In minimally invasive surgical procedures providing access to the surgical site is a balancing act between minimizing the size of the incision and providing enough room for the surgeon to manipulate the instruments to perform the surgery. Access devices, including expandable tubular retractors and ports are used to retract the skin, muscles and tissue from the surface of the skin to the surgical site providing an unobstructed pathway for the surgeon to work. Typically, a sequential dilation technique is used to insert an access device. To minimize the damage to the tissue and muscles in creating a pathway, a small incision is made in the skin and a guide wire is inserted. Next a small diameter tubular member is advanced over the guide wire until it reaches the desired surgical site. As the tube is advanced it pushes the skin and tissue out of the way creating the surgical path. A second tubular member having a slightly larger diameter is then advanced over the first tubular member creating a wider path. These steps are repeated using tubular members of increasing diameter until the desired size of the path is created. Finally, an access device is advanced over the largest tubular member and the tubular members are removed leaving the access device in place. Using this technique minimizes trauma to the tissue as the tissue is expanded or stretched rather than cut as in an open procedure.
Some drawbacks with the dilator system include the number of steps it takes to create the desired size for the access device, and difficulty in inserting and removing the tubular members.
Disclosed herein are tissue expander systems and methods of use. In one embodiment a tissue expander system may include a first paddle having a connecting feature and a second paddle having a connecting feature adapted to connect to the connecting feature of the first paddle forming an assembly of the first and second paddles. The system may further include an outer sleeve adapted to slide over the first and second paddles. The outer sleeve may also have slots to receive the first and second paddles. The system may also include a handle for insertion and/or removal of the paddles.
In an alternate embodiment the tissue expander system may include first and second paddles having mating channels for connecting the paddles. The system may also include an outer sleeve with slots for receiving the paddles. In yet another embodiment, the tissue expander system may include first and second paddles and an access device for creating a pathway to the surgical site.
The surgeon when using the tissue expander system inserts a first paddle through an incision into proximity with the vertebral body; inserts a second paddle through the incision; connects the second paddle to the first paddle; inserts an outer sleeve over the first and second paddles into proximity with the vertebral body; and places an access device over the outer sleeve.
In an alternate use, the surgeon may insert a paddle through an incision to a point proximate the vertebral body; rotate the paddle within the incision; and insert an access device over the paddle to create a pathway to the vertebral body. The surgeon may choose to add an outer sleeve over the paddle prior to placing the access device.
In yet another alternate method of creating a minimally invasive pathway to a vertebral body, the surgeon may insert a paddle through an incision to a point proximate the vertebral body; insert a second paddle within the incision in connection with the first paddle; and insert an access device over the first and second paddles to create a pathway to the vertebral body.
These and other features and advantages of the tissue expander system and methods disclosed herein will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the attached drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements through the different views. The drawings illustrate principles of the tissue expander system and methods disclosed herein and, although not to scale, show relative dimensions.
FIGS. 8A-D illustrate another embodiment of a tissue expander system.
FIGS. 9A-C illustrate another embodiment of an elliptically shaped tissue expander system.
FIGS. 10A-D illustrate another embodiment of a tissue expander system having only one paddle.
Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the tissue expander system and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the tissue expander system and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
The articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e. to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.
The terms “comprise,” “include,” and “have,” and the derivatives thereof, are used herein interchangeably as comprehensive, open-ended terms. For example, use of “comprising,” “including,” or “having” means that whatever element is comprised, had, or included, is not the only element encompassed by the subject of the clause that contains the verb.
