Patent ID: 8029511

Claim:
A method of filling an intervertebral disc space with a flowable biomaterial, comprising the steps of: fluidly coupling a reservoir containing the flowable biomaterial to the intervertebral disc space; performing automatically in a controller the steps of; monitoring at least one sensor that measures at least one injection condition of the flowable biomaterial; controlling a flow of the flowable biomaterial into the intervertebral disc space in accordance with a first operating parameter, wherein pressure of the flowable biomaterial increases rapidly during at least a portion of the delivery into the intervertebral disc space; receiving a signal from the sensor that the at least one injection condition has reached a threshold level corresponding to the biomaterial substantially filling the intervertebral space; reducing the flow of the flowable material into the intervertebral disc space in response to one or more of the injection conditions reaching a threshold level; controlling the flow of the biomaterial in accordance with a second operating parameter during at least a portion of the curing of the flowable biomaterial in the intervertebral disc space, wherein the second operating parameter permits a portion of the flowable biomaterial to be expelled from the intervertebral disc space; and removing a delivery tube fluidly coupling the reservoir from the intervertebral disc space in response to at least partial curing of the biomaterial.