A method for treating spinal nerve compression includes sequential dilation to position an instrument cannula along a patient's spine. Instruments can be delivered through the instrument cannula to remove targeted tissue for a decompression procedure. One of the instruments can be a reamer instrument configured to abrade, cut, or otherwise affect tissue along the patient's spine.

A device for positioning a needle tip to a desired location by signaling pressure change is provided. The device includes a barrel, a piston, a biasing element, and a plunger. The barrel defines a reservoir, and it includes a distal end connectable to a puncturing apparatus. The plunger is slidably engaged with the piston, and both are movable within the reservoir. The biasing element connects the plunger and the piston, and its change in length corresponds to the relative position of the plunger and piston. In operation, the piston is at a first position relative to the plunger when the biasing element is at a first length. The piston later moves to a second relative position in response to the biasing element's change of the length resulting from a pressure change inside the reservoir when the puncturing apparatus reaches a location of a mass. The position's change of the piston is visually detectable.

The present invention refers to a dural sealing system (100) comprising an implant (10), joined to a guiding thread (20); a transfer device (30), provided with a grip portion (30a) and a hollow portion (30b), said hollow portion (30b) terminating, at a first end, in a nozzle (30c) that can be coupled to an epidural needle (200), said hollow portion (30b) also terminating in a second end fitted with an entry region (30d); and an introductory device (70) comprising a tube (70a) with a hollow interior section, provided with a first free end and a second closed end, attached to a stop (70b).

A portable and passive safety intraosseous device to allow for direct introduction of medications, etc., within the intermedullary space of a subject patient's bone or, if needed, the removal of certain substances from such a subject patient's bone. Such a device permits direct drilling and placement of a cannula within the subject bone with access external to the subject patient's skin, permitting, as well, connection of a tube for such introduction/removal purposes. The ability to provide a passive safety unit allows for facilitated utilization in, for instance, emergency situations with the entire device provided for utilization thereof. The device includes a drilling component with a permanently attached stylet and a removable cannula, a power supply for a single drilling operation, a mechanism to draw the stylet back into the drill component after use and disengagement from the cannula, and an automatic closure that activates with the separation of the cannula.

A portable and passive safety intraosseous device to allow for direct introduction of medications, etc., within the intermedullary space of a subject patient's bone or, if needed, the removal of certain substances from such a subject patient's bone. Such a device permits direct drilling and placement of a cannula within the subject bone with access external to the subject patient's skin, permitting, as well, connection of a tube for such introduction/removal purposes. The ability to provide a passive safety unit allows for facilitated utilization in, for instance, emergency situations with the entire device provided for utilization thereof. The device includes a drilling component with a permanently attached stylet and a removable cannula, a power supply for a single drilling operation, a mechanism to draw the stylet back into the drill component after use and disengagement from the cannula, and an automatic closure that activates with the separation of the cannula.

A needle assembly for an ultrasound imaging system includes a needle having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end is adapted to be inserted into a patient. The needle assembly also includes an optical sensor assembly secured to the distal end of the needle. The optical sensor assembly has a field of vision that includes the distal end of the needle and an environment surrounding the distal end of the needle as the needle is inserted into the patient towards a target site. In addition, the needle assembly includes a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor assembly. Thus, the controller is configured to receive and process one or more sensor signals from the optical sensor assembly in real-time.

A medical device includes a housing having a distal portion with a probe extending therefrom. The housing is graspable by a user to manipulate the housing and the probe. The medical device further includes a pressure sensing system including a pressure sensor and a processing unit coupled with the pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is configured to be carried by the probe. The processing unit is carried by the housing and is configured to receive input signals from the pressure sensor. The medical device further includes an output unit coupled to the processing unit and carried by the housing. The output unit is configured to output a reporting signal to a display. The reporting signal is indicative of a pressure at the pressure sensor.

Medical devices, assemblies and methods for guarding sharp tips of medical needles are disclosed herein. Some embodiments include an expandable device configured to be at least partially disposed within the needle lumen. The device may include an expandable distal portion that is designed to shift between a first configuration in which the expandable distal portion has an outer diameter that is the same as or less than the inner diameter of the needle lumen and a second configuration in which the expandable distal portion has an outer diameter that is greater than the inner diameter of the needle lumen. An elongated inner member may be used to shift the expandable distal portion from the first configuration to the second configuration.

A device and method for a guidance sheath is provided which is configured to prevent laceration or puncture of nerves, blood vessels and surrounding tissue, during positioning of a coaxially located needle employed for various medical procedures, such as, the administration of an anesthetic blockade, neuromonitoring, electromyography or a therapeutic intervention.

A surgical instrument system for use in a surgical procedure is disclosed. The surgical instrument system may include an instrument configured to puncture the tissue of a patient and detect when the instrument has entered a lumen of the patient's body. The surgical instrument system may include one or more capacitive sensors near a tip of a needle and electrical circuitry to monitor the capacitance of the capacitive sensors. The capacitance of the capacitive sensors may change as the needle is inserted into different tissue of lumens of the patient's body, allowing for the position of the needle to be determined based on analysis of the capacitance of the capacitive sensors.