Patent ID: 7715925
Filing Date: 2010-05-11
Classification: A61B,A61N,A61P

Abstract:
1. A method for delivery of an anaesthetic drug to a nerve having a fascia sheath, comprising the steps of: a. inserting a distal tip of a needle assembly through a first portion of the skin of a patient to a position proximate the nerve; b. providing a wire located within a unitary catheter, the wire capable of conveying an electrical impulse from the proximal end of the catheter to the distal end of the catheter, a distal end of the wire terminates at an electrically conducting wire distal tip; c. advancing the distal end of the catheter and the wire distal tip through the needle assembly until the wire distal tip extends proximally of the distal tip of the needle; d. applying an electrical impulse to the wire distal tip and manipulating the location of the wire distal tip proximate the nerve to achieve the desired placement of the wire distal tip; e. inserting a distal tip of a tunneling device having a tunneler stylet portion and a sheath portion disposed over the tunneler stylet portion, at a second portion of the skin of the patient proximate the first portion of the skin of the patient; f. advancing the distal tip of the tunneling device to exit the skin of the patient from the inside forming a subcutaneous tunnel; g. removing the tunneler stylet portion while maintaining the sheath portion in place; h. feeding the proximal end of the catheter into the one end of the sheath; and i. removing the sheath from the patient, thus leaving the catheter tunneled subcutaneously between the skin portion where the tunneling device exited and the second skin portion.