Steerable curvable vertebroplasty drill

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a steerable and curvable drill that can be used for various applications including vertebroplasty. The drill can include an elongate, tubular body, having a proximal end, a distal end, and a central lumen extending therethrough; a deflectable zone on the distal end of the tubular body including one or more laser cuts, deflectable through an angular range; an insertable wire insertable into at least a portion of the central lumen of the elongate, tubular body; a handle on the proximal end of the tubular body; a deflection control on the handle; a drill control on the handle; a drive shaft within the elongate tubular body having a proximal end and a distal end; and a boring element on the distal end of the device for creating a cavity within bone. The boring element can be operably connected to the distal end of the drive shaft via a crimping mechanism. Systems and methods involving the drill are also disclosed.

1 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method of treating a bone, comprising:
 creating an access channel to access the interior of a vertebral body;   inserting an introducer cannula into the access channel;   inserting a drill through the introducer cannula into the interior of the vertebral body, the drill comprising an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end comprising a deflectable zone; the drill further comprising a drive shaft housed in a central lumen of the elongate body, the drive shaft including a distal portion comprising one or more slit apertures on the surface of the drive shaft; the drill further comprising a first crimp member on the distal end of the tubular body; a boring member; and a second crimp member on the boring member, wherein the second crimp member is configured to be interlocking with the first crimp member to form a continuous body between the tubular body and boring member;   actuating a control to deflect the deflectable zone of the steerable and curvable drill in the vertebral body;   removing the steerable and curvable drill from the interior of the vertebral body; and   flowing bone cement through an injection needle into the interior of the vertebral body.   
     
     
         15 . A vertebroplasty drill, comprising:
 an elongate tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end comprising a deflectable zone carrying a boring element configured to displace cancellous bone, and a central lumen extending therethrough;   a handle on the proximal end of the tubular body, the handle comprising a deflection control for deflecting a deflectable zone on a distal end of the tubular body, and a drill control for actuating the boring element; and   a drive shaft housed within the central lumen of the tubular body, the drive shaft including a distal portion comprising one or more slit apertures on the surface of the drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft is operably connected to the drill control proximally and the boring element distally.