Patent ID: 8795364

Claim:
A system for repairing a defect or opening in the wall of the vertebral disc of a living being, the vertebral disc comprising an exterior region comprising annulus fibrosus and interior region comprising nucleus pulposus, said system comprising: (a) an access sheath arranged to be placed through the opening, said access sheath defining a lumen therethrough; (b) a location detector that defines a passageway that extends longitudinally down the length of said location detector; (c) a detection port that communicates with a distal end of said passageway; (d) a proximal port that communicates with a proximal end of said passageway, said passageway having a length such that when said location detector is positioned within said access sheath, said detector port extends beyond a distal end of said access sheath, and said proximal port is accessible from outside of the living being; (e) a flexible or reconfigurable member arranged to be placed into said proximal port, extend through said passageway and exit at said detection port to probe tissue and thereby locate said access sheath relative to the opening by means of a tactile feel of the tissue; and (f) a treatment device arranged to be housed in said lumen of said access sheath, and further arranged to be moved through said access sheath and out of said open distal end, thereby positioning said treatment device at said location to repair said defect or opening.