Patent ID: 7951110
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of introducing instruments or implants into a target region proximate the human spinal column, the method comprising the steps of: creating a skin incision at a lateral position on a patient near a level of a spinal region to be treated; inserting a guidewire into the skin incision and routing the guidewire to a target region of the spine through a muscle, the muscle comprising one of a Psoras muscle and lumbar muscle; inserting a collapsed sheath, with a dilator pre-inserted and an outer pressure jacket, over the guidewire such that the distal end of the collapsed sheath is proximate the target region of the spine; radially expanding an expandable region of the sheath with the dilator, to create an expanded sheath, so that the expandable region radially dilates the muscle and forms a channel through the muscle; removing the dilator from a remaining lumen of the expanded sheath; performing therapy or diagnosis at the target region through the lumen of the expanded sheath; pressurizing a space between the outer pressure jacket and expandable region to collapse the expandable region; evacuating the space between the outer pressure jacket and collapsed expandable region to draw the outer pressure jacket inward; and removing the sheath from the patient.