Surgical site access system and deployment device for same

Abstract

An expandable surgical site access system and method for using the expandable surgical site access system to perform minimally invasive, percutaneous surgeries to access the spine or other bone structures, organs, or locations of the body is disclosed. In one embodiment, the surgical site access system includes an elongated, expandable stent that is particularly adapted to be deployed in a body during a surgical procedure to provide access to a surgical site within the body. The stent defines a working channel through the body from a point of entry to the surgical site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical instrument for deploying a self-expanding stent, the stent being configurable from a collapsed first configuration to an expanded second configuration and providing access to a surgical site from a point of entry, comprising:
 a delivery device having an elongated shaft and a retention tip provided adjacent a distal end of the shaft, the retention tip being configured to receive a distal end portion of the stent; and   a removable sheath covering the stent and retaining the stent in the collapsed first configuration on the shaft, the sheath being operable, when removed, to release the distal end portion of the stent from the retention tip and permit the stent to assume the expanded second configuration so as to provide access to the surgical site through a working channel defined by the stent between the point of entry and the surgical site.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical instrument of  claim 1  wherein the elongated shaft is cannulated. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical instrument of  claim 1  wherein the removable sheath and the elongated shaft are configured to retain the stent therebetween in the collapsed first configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical instrument of  claim 1  further comprising a self-expanding stent. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical instrument of  claim 4 , wherein the stent comprises a mesh structure. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical instrument of  claim 4 , further comprising an illumination system associated with the stent and operable to illuminate the working channel. 
     
     
         7 . A surgical instrument for providing access to a surgical site from a point of entry, comprising:
 an axially compressible stent body being configurable from a first length to a shortened second length upon axial compression of the stent body, the stent body defining a first diameter at the first length and an expanded second diameter at the shortened second length upon axial compression of the stent body, the stent body being operable, in the axially compressed state, to provide access to the surgical site through a working channel defined by the stent body between the point of entry and the surgical site.   
     
     
         8 . The surgical instrument of  claim 7 , wherein the stent body comprises one of a bi-axially braided structure or a lattice structure or a meshed structure. 
     
     
         9 . The surgical instrument of  claim 7 , further comprising an access member associated with a proximal end of the stent body. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical instrument of  claim 7 , wherein the stent body is generally flexible along at least a portion of its length. 
     
     
         11 . The surgical instrument of  claim 7 , wherein the stent body is an axially compressible and radially expandable integral component. 
     
     
         12 . A surgical instrument for providing access to a surgical site from a point of entry, comprising:
 an axially compressible stent body being configurable from a first length to a shortened second length upon axial compression of the stent body, the stent body defining a first diameter at the first length and an expanded second diameter at the shortened second length upon axial compression of the stent body, the stent body being operable, in the axially compressed state, to provide access to the surgical site through a working channel defined by the stent body between the point of entry and the surgical site;
 a stationary member associated with a proximal end of the stent body; 
   a rotatable member supported for rotation relative to the stationary member; and   a plurality of flexible elongated members operatively coupled between the rotatable member and a distal end of the stent body, wherein the flexible elongated members axially compress the stent body upon rotation of the rotatable member relative to the stationary member.   
     
     
         13 . The surgical instrument of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the plurality of flexible elongated members comprises one of a wire or cord or cable. 
     
     
         14 . The surgical instrument of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of flexible elongated members extend through the stationary member. 
     
     
         15 . The surgical instrument of  claim 12 , further comprising a locking mechanism configured to releasably lock the rotary member in one of a plurality of rotated positions relative to the stationary member. 
     
     
         16 . A surgical instrument for deploying a radially expandable stent, the stent being operable, in a radially expanded state, to provide access to a surgical site through a working channel defined by the stent between a point of entry and the surgical site, comprising:
 a mandrel having an elongated shaft and a retention tip provided adjacent a distal end of the shaft, the retention tip having an annular recess formed therein configured to receive a distal end portion of the stent; and   a sleeve slidably mounted on the mandrel and configured to be located within the stent with a distal end portion of the sleeve received in the annular recess of the mandrel with the distal end portion of the stent, wherein the sleeve is operable, when slidably removed from the mandrel, to release the distal end portion of the stent from the retention tip of the mandrel.   
     
     
         17 . The surgical instrument of  claim 16 , further comprising a locking mechanism configured to releasably lock the sleeve relative to the mandrel. 
     
     
         18 . The surgical instrument of  claim 16 , further comprising a stent. 
     
     
         19 . A method for deploying a self-expanding stