RETRACTOR DEVICES FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE ACCESS TO THE SPINE
According to some embodiments, a retractor device for selectively moving (e.g., retracting) anatomical tissue of a subject during a minimally invasive procedure (e.g., accessing the lumbar or other portion of a spine during a spinal fusion procedure) comprises a main body comprising at least three sides (e.g., three, four, five sides, more than five sides, etc.). In some embodiments, the main body defines or otherwise forms a central opening, which comprises a center-point positioned along a centerline of the central opening. In some embodiments, the retractor device further comprises a plurality of movable members secured to the main body.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/666,829, filed Nov. 1, 2012, which claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/554,958, filed Nov. 2, 2011, the entireties of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUNDField
This application generally relates to spinal treatment, and more specifically, to devices and instrumentation for accessing certain portions of the spine minimally invasively, and related systems and methods.
Description of the Related Art
Intervertebral discs can degenerate or otherwise become damaged over time. In some instances, an intervertebral implant can be positioned within a space previously occupied by a disc. Such implants can help maintain a desired spacing between adjacent vertebrae and/or promote fusion between adjacent vertebrae. In order to minimally invasively access a target portion of the spine, retractors and/or other access devices can be used. Accordingly, a need exists for improved retractor devices, as well as related instrumentation, tools, systems and methods.
SUMMARYAccording to some embodiments, a retractor device for selectively moving (e.g., retracting) anatomical tissue of a subject during a minimally invasive procedure (e.g., accessing the lumbar or other portion of a spine during a spinal fusion procedure) comprises a main body comprising at least three sides (e.g., three, four, five sides, more than five sides, etc.). In some embodiments, the main body defines or otherwise forms a central opening, which comprises a center-point positioned along a centerline of the central opening. In some embodiments, the retractor device further comprises a plurality of movable members secured to the main body.
According to some embodiments, each side of the retractor device comprises a movable member. In other embodiments, the main body comprises a generally circular, oval or non-polygonal shape. In such embodiments, a plurality of movable members (e.g., two, three, four, more than four, etc.) is secured to the circular, oval or non-polygonal main body. According to some embodiments, a blade is secured to each movable member and configured to be moved together with a corresponding movable member to which the blade is secured. In some embodiments, each blade extends generally perpendicular to the main body.
In some embodiments, the blade comprises a distal end configured to extend into an anatomy of the subject. In some embodiments, each movable member is configured to move laterally relative to the main body, such that the blades secured to the movable members can be moved within the central opening defined by the main body. In some embodiments, each of the blades is configured to be selectively moved laterally past the center-point of the central opening. In one embodiment, each of the blades is configured to be selectively rotated (e.g., toe in or tow out) relative to an axis generally perpendicular to the main body. In some embodiments, the movable members are configured to be moved relative to one another so that the blades attached to said movable members generally form a cylindrical opening within the central opening defined by the main body.
According to some embodiments, the main body comprises four or more sides. In some embodiments, the main body comprises one or more of the following shapes: square, other rectangular, pentagonal, triangular, hexagonal, other polygonal, circular, oval, irregular and the like. In some embodiments, each of the blades is removably secured to a corresponding movable member. In some embodiments, at least of the blades is irremovably secured to a corresponding movable member. In some embodiments, each movable member is operatively coupled to a first controller and a second controller, wherein the first controller is configured to selectively adjust a lateral position of the movable member (e.g., to move the movable member and a blade secured thereto closer or further away from an adjacent movable member and blade). In some embodiments, the second controller is configured to selectively rotate the blade attached to the movable member (e.g., toe-in or toe-out). In some embodiments, each of the movable members and the corresponding blade secured thereto can be moved independently of one or more of the other movable members and corresponding blades.
