Patent ID: 11950790
Assignee: MISONIX, LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 3:
4. A surgical method comprising:
providing a surgical instrument including an elongate probe with a distal end having at least one egress or outlet port;
inserting a distal end portion of said elongate probe into a spinal disc adjacent two spinal vertebrae;
prior to the inserting of said distal end portion of said elongate probe into said spinal disc, operating said surgical instrument to direct a plasma jet towards an outer surface of the spinal disc;
by operating said surgical instrument to direct said plasma jet towards the spinal disc, forming at least one incision in said spinal disc, thereby enabling the inserting of said distal end portion of said elongate probe into said spinal disc;
after the inserting of said distal end portion of said elongate probe into the spinal disc, emitting or ejecting the plasma from said at least one egress or outlet port into spinal disc material between said two spinal vertebrae in a predetermined amount effective to vaporize tissue and other organic material at the surgical site at or in a spinal disc space; and
subsequently removing said elongate probe from said spinal disc.