Patent US20030195549A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US20030195549A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Cannula for receiving surgical instruments
Assignee: Zimmer Spine Inc
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Filing: 2003-05-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2023-05-16
Abstract
Abstract A cannula ( 10 ) receives surgical instruments ( 120 ) for performing a surgical procedure on a body ( 130 ). The cannula ( 10 ) comprises a tube structure ( 12 ) defining a passage ( 16 ) through which the surgical instruments ( 120 ) are inserted into the body ( 130 ). The tube structure ( 12 ) has a proximal end ( 20 ) and a distal end ( 62 ). The tube structure ( 12 ) includes an expandable portion ( 40 ) for enabling an increase in the cross-sectional area of the passage ( 16 ) at the distal end ( 62 ). The expandable portion ( 40 ) of the tube structure ( 12 ), when expanded, has a conical configuration.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Davison
- 👤 Timothy Taylor
- 👤 Adam Sher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 09:19
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/3417; A61B17/3421; A61B17/02; A61B17/0218; A61B17/16; A61B17/17; A61B17/1739; A61B17/1757; A61B17/32; A61B17/320016; A61B17/32002; A61B17/3439; A61B17/0293; A61B17/1735; A61B17/28; A61B17/2812; A61B17/282; A61B17/29; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00261; A61B2017/0046
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
1 . A system for providing minimally invasive access to the spine of a patient, said system comprising: an elongate body having a distal end, a proximal end, an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface defining a passage extending through the elongate body through which instruments can be inserted to the surgical location; and an expander configured to be inserted into the passage and to engage the inner surface to cause opposing portions of the distal end of the elongate body to be moved transversely to increase access to the surgical location.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
1 . A system for providing minimally invasive access to the spine of a patient, said system comprising: an elongate body having a distal end, a proximal end, an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface defining a passage extending through the elongate body through which instruments can be inserted to the surgical location; and an expander configured to be inserted into the passage and to engage the inner surface to cause opposing portions of the distal end of the elongate body to be moved transversely to increase access to the surgical location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the expander is configured to engage the inner surface to move the elongate body such that the cross-sectional area of the passage at a first location is greater than the cross-sectional area of said passage at a second location, wherein the first location is distal to the second location.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the elongate body comprises rigid material extending around substantially the entire perimeter of the cross-sectional area between the first and second locations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface defining the passage is made of a smooth metal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the passage is sized to receive at least two instruments simultaneously.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the expander comprises a pair of legs pivotally connected to one another.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the elongate body includes an area overlap between the inner surface and outer surface, and wherein actuating the expander reduces the area of overlap.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the elongate body includes two portions capable of pivoting relative to each other, and wherein actuating the expander causes the two portions to pivot relative to each other.
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