US-12623035-B2 - Systems and methods for repairing spinal disc injury or treating spinal disc disease using copper

Abstract

A method for treating or repairing a damaged spinal disc of a patient may include inserting, using medical imaging, a shaft with a lumen extending from an exterior of a patient to the damaged spinal disc, dispensing copper particles, using the lumen, to the damaged spinal disc, and removing the hollow shaft from the patient. A system may include a syringe and copper particles in the syringe. A kit may include copper particles, and at least one of a guidewire, one or more dilators, a tubular retractor, a disposable endoscope, a disposable laser fiber; an endoscopic rongeurs, indigo carmine dye, or a fluid adaptor.

Inventors

• Ara Deukmedjian

Assignees

• Panacea Spine, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20221012

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method for treating or repairing a damaged spinal disc of a patient, comprising: inserting, using medical imaging, a hollow shaft with a lumen extending from an exterior of a patient to the damaged spinal disc; dispensing copper particles, using the lumen, to the damaged spinal disc, the copper particles in a dry powder, a liquid solution, or a gel suspension; and removing the hollow shaft from the patient.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hollow shaft is within a range from 1 mm to 12 mm in diameter.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the inserting the shaft includes inserting a hypodermic needle, using the medical imaging, to the damaged spinal disc.
4. 4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the shaft is an endoscopic tubular retractor, the method further including inserting a guidewire, using a guidewire introducer needle and the medical imaging, to the damaged spinal disc, inserting at least one hollow dilator over the guidewire to the damaged spinal disc, inserting the endoscopic tubular retractor over the at least one hollow dilator to the damaged spinal disc, and removing the guidewire and the at least one hollow dilator from the endoscopic tubular retractor, wherein the endoscopic tubular retractor includes the lumen used to dispense copper particles to the annular tear.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising using a tool inserted into the endoscopic tubular retractor to dispense the copper particles to the damaged spinal disc.
6. 6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising using a steerable catheter to dispense the copper particles to the damaged spinal disc, including feeding a distal end of the steerable catheter through the lumen of the endoscopic tubular retractor and steering the distal end to dispense the copper particles through a lumen in the steerable catheter to the damaged spinal disc.
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising introducing the copper particles into the lumen in the steerable catheter, using gravity to dispense the copper particles to the damaged spinal disc.
8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising using an endoscopic camera to visualize a distribution of the copper particles on a surface of the damaged spinal disc.
9. 9 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising using the tool inserted into the endoscopic tubular retractor to atomize the copper particles into an aerosol or small droplets into a gas phase to coat a surface region of the damaged spinal disc.
10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising using sterile compressed air to atomize the copper particles to coat the surface region, wherein the sterile compressed air is appropriately sterile for introduction into a surgical field.
11. 11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising using air in a syringe to atomize the copper particles to coat the surface region of the damaged spinal disc.
12. 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inserting the shaft using medical imaging includes using at least one of X-ray guided imaging, stereotactic techniques, or robotic navigation to insert the shaft.
13. 13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the medical imaging to advance the hollow shaft through a foramen in a spine to access the damaged spinal disc.
14. 14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising advancing the hollow shaft to enter an anterior side of the damaged spinal disc to a damaged on a posterior side of the damaged spinal disc.
15. 15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the copper particles have dimensions within a range between 1 nm and 1000 nm.
16. 16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising endoscopically debriding the damaged spinal disc before distributing the copper particles.
17. 17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising debriding the annular tear through the hollow shaft prior to dispensing.
18. 18 . A method for treating or repairing a damaged spinal disc of a patient, comprising: inserting a guidewire, using a guidewire introducer needle and the medical imaging, to the damaged spinal disc; inserting at least one hollow dilator over the guidewire to the damaged spinal disc; inserting, using medical imaging, an endoscopic tubular retractor having a hollow shaft defining a lumen extending from an exterior of a patient to the damaged spinal disc, the hollow shaft within a range from 1 mm to 12 mm in diameter, the endoscopic tubular retractor inserted over the at least one hollow dilator to the damaged spinal disc; removing the guidewire and the at least one hollow dilator from the endoscopic tubular retractor, using a syringe with a barrel containing copper particles, a plunger, and a needle advanced into the lumen of the endoscopic tubular retractor to dispense the copper particles to the damaged spinal disc by actuating the plunger to push the copper particles through the needle; and removing the endoscopic tubular retractor from the patient.