According to some embodiments, the first controller and/or the second controller comprises a rotatable knob, a button, a lever, a release mechanism and/or the like. In one embodiment, the movable members are moved using a rack and pinion mechanism, another gear and/or mechanical system. In some embodiments, the blade comprises at least one slot, channel, recess or other receiving portion. In some embodiments, such a slot extends along at least a portion of the length of the blade (e.g., only along a portion of the blade length, along the entire or substantially along the entire blade length, etc.). In some embodiments, at least one slot of the blade is configured to slidably receive a shim, said shim being configured to generally extend a distal end of said blade (e.g., to extend the length of the blade so as to reach a nerve or other sensitive anatomical area that can be selectively moved by the shim and blade). In some embodiments, the blade is configured to slidably receive an illumination device configured to provide light to a portion of the subject's anatomy being accessed. In some embodiments, the illumination device comprises a fiber-optic, LED and/or other light source.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present application are described with reference to drawings of certain embodiments, which are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the present disclosure. It is to be understood that these drawings are for the purpose of illustrating concepts of the present disclosure and may not be to scale.
A variety of embodiments and examples described herein illustrate various configurations that may be employed to achieve desired improvements. The particular embodiments and examples are only illustrative and not intended in any way to restrict the general nature of the inventions presented and the various aspects and features of and relating to these inventions.
With continued reference to
In some embodiments, the retractor comprises more or fewer than four movable members 2020A-2020D (e.g., two, three, five, six, more than six, etc.), as desired or required for a particular application or procedure. Accordingly, a retractor can include more or fewer than four blades 2040. In some embodiments, the blades are configured to generally form a cylinder when moved adjacent to one another. As discussed in greater detail herein (e.g., with reference to
With continued reference to the embodiment illustrated in
As best illustrated in
With continued reference to
According to some embodiments, the movable members 2020A-2020D comprise rack and pinion systems. Thus, each outer dial or knob 2028A-2028D can be mechanically coupled to a corresponding rack and pinion in order to retract the blade 2040. Further, each movable member 2020A-2020D can comprise a release 2032A-2032D, which causes the rack and pinion to temporarily disengage. Such a release allows one or more of the blades to be quickly moved to a desired lateral position. Thus, the movable members 2020A-2020D (together with the corresponding blades 2040A-2040D) can be moved toward their original position (e.g., to or near the center-point CP of the retractor 2000).
In some embodiments, the inner dials or knobs 2024A-2024D are configured to modify the pitch or angle of the corresponding blades 2040A-2040D. Thus, by rotating such a dial 2024A-2024D (e.g., in a clockwise direction), the distal free end of the corresponding blade 2040A-2040D can tilt or otherwise move relative to the proximal end (e.g., the end that is coupled to the movable member). In some embodiments, the inner dial or knob can be rotated in both directions in order to permit the distal end of the blade to be moved either away or toward the center-point CP of the retractor. In some embodiments, each blade, due in part to the ability to adjust in toe-in or toe-out orientation (e.g., using the inner dials), can be independently moved past the center-point CP (e.g., or a longitudinal axis extending through the center-point CP) of the retractor. Such a configuration can advantageously enhance the surgeon's ability to easily and robustly customize the position of the blades within a patient's anatomy. For example, one or more of the blades can include a toe-out orientation (e.g., tilted toward the center-point CP), while other blades can include a toe-in orientation (e.g., tilted away from the center-point CP). In addition, the distal end of one or more of the blades 2040 can be moved past the center-point CP, as desired or required. The ability of the blades to move past the CP of the retractor can advantageously eliminate the needs for extra instrumentation (e.g., a separate device that would otherwise be inserted within the central opening of the retractor to selectively move tissue) and/or eliminate the need for additional personnel required to perform a particular procedure.
In some embodiments, moving a movable member using the inner dial (e.g., generally along the same plane of the movable members) is referred to dragging the blade. Further, moving the distal or free end of the blade using the outer dial can be referred to as sweeping the blade. Thus, in some embodiments, the retractors disclosed herein, or equivalents thereof, are capable of dragging and/or sweeping each blade independently of one another. In addition, the retractor can be advantageously configured so that each blade can be independently swept past the center-point CP of the retractor (e.g., or the longitudinal axis positioned along the center-point CP). According to some embodiments, the blades maintain a particular tilt or angle once the inner dials have been adjusted, without the need to maintain resistance or other opposing force.