The exemplary tissue expander assembly 100 shown in
The first paddle 10 of the exemplary assembly 100 illustrated in
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
The exemplary embodiment of the second paddle 30 illustrated in FIGS. 2A-C has a distal end 38, a proximal end 40 and a connecting feature 32 adapted to connect with the connecting feature 22 of the first paddle 10 to connect the two paddles. The connecting feature 32 is exemplified as a channel extending along a portion of the second paddle 30 from the distal end 38. The distal end 38 of the second paddle 30 may be tapered for ease of insertion. The distal end 38 may also have the same feature 12 for docking to the bone at the surgical site as the first paddle 10. The second paddle 30 has an overall length lsp from the proximal end 40 to the distal end 38. The channel 32 has a length lcsp extending from the distal end 38 between 5% and 95% of lsp the length of the second paddle 30. The second paddle 30 has a width wsp, which may be equal to the width of the first paddle 10. The width wsp of the second paddle 30 may be substantially constant between the proximal end 40 and distal end 38 and may narrow near the proximal end 40 creating shoulders 34a,b. The narrow portion 36 of the second paddle 30 extending past the shoulders 34a,b may be used as a handle or to support a handle 80 for insertion or removal. The narrow portion 36 may be a solid shaft extending proximally from the shoulders or may have a channel 42 extending distally from the proximal end 40 for receiving a handle as illustrated in
The thickness of the second paddle 30 may be sized to be received within the channel 22 of the first paddle 10 creating a friction fit between the second paddle 30 and the first paddle 10. Alternately, the connecting feature 22 of the first paddle 10 and the connecting feature of the second paddle 30 may have interlocking features such as tongue and groove, ball plunger and detent, or pin and slot. The connecting features 22, 32 may have different complementary configurations to engage each other. The connecting features 22,32 may also be angled with respect to each other to alter the paddle assembly shape such that the angles between the first paddle 10 and the second paddle 30 may be acute (<90 degrees), obtuse (>90 degrees) or right (=90 degrees).
The first paddle 10 is inserted through a minimally invasive incision such that the width of the paddle wfp is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the incision. Once the first paddle 10 is inserted to the desired depth it may be rotated approximately 90 degrees to further separate the tissue and muscle fibers leading to the surgical site proximate a vertebral body. The second paddle 30 is placed through the incision such that the connecting feature 32 of the second paddle 30 is aligned with the connecting feature 22 of the first paddle 10. The second paddle 30 is advanced along the channel 22 until the distal portion 38 of the second paddle 30 reaches the surgical site proximate the vertebral body. As the second paddle 30 is inserted it expands the tissue and muscles within the pathway to the surgical site proximate the vertebral body. As shown in
The outer sleeve 50 of the tissue expander assembly 100 shown in
The outer sleeve 50 is advanced through the incision over the first 10 and second 30 paddles. The slots 54a,b,c,d slide over the widest portion of the first 10 and second 30 paddles until the shoulders 24a,b and 34a,b abut the proximal end of the slots 54, as shown in
In an alternate method, a guide wire can be inserted at the desired surgical site location. The first paddle may be cannulated (not shown) and inserted over the guide wire. After the first paddle is inserted, the guide wire is removed and the second paddle inserted as described in the method above.
The first paddle 10, the second paddle 30, and the outer sleeve 50 may be provided in varying sizes (diameters and lengths) correlating to the size of the access port 200 to be used. The paddles may range in diameter size from 10 mm to 35 mm, preferably from 13 mm to 26 mm. The second paddle 30 may also have depth markings for measuring the depth at the skin incision for assistance in determining the length of the access device 200 to be used. The paddles 10, 30 and outer sleeve 50 may be manufactured from any biocompatible material such as metal, plastic, or composite and may be radiopaque or radiolucent. If radiolucent, the paddles and or outer sleeve may also include depth markers made from radiopaque rings for intra-operative depth measurements under fluoroscopy. Alternately, the distal ends of the paddles and sleeve may be radiopaque to aid the surgeon under fluoroscopy.
An insertion handle 80 shown in
An alternate embodiment of a tissue expander system 100′ may have a generally elliptical shape to accommodate an elliptical access device such as a port or expandable retractor as illustrated in FIGS. 9A-C. The elliptical shaped tissue expander system 100′ includes a first paddle 10′, a second paddle 30′ and an outer sleeve 50′ similar to the system 100 described above. In this embodiment the second paddle 30′ may have a width wp2 greater than the width of the first paddle wp1 10′ to create a t-shaped assembly. Alternately, the first paddle 10′ may have a width wp1 greater than the width of the second paddle wp2 30′. The outer sleeve 50′ has a generally elliptical shape. Slots 54′ are configured to slide over the paddle assembly. The paddles are inserted as above and the outer sleeve 50′ is advanced over the paddle assembly. An elliptical shaped access device, such as a port or expandable retractor, not shown, is placed over the system 100′.