19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the needle includes a hypodermic needle or a flexible dispensing needle.
20. 20 . A method for treating or repairing a damaged spinal disc of a patient, comprising: inserting, using medical imaging, a hollow shaft with a lumen extending from an exterior of a patient to the damaged spinal disc; dispensing copper particles coated with hydroxyethyl cellulose, using the lumen, to the damaged spinal disc; and removing the hollow shaft from the patient.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This document relates generally to medical systems, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to systems, devices, and methods for treating or repairing spinal discs, such as spinal discs that may be damaged from spinal disc disease or injured. BACKGROUND The spinal column includes 24 vertebrae, including seven cervical vertebrae (C1-C7) corresponding the neck, twelve thoracic vertebrae (T1-T12) corresponding to the middle of the back, and five lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5) corresponding to the lower back. The spinal column protects the spinal cord. Nerve roots branch off from the spinal cord and pass through foramen (or foramin) of vertebrae. The vertebrae are separated by spinal discs, which may also be referred to as intervertebral discs. Each disc includes an annulus fibrosus (or simply referred to as the annulus) that surrounds a gel-like substance referred to a nucleus pulposus (or simply referred to as the nucleus). Spinal discs may be abnormal, damaged or injured. The term “damaged disc” is intended to include abnormal discs or injured discs. A disc may be damaged because of degeneration or disc disease, or may be damaged because of trauma. Both disc trauma or disc disease may cause the annulus to tear. By way of example and not limitation, a damaged disc may include a partial or full tear in the annulus. A disc herniation occurs when the nucleus pushes through an annular tear. What is needed is an improved treatment of damaged spinal discs. SUMMARY An example (e.g., “Example 1”) may include a method for treating or repairing a damaged spinal disc of a patient. The method may include inserting, using medical imaging, a shaft with a lumen extending from an exterior of a patient to the damaged spinal disc, dispensing copper particles, using the lumen, to the damaged spinal disc, and removing the hollow shaft from the patient. In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 may optionally be configured such that the hollow shaft is within a range from 1 mm to 12 mm in diameter. In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 2 may optionally be configured such that inserting the shaft includes inserting a hypodermic needle, using the medical imaging, to the damaged spinal disc. In Example 4, the subject matter of Example 2 may optionally be configured such that the shaft is an endoscopic tubular retractor, and to further include inserting a guidewire, using a guidewire introducer needle and the medical imaging, to the damaged spinal disc, inserting at least one hollow dilator over the guidewire to the damaged spinal disc, inserting the endoscopic tubular retractor over the at least one hollow dilator to the damaged spinal disc, and removing the guidewire and the at least one hollow dilator from the endoscopic tubular retractor, wherein the endoscopic tubular retractor includes the lumen used to dispense copper particles to the annular tear. In Example 5, the subject matter of Example 4 may optionally be configured to further include using a tool inserted into the endoscopic tubular retractor to dispense the copper particles to the damaged spinal disc. In Example 6, the subject matter of Example 5 may optionally be configured to further include a syringe with a barrel containing the copper particles, a plunger, and a needle advanced into the lumen of the endoscopic tubular retractor to dispense the copper particles to the damaged spinal disc by actuating the plunger to push the copper particles through the needle. In Example 7, the subject matter of Example 6 may optionally be configured such that the needle may include a hypodermic needle or a flexible dispensing needle. In Example 8, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 5-7 may optionally be configured to further include using a steerable catheter to dispense the copper particles to the damaged spinal disc, including feeding a distal end of the steerable catheter through the lumen of the endoscopic tubular retractor and steering the distal end to dispense the copper particles through a lumen in the steerable catheter to the damaged spinal disc. In Example 9, the subject matter of Example 8 may optionally be configured to further include introducing the copper particles into the lumen in the steerable catheter, using gravity to dispense the copper particles to the damaged spinal disc. In Example 10, the subject matter of Example 9 may optionally be configured to further include using an endoscopic camera to visualize a distribution of the copper particles on a surface of the damaged spinal disc. In Example 11, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 5-10 may optionally be configured to further include using the tool inserted into the endoscopic tubular retractor to atomize the copper particles into an aerosol or small droplets into a gas phase to coat a surface region of the damaged spinal disc. In Example 12, the subject matter of Example 11 may optionally be configured to further include using sterile compressed