In
However, in other embodiments, a light source or illumination device can be configured to releasably secure to one or more blades or other portions of the retractor. For example, as illustrated in
As discussed above and illustrated in
In certain instances, it is desirable or necessary to effectively extend the length of one or more blades 2040 of the retractor. For example, as illustrated in
With reference to
One embodiment of how the shim or other extending portion 2070 can be used to enhance the tissue retraction capabilities of the retractor is illustrated in the time-sequential images of
According to some embodiments, for example, the shims or other extender portions can be pushed, urged or other moved toward the distal ends of the corresponding blades 2040 (e.g., until there is a positive engagement with a ratchet mechanism) using any elongated tool or member.
With continued reference to
Thus, a surgeon can selectively manipulate one more dials to precisely and easily move one or more of the blades into any one of a number of positions during a retraction procedure. For example, with the assistance of a lengthening shim or extender portion 2070 secured to one of the blades 2040, the practitioner can carefully move a nerve bundle N, muscle tissue and/or other desired anatomical area along the outside of the blade 2040 (see, e.g.,
To assist in the description of the disclosed embodiments, words such as upward, upper, bottom, downward, lower, rear, front, vertical, horizontal, upstream, downstream have been used above to describe different embodiments and/or the accompanying figures. It will be appreciated, however, that the different embodiments, whether illustrated or not, can be located and oriented in a variety of desired positions.
As discussed herein, one or more of the blades can be configured to advantageously move past the center-point CP of the retractor device (e.g., the center-point of the retractor's main opening if all blades have the same or similar lateral orientation). Thus, the blades can be used to easily and quickly access a particular portion of the spine (or other portion of the subject's anatomy) while selectively and safely moving sensitive tissues (e.g., nerves, organs, etc.) around the opening (e.g., to create a desired clearance or accessway).
With continued reference to
According to some embodiments, a generally solid alignment device can be used to generally align and orient the different blades of a retractor relative to one another.
In some embodiments, once the largest dilator has been inserted into the patient or other subject, the surgeon or other clinician can use a retractor 2000 similar to any of the embodiments disclosed herein. The blades of the retractor can be moved (e.g., using knobs, release levers and/or other controllers) so as to snugly or substantially snugly surround the exterior of the alignment device 3000, as illustrated in
According to some embodiments, the alignment device 3000 comprises one or more plastic and/or other materials. For example, the device 3000 can comprise polyoxymethylene (POM), also known as acetal, polyacetal or polyformaldehyde. However, any other plastic, composite, metal, alloy and/or other material can be included in the device 3000, as desired or required. The device 3000 is advantageously configured to withstand the forces, moments and/or other elements to which it may be exposed, both during a procedure and during related tasks (e.g., cleaning or sterilization, transport, etc.).
With further reference to
Although the subject matter provided in this application has been disclosed in the context of certain specific embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the inventions disclosed in this application extend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the subject matter disclosed herein and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the inventions have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of these inventions, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the inventions disclosed herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combine with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the subject matter provided in the present application should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A retractor device for selectively moving anatomical tissue of a subject during a minimally invasive procedure, comprising:
- a main body comprising a generally rectangular shape, said main body defining a central opening, said central opening comprising a center-point positioned along a centerline of said central opening;
- a plurality of movable members secured to the main body;
- a blade secured to each movable member and configured to be moved together with a corresponding movable member to which said blade is secured;
- wherein each blade extends generally perpendicular to the main body, said blade comprising a distal end configured to extend into an anatomy of the subject;
- wherein each movable member is configured to move laterally relative to the main body, such that the blades secured to the movable members can be moved within the central opening defined by the main body;
- wherein each of the blades is configured to be selectively moved laterally past the center-point of the central opening;
- wherein each of the blades is configured to be selectively independently rotated relative to: (i) an axis generally perpendicular to the main body, and (ii) each of the other blades; and
- wherein the movable members are configured to be moved relative to one another so that the blades attached to said movable members generally form a cylindrical opening within the central opening defined by the main body.
22. The retractor device of claim 21, wherein each of the blades is removably secured to a corresponding movable member.
23. The retractor device of claim 21, wherein each movable member is operatively coupled to a first controller and a second controller, said first controller being configured to selectively adjust a lateral position of the movable member, and said second controller being configured to selectively rotate the blade attached to said movable member.
