Zsuzsi L Conforti from San Marcos, CA, age 67

Systems And Methods For Electrosurgical Intervertebral Disc Replacement
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US Patent:

20040024398, Feb 5, 2004
Filed:

May 12, 2003
Appl. No.:

10/435825
Inventors:

David Hovda - Mountain View CA, US
Brian Martini - Menlo Park CA, US
Zsuzsi Conforti - San Mateo CA, US
Jean Woloszko - Mountain View CA, US
Assignee:

ArthroCare Corporation - Sunnyvale CA
International Classification:

A61B018/14
US Classification:

606/041000, 607/099000
Abstract:

The present invention provides systems and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within a patient's body, particularly including tissue in the spine. The present invention applies high frequency (RF) electrical energy to one or more electrode terminals in the presence of electrically conductive fluid to contract collagen fibers within the tissue structures. In one aspect of the invention, a system and method is provided for removing a vertebral disc in preparation for implanting a prosthetic disc or removing a portion of the vertebral disc such as the nucleus pulposus in preparation for placing a prosthetic nucleus within the annulus of the disc. The present invention also teaches shrinking residual tissue in preparation for placing the implants.