Patent ID: 9066769
Filing Date: 2015-06-30
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for treating a bone, comprising: inserting at least a portion of an injector of a bone cement injector system within a vertebral body; providing a flow of a settable bone cement into a proximal portion of the injector; applying a first non-zero level of energy at a first time to the bone cement via one or more thermal energy emitters of the bone cement injector system to cause the bone cement to change to a first viscosity, applying a second non-zero level of energy at a second time to the bone cement via the one or more thermal energy emitters to cause the bone cement to change to a second viscosity, wherein the first time is before the second time and the first non-zero level of energy is unequal to the second non-zero level of energy, wherein the application of the first and second non-zero levels of energy is controlled based at least in part on a sensed force applied to the bone cement injector system to modulate the viscosity of the bone cement between the first and second viscosities about a desired mean viscosity value; urging the bone cement from the proximal portion toward a distal portion of the injector; and introducing the bone cement into cancellous bone of the vertebral body.