Patent ID: 9345491
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A device for modifying tissue in a spine of a patient, the device comprising: a flexible elongate body having a tapered distal portion that is configured to couple to a guidewire and to be passed through a first incision on the patient's back into the spine between target and non-target tissues, and out a second incision on the patient's back; a handle at a proximal end of the flexible elongate body; a tissue modifying region comprising at least one wire between the tapered distal portion and the handle; a shield member housing attached to the flexible elongate body adjacent to the tissue modifying region, wherein the shield member housing includes a shield receiving space therein; and a shield member movably coupled to at least one of the shield member housing and the flexible elongate body, wherein the shield member is selectively deployable from within the shield receiving space to at least partially cover the tissue modifying region for preventing a non-target tissue from being modified by the tissue modification member.