Patent ID: 8328815

Claim:
A curved access cannula with a visual referencing system comprising: a curved access cannula wherein at least a portion of the curved access cannula is radiolucent; the curved access cannula having: a proximal opening with a proximal center point; and a distal opening with a distal center point; the distal center point separated from the proximal center point by: a distance along a depth axis; and an offset on a lateral axis orthogonal to the depth axis; a longitudinal plane that bisects the curved cannula along the curved length of the curved cannula and includes the distal center point and the proximal center point; a distal plane parallel to the distal opening and perpendicular to the longitudinal plane; and a third plane perpendicular to both the longitudinal plane and the distal plane and containing the distal center point; a first radio-opaque marker having a U-shaped configuration defined by an intersection of the third plane with a wall of the curved access cannula.