Percutaneous registration-and-access tool for minimally invasive spinal surgery

1. A percutaneous spinal registration-and-access tool for minimally invasive spinal surgery comprising:

a conically shaped tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending there between, wherein both the proximal end and the distal end are open; and

at least two flexible lateral flanges positioned opposite each other and spaced apart from each other, where when viewed in a cross sectional plane taken along the longitudinal axis, the at least two flexible lateral flanges extend downwardly and inwardly from the distal end of the conically shaped tubular body towards each other forming an open gripping area therebetween;

wherein the at least two flexible lateral flanges form a circular cavity at the distal end of the conically shaped tubular body for receiving a bulbous end of a spinous process of a vertebra therein;

wherein the at least two flexible lateral flanges have spaced-apart distal ends that flare outwardly and upwardly away from each other forming a smooth rounded opening between the spaced-apart distal ends; and

wherein the circular cavity at the distal end of the conically shaped tubular body is larger than the smooth rounded opening between the spaced-apart distal ends of the at least two flexible lateral flanges.

2. The tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least two flexible lateral flanges are configured to grip a spinous process of a vertebra between the open gripping area between the at least two lateral flanges.

3. The tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conically shaped tubular body is a hollow tube configured to provide access to a spinous process of a vertebra when the tool is inserted percutaneously and the spinous process is captured in the open gripping area between the at least two flexible lateral flanges.

4. The tool as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a finger tab extending outwardly from the proximal end of the conically shaped tubular body.

5. The tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tool is constructed from a radioulency material.

6. A tool for minimally invasive spinal surgery comprising:

a hollow tubular body having an open proximal end, an open distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween; and

at least two flexible spaced-apart flanges positioned opposite each other, the at least two flexible spaced-apart lateral flanges extend downwardly and inwardly from the open distal end of the hollow tubular body towards each other when viewed in a cross sectional plane taken along the longitudinal axis, and the at least two flexible spaced-apart lateral flanges forming an open gripping area there between;

wherein the at least two flexible spaced-apart flanges form a circular cavity between the at least two flexible spaced-apart flanges at the distal end of the hollow tubular body for receiving a bulbous end of a spinous process of a vertebra therein;

wherein the at least two flexible spaced-apart flanges include spaced-apart distal ends that flare outwardly and upwardly away from each other forming a smooth rounded opening between the spaced-apart distal ends; and

wherein the circular cavity between the at least two flexible spaced-apart flanges at the distal end of the hollow tubular body is larger than the smooth rounded opening between the spaced-apart distal ends of the at least two flexible spaced-apart flanges.

7. The tool as recited in claim 6 , wherein the hollow tubular body is conically shaped having a narrowing diameter from the proximal end to the distal end.

8. The tool as recited in claim 6 , wherein the at least two flexible spaced-apart flanges are spring-biased.

9. The tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least two flexible lateral flanges are spring-biased.

10. A method for using a percutaneous spinal registration-and-access tool, the method comprising:

providing the percutaneous spinal registration-and-access tool, wherein the tool comprises:

a conically shaped tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending there between, wherein both the

proximal end and the distal end are open; and

at least two flexible lateral flanges positioned opposite each other and spaced apart from each other, where when viewed in a cross sectional plane taken along the longitudinal axis, the at least two flexible lateral flanges extend downwardly and inwardly from the distal end of the conically shaped tubular body towards each other forming an open gripping area therebetween;

wherein the at least two flexible lateral flanges form a circular cavity at the distal end of the conically shaped tubular body for receiving a bulbous end of a spinous process of a vertebra therein;

wherein the at least two flexible lateral flanges have spaced-apart distal ends that flare outwardly and upwardly away from each other forming a smooth rounded opening between the spaced-apart distal ends; and

wherein the circular cavity at the distal end of the conically shaped tubular body is larger than the smooth rounded opening between the spaced-apart distal ends of the at least two flexible lateral flanges;

inserting a distal end of the tool into an incision of a patient;

positioning the at least two spaced-apart flanges around a bulbous end of a spinous process of a vertebra, wherein the spinous process is gripped by the at least two spaced-apart flanges; and

inserting a registration tool with a bone pin attached to one end thereof through a hollow tubular body of the tool for affixing the bone pin to the bulbous end of the spinous process.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the body of the tool is configured to provide access to a spinous process of a vertebra when the tool is inserted percutaneously through the incision of the patient and the spinous process is positioned between the at least two spaced-apart flanges.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the circular cavity configured is for receiving the bulbous end of the spinous process of the vertebra.