24. The retractor device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first controller and the second controller comprises a rotatable knob.
25. The retractor device of claim 21, wherein the movable members are moved using a rack and pinion mechanism.
26. The retractor device of claim 21, wherein the blade comprises at least one slot.
27. The retractor device of claim 26, wherein the at least one slot of the blade is configured to slidably receive a shim, said shim being configured to generally extend a distal end of said blade.
28. The retractor device of claim 26, wherein the at least one slot of the blade is configured to slidably receive an illumination device, said illumination device being configured to provide light to a portion of the subject's anatomy being accessed.
29. The retractor device of claim 28, wherein the illumination device comprises a fiber-optic or LED light source.
30. The retractor device of claim 21, wherein the main body forms a diamond or square shape.
31. A retractor device for selectively moving anatomical tissue of a subject during a minimally invasive procedure, comprising:
- a main body comprising at least three sides, said main body defining a central opening, said central opening comprising a center-point positioned along a centerline of said central opening;
- a plurality of movable members secured to the main body;
- a blade secured to each movable member and configured to be moved together with a corresponding movable member to which said blade is secured;
- wherein each blade extends generally perpendicular to the main body, said blade comprising a distal end configured to extend into an anatomy of the subject;
- wherein each movable member is configured to move laterally relative to the main body, such that the blades secured to the movable members can be moved within the central opening defined by the main body;
- wherein each of the blades is configured to be selectively moved laterally past the center-point of the central opening;
- wherein each of the blades is configured to be selectively independently rotated relative to: (i) an axis generally perpendicular to the main body, and (ii) each of the other blades; and
- wherein the movable members are configured to be moved relative to one another so that the blades attached to said movable members generally form a cylindrical opening within the central opening defined by the main body.
32. The retractor device of claim 31, wherein the main body comprises four or more sides.
33. The retractor device of claim 31, wherein each of the blades is removably secured to a corresponding movable member.
34. The retractor device of claim 31, wherein each movable member is operatively coupled to a first controller and a second controller, said first controller being configured to selectively adjust a lateral position of the movable member, and said second controller being configured to selectively rotate the blade attached to said movable member.
35. The retractor device of claim 34, wherein at least one of the first controller and the second controller comprises a rotatable knob.
36. The retractor device of claim 31, wherein the movable members are moved using a rack and pinion mechanism.
37. The retractor device of claim 31, wherein the blade comprises at least one slot.
38. The retractor device of claim 37, wherein the at least one slot of the blade is configured to slidably receive a shim, said shim being configured to generally extend a distal end of said blade.
39. The retractor device of claim 37, wherein the at least one slot of the blade is configured to slidably receive an illumination device, said illumination device being configured to provide light to a portion of the subject's anatomy being accessed.
40. A method for selectively moving anatomical tissue of a subject during a minimally invasive procedure, comprising:
- positioning a retractor device adjacent a subject, the retractor device comprising a main body comprising a generally rectangular shape, said main body defining a central opening, the central opening comprising a center-point positioned along a centerline of said central opening;
- wherein the retractor device further comprises: a plurality of movable members secured to the main body; a blade secured to each movable member and configured to be moved together with a corresponding movable member to which said blade is secured; wherein each blade extends generally perpendicular to the main body, said blade comprising a distal end configured to extend into an anatomy of the subject; wherein each movable member is configured to move laterally relative to the main body, such that the blades secured to the movable members can be moved within the central opening defined by the main body; wherein each of the blades is configured to be selectively moved laterally past the center-point of the central opening; and wherein each of the blades is configured to be selectively independently rotated relative to: (i) an axis generally perpendicular to the main body, and (ii) each of the other blades; and
- moving the movable member relative to one another so that the blades attached to said movable members generally form a cylindrical opening within the central opening defined by the main body.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 30, 2016
Publication Date: May 25, 2017
Inventors: Jim R. Lynn (San Clemente, CA), Russell W. Nelson (Westlake Village, CA)
Application Number: 15/198,349