PERCUTANEOUS SPINAL IMPLANTS AND METHODS
A method includes positioning a medical device within a body between adjacent spinous processes, moving the medical device from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration within the body using an actuator removably coupled to the medical device, and removing the actuator from the body while the medical device remains between the adjacent spinous processes.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
an implant having an end portion and a body portion, the body portion configured to be disposed between a pair of adjacent spinous processes,
the end portion having a size along a first axis normal to a longitudinal axis of the implant when the end portion is in a collapsed configuration and a size along the first axis when the end portion is in an expanded configuration, the size of the end portion in its expanded configuration being greater than the size of the end portion in its collapsed configuration,
the body portion having a size along a second axis normal to the longitudinal axis of the implant when the body portion is in a collapsed configuration and a size along the second axis when the body portion is in an expanded configuration, the size of the body portion in its expanded configuration being greater than the size of the body portion in its collapsed configuration.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the end portion is configured to move between its collapsed configuration and its expanded configuration when the body portion of the implant is disposed between the pair of adjacent spinous processes; and
the body portion is configured to move between its collapsed configuration and its expanded configuration when the body portion of the implant is disposed between the pair of adjacent spinous processes.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the implant is configured to be inserted through an opening in a patient's body, a size of the opening being less than the size of the body portion in its expanded configuration and the size of the end portion in its expanded configuration.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the size of the body portion in its collapsed configuration is less than a distance between the pair of adjacent spinous processes; and
the size of the body portion in its expanded configuration is greater than the distance between the pair of adjacent spinous processes.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the size of the body portion in its collapsed configuration is substantially equal to the size of the end portion in its collapsed configuration; and
the size of the body portion in its expanded configuration is less than the size of the end portion in its expanded configuration.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a longitudinal length of the end portion of the implant when the end portion is in the collapsed configuration is less than a longitudinal length of the end portion of the implant when the end portion is in the expanded configuration.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body portion of the implant includes an inflatable member.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body portion of the implant is configured to move repeatedly between its collapsed configuration and its expanded configuration.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end portion of the implant is configured to limit lateral movement of the implant relative to the pair of adjacent spinous processes when the distal end portion is in its expanded configuration.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end portion of the implant includes a deformable portion configured to deform in response to an axial load applied to the implant.
11 . An apparatus comprising:
an implant having a retention portion and a distraction portion, the implant configured to be inserted percutaneously through an opening in a patient's body such that the distraction portion is disposed between a pair of adjacent spinous processes,
the retention portion movable between a first configuration and a second configuration, a size of the retention portion when the retention portion is in its first configuration being less than a size of the opening, a size of the retention portion when the retention portion is in its second configuration being greater than the size of the opening,
the distraction portion movable between a first configuration and a second configuration, a size of the distraction portion when the distraction portion is in its first configuration being less than the size of the opening, a size of the distraction portion when the distraction portion is in its second configuration being greater than the size of the opening.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the distraction portion of the implant is configured to distract the pair of adjacent spinous processes when the distraction portion is moved from its first configuration to its second configuration.
13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the distraction portion of the implant includes an inflatable member.
14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the retention portion of the implant is configured to limit lateral movement of the implant relative to the pair of adjacent spinous processes when the retention portion is in its second configuration.
15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the retention portion of the implant includes a deformable portion configured to deform in response to an axial load applied to the implant.
16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the size of the distraction portion in its collapsed configuration is less than a distance between the pair of adjacent spinous processes.
17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the size of the distraction portion in its collapsed configuration and the size of the retention portion in its collapsed configuration are each less than 15 millimeters.
18 . An apparatus comprising:
an implant having an end portion and a body portion, the body portion configured to be disposed between a pair of adjacent spinous processes, the implant having a first configuration, a second configuration and a third configuration,
the end portion having a first size when the implant is in the first configuration and a second size when the implant is in the second configuration,
the body portion having a first size when the implant is in the first configuration and a second size when the implant is in the third configuration, the first size of the body portion being substantially equal to the first size of the end portion, the second size of the body portion being less than the second size of the end portion.
19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the implant is configured to be inserted through an opening in a patient's body when the implant is in the first configuration, a size of the opening being less than the second size of the end portion and less than the second size of the body portion.
20 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the implant is configured to be inserted through an opening in a patient's body when the implant is in the first configuration, the first size of the end portion and the first size of the body portion each being less than a distance between the pair of adjacent spinous processes.
21 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein:
the implant is configured to be moved between the first configuration and the second configuration by a first actuator when the body portion of the implant is disposed between the pair of adjacent spinous processes; and
the implant is configured to be moved between the first configuration and the third configuration by a second actuator different from the first actuator when the body portion of the implant is disposed between the pair of adjacent spinous processes.
22 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein:
the body portion of the implant includes an inflatable member; and
the end portion of the implant includes a deformable member configured to deform when the implant is moved between the first configuration and the second configuration.
23 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the end portion of the implant is configured to limit lateral movement of the implant relative to the pair of adjacent spinous processes when the implant is in the second configuration.