Systems and methods for treating conditions and diseases of the spine

摘要

Systems and methods for treating conditions and diseases of the spine are disclosed herein. A device includes a balloon catheter comprising at least one inner lumen incorporated within an elongated shaft; a distal end having an inner balloon positioned inside and completely surrounded by an outer balloon; and a proximal end having an adapter for passage of at least one of an inflation fluid or a medical instrument; and an optical fiber comprising an outer diameter sized to pass through the inner lumen of the elongated shaft; a nonlinear light-emitting portion of a given length, wherein a portion of a cladding material from the nonlinear light-emitting portion has been removed so that light energy may be emitted along the length of the nonlinear light-emitting portion; and a linear elongated portion for guiding light towards the nonlinear light-emitting portion.

主权项

1. A device comprising:
a balloon catheter having an elongated shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, the balloon catheter comprising:
at least one inner lumen incorporated within the elongated shaft;two or more inflatable balloons including at least a first inner inflatable balloon positioned inside and completely surrounded by a first outer inflatable balloon, the balloons located at the distal end; andan adapter for passage of at least one of an inflation fluid or a medical instrument, the adapter located at the proximal end; andan optical fiber having a core surrounded by a cladding material, the optical fiber comprising:an outer diameter sized to pass through the inner lumen of the elongated shaft of the balloon catheter and into one of the two or more inflatable balloons to cure the inflation fluid in at least one inflatable balloon of the two or more inflatable balloons;a nonlinear light-emitting portion of a given length, the nonlinear light-emitting portion including a plurality of spaced apart cuts in the cladding material along a length of the nonlinear light-emitting portion exposing the core so that light energy may be emitted from the core along the length of the nonlinear light-emitting portion; anda linear elongated portion for guiding light towards the nonlinear light-emitting portion,wherein the optical fiber has a curved conformation in which the nonlinear light-emitting portion of the optical fiber forms at least one loop around the first inner inflatable balloon from inside the first outer inflatable balloon, andwherein spaces between the cuts decrease toward a distal end of the optical fiber to harden the light-sensitive fluid in a substantially circumferential uniform light intensity when the optical fiber is in the curved conformation.