Patents Assigned to NuVasive
  • System and Methods for Assessing the Neuromuscular Pathway Prior to Nerve Testing
    Publication number: 20140148796
    Abstract: The present invention involves a system and methods for assessing the state of the neuromuscular pathway to ensure further nerve tests aimed at detecting at least one of a breach in a pedicle wall, nerve proximity, nerve direction, and nerve pathology, are not conducted when neuromuscular blockade levels may decrease the reliability of the results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: James Gharib, Allen Farquhar, Kelli Howell, Doug Layman, Albert Pothier
  • SURGICAL ACCESS SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20140148649
    Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley
  • SURGICAL ACCESS SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20140148650
    Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley, James E. Gharib, Allen Farquhar, Norbert F. Kaula, Jeffrey J. Blewett
  • System and methods for performing surgical procedures and assessments
    Patent number: 8738123
    Abstract: The present invention involves systems and related methods for performing surgical procedures and assessments, including the use of neurophysiology-based monitoring to: (a) determine nerve proximity and nerve direction to surgical instruments employed in accessing a surgical target site; (b) assess the pathology (health or status) of a nerve or nerve root before, during, or after a surgical procedure; and/or (c) assess pedicle integrity before, during or after pedicle screw placement, all in an automated, easy to use, and easy to interpret fashion so as to provide a surgeon-driven system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: James Gharib, Allen Farquhar, Norbert F. Kaula, Jeffrey J. Blewett, Eric Finley, Scot Martinelli
  • Systems, Devices, and Methods for Designing and Forming a Surgical Implant
    Publication number: 20140137618
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining the shape of a surgical linking device that is to be attached to a bony body structure such as the spinal column based on digitized locations of a plurality of attachment elements engaged to the bony structure. The method is implemented by a computer system through a GUI to generate an initial bend curve to mate with the plurality of attachment elements. The initial bend curve may be simplified based on user input to the GUI to reduce the number of bends necessary to produce a well-fitting linking device and may be altered to help obtain the goals of surgery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Isaacs
  • Spinal fusion cage with removable planar elements
    Patent number: 8715355
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an intervertebral fusion cage that is equipped with generally planar elements disposed on at least one of the top, bottom or lateral wall of a fusion cage, such planar elements reversibly covering at least one opening to prevent leakage of fusion promoting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Kleiner
  • Surgical access system and related methods
    Patent number: 8708899
    Abstract: A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley, James Gharib, Allen Farquhar
  • Surgical access system and related methods
    Patent number: 8696559
    Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley, James Gharib, Allen Farquhar, Norbert F. Kaula, Jeffrey J. Blewett
  • Systems and methods for spinal fusion
    Patent number: 8685105
    Abstract: A system and method for spinal fusion comprising a spinal fusion implant of non-bone construction releasably coupled to an insertion instrument dimensioned to introduce the spinal fusion implant into any of a variety of spinal target sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Curran, Mark Peterson, Luiz Pimenta
  • Surgical access system and related methods
    Patent number: 8679006
    Abstract: A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley, James Gharib, Allen Farquhar, Norbert F. Kaula, Jeffrey J. Blewett
  • System and methods for spinal fusion
    Patent number: 8673005
    Abstract: A system and method for spinal fusion comprising a spinal fusion implant of non-bone construction releasably coupled to an insertion instrument dimensioned to introduce the spinal fusion implant into any of a variety of spinal target sites, in particular into the thoracic region of the spine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Luiz Pimenta, Jared Arambula, Benjamin VerHage, Troy Woolley, Patrick Miles
  • Surgical access system and related methods
    Patent number: 8672840
    Abstract: A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley, James Gharib, Allen Farquhar, Norbert Kaula, Goretti Medeiros
  • Surgical access system and related methods
    Patent number: 8663100
    Abstract: A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley, James E. Gharib, Allen Farquhar, Norbert F. Kaula, Jeffrey J. Blewett
  • Surgical Access System and Related Methods
    Publication number: 20140058206
    Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site. Some embodiments of the surgical access system may be particularly suited for establishing an operative corridor to a surgical target site in the spine. Such an operative corridor may be established through the retroperitoneal space and the psoas muscle during a direct lateral, retroperitoneal approach to the spine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Luiz Pimenta, Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley
  • Systems and Methods for Spinal Fusion
    Publication number: 20140052263
    Abstract: A system and method for spinal fusion comprising a spinal fusion implant of non-bone construction releasably coupled to an insertion instrument dimensioned to introduce the spinal fusion implant into any of a variety of spinal target sites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Curran, Mark Peterson, Luiz Pimenta
  • Systems and methods for treating spinal deformities
    Patent number: 8652177
    Abstract: Systems and methods of treating spinal deformity, including one or more intervertebral implants to be introduced laterally into respective intervertebral spaces, a plurality of bone screws introduced generally laterally into vertebral bodies adjacent to the intervertebral implants and/or the intervertebral implants themselves, and a cable dimensioned to be coupled to the bone screws and manipulated to adjust and/or correct the spinal deformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: G. Bryan Cornwall, Jonathan Spangler
  • SURGICAL ACCESS SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20140039269
    Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley
  • Electromyography system
    Patent number: 8641638
    Abstract: Methods for determining structural integrity of a bone within the spine of a patient, the bone having a first aspect and a second aspect, wherein the second aspect separated from the first aspect by a width and located adjacent to a spinal nerve. The methods involve (a) applying an electrical stimulus to the first aspect of the bone; (b) electrically monitoring a muscle myotome associated with the spinal nerve to detect if an onset neuro-muscular response occurs in response to the application of the electrical stimulus to the first aspect of the bone; (c) automatically increasing the magnitude of the electrical stimulus to until the onset neuro-muscular response is detected; and (d) communicating to a user via at least one of visual and audible means information representing the magnitude of the electrical stimulus which caused the onset neuro-muscular response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian S. Kelleher, James F. Marino, Corbett W. Stone, Robin H. Vaughn, Jeffrey H. Owens
  • Surgical Access and Nerve Surveillance
    Publication number: 20140024963
    Abstract: An expandable tip cannula system, comprising: a hollow cannula shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; and an expandable tip mounted at the distal end of the hollow cannula shaft, the expandable tip comprising a plurality of generally-triangular shaped petals held together in a radially-inwardly tapered arrangement between adjacent petals, each petal comprising a nerve sensing electrode disposed therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: James F. Marino, Corbett W. Stone, Troy K. Christopher, Jeffrey J. Blewett, Brian S. Kelleher
  • System and methods for determining nerve proximity, direction, and pathology during surgery
    Patent number: 8634904
    Abstract: The present invention involves systems and methods for determining nerve proximity, nerve direction, and pathology relative to a surgical instrument based on an identified relationship between neuromuscular responses and the stimulation signal that caused the neuromuscular responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: NuVasive, Inc.
    Inventors: Norbert F. Kaula, James Gharib, Allen Farquhar, Goretti Medeiros