a lumen from the access site through the sacrum, through a disc and into at least one vertebra, advancing a fusion device comprising a distal portion, a proximal portion and an intermediate portion between the distal and proximal portion through the anterior target site on the surface of the sacrum and into the spine, rotating the distal portion of the device into a superior vertebral body and the proximal portion of the device in an inferior vertebral body to increase a distance between the superior and inferior vertebral bodies, and inserting through a percutaneous access site a posterior column fixation device into the spine.