Another embodiment of a tissue expander system is illustrated in FIGS. 8A-D. The system 500 has components similar to the first system 100 including a first paddle 510, a second paddle 530, and an outer sleeve 550. In this embodiment the first paddle 510 and second paddle 530 have different shapes and connecting features from the first embodiment while the outer sleeve 550 remains substantially the same. The first paddle 510 has a distal end 518, a proximal end 520, and a connecting feature 522 adapted to connect the first paddle 510 to the second paddle 530. The first paddle 510 extends along a longitudinal axis between the proximal end 520 and the distal end 518. In the exemplary embodiment, the first paddle 510 is generally v-shaped and has radiused edges as seen in
The first paddle 510 has a length lfp, such that the proximal end 520 of the first paddle 510 will extend above the skin incision. The connecting feature 522 may extend over the entire length of the paddle or only a portion of the first paddle 510. A shaft or handle (not shown) may extend from the proximal end 520 of the first paddle 510 for inserting and removing the paddle. The connecting feature 522 is adapted to connect with a complementary shaped connecting feature on the second paddle 530. As shown in
The second paddle 530 illustrated in
The first paddle 510 is inserted through a minimally invasive incision. Once the first paddle 510 is inserted to the desired depth it may be rotated to further separate the tissue and muscle fibers leading to the surgical site. The second paddle 530 is inserted into the incision such that the connecting feature 532 connects with the connecting feature 522 of the first paddle 510. When the first paddle 510 has a v-shape and the second paddle 530 has a rectangular shape, the assembly of the two paddles when viewed from the top or bottom resembles a Y-shaped assembly.
The outer sleeve 550 has substantially the same configuration as the outer sleeve 50 in the first embodiment. The outer sleeve 550 has slots 554a,b,c positioned to accommodate the shapes of the first 510 and second 530 paddles. As shown in
An alternate embodiment of the tissue expander system, illustrated in FIGS. 10A-D includes a first paddle 610. The paddle 610 extends from a proximal end 620 to a distal end 618 and has a generally rectangular shape with radiused edges. The distal end 618 may taper for ease of insertion. The paddle 610 has a width wp at its widest point and a width wnp at its narrowest point. Shoulders 624a,b are formed where the paddle 610 changes width. The system also includes an outer sleeve 650 having a generally tubular shape with a central lumen 652 extending from a proximal end 660 to a distal end 658. The outer sleeve 650 has slots 654a,b extending proximally from the distal end 658. The central lumen 652 is sized to accommodate the narrow width portion 626 of the paddle 610 while the slots 654a,b are sized to receive the widest portion of the paddle 610. The length of each slot 654a,b is adapted to accommodate the shoulders 624a,b of the paddle 610. The outer diameter of the outer sleeve 650 may be the same as the inner diameter of the access device 200 to be used for the procedure.
The paddle 610 is inserted through a minimally invasive incision such that the width is parallel to the incision to the desired depth proximate a vertebral body. The paddle 610 is rotated approximately 90 degrees to stretch the tissue and muscle in all directions. The outer sleeve 650 may be inserted through the incision over the paddle 610 aligning the slots 654a,b with the shoulders 624a,b of the paddle 610. The outer sleeve 650 is advanced until it is proximate the vertebral body. The access device 200 may then be advanced over the assembly of the paddle 610 and the outer sleeve 650.
While the tissue expander systems and methods of the present invention have been particularly shown and described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various changes may be made in the form and details herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain many equivalents to the exemplary embodiments described specifically herein by using no more than routine experimentation. Such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the scope of the present invention and the appended claims.