Patent ID: 9259241
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: A61B,A61N

Claim Text:
1. A method of treating a nerve within bone, comprising: inserting an introducer into a region of the bone near a treatment location, the introducer having a central channel and an opening at a distal tip of the introducer; delivering a curved cannula through said central channel of said introducer to said opening, wherein the curved cannula comprises a deflectable distal tip having a preformed curve such that the deflectable distal tip straightens while being delivered through the introducer and transitions to a curved configuration upon exiting the introducer, wherein the deflectable distal tip of the curved cannula is configured to arc to an angle between 5 degrees and 110 degrees within the region of the bone, wherein a proximal portion of the curved cannula comprises a locking nut to control advancement of the curved cannula with respect to the introducer; extending the curved cannula past the opening at the distal tip of the introducer to generate a curved path in the bone corresponding to the preformed curve of the deflectable distal tip; advancing a fluid delivery catheter through said curved cannula to the treatment location; advancing a straight flexible channeling stylet through the curved cannula to form a linear path beyond the curved path in the bone and removing the straight, flexible channeling stylet prior to advancing the fluid delivery catheter through the curved cannula, wherein said advancing the fluid delivery catheter through said curved cannula to the treatment location comprises advancing a distal tip of the fluid delivery catheter along the linear path; and ablating the nerve at the treatment location by delivering fluid to the treatment location using the fluid delivery catheter.