Patent ID: 7905863

Claim:
A method of treatment or evacuation of an interior of a mammalian intervertebral disc, comprising the steps of: a) forming an opening through a posterior wall of a mammalian intervertebral disc; b) advancing an introducer comprising a guide through said opening in said posterior wall of the mammalian intervertebral disc, wherein said guide extends into the interior of the mammalian intervertebral disc; c) with said introducer in position in said opening of said mammalian intervertebral disc, engaging an elongated tool formed of a shape memory material and comprising a preformed S-shape with said guide, and advancing said elongated tool along said guide, wherein said preformed S-shape of said elongated tool is deformed by said guide while said preformed S-shape engages said guide; d) continuing to advance said elongated tool along said guide until a portion of said elongated tool comprising said preformed S-shape exits said guide into the interior of the mammalian intervertebral disc, whereupon the preformed S-shape of said elongated tool assumes said preformed S-shape as said elongated tool exits said guide in the interior of the mammalian intervertebral disc; e) positioning said elongated tool as desired within the interior of the mammalian intervertebral disc, wherein a distal end of the elongated tool is selectively positioned at different points in the interior of the mammalian intervertebral disc as the method of treatment is performed by the elongated tool by combining selective advancement and retraction of the elongated tool within the interior of the mammalian intervertebral disc with independent selective advancement and retraction of the introducer; and f) withdrawing said elongated tool from the interior of the mammalian intervertebral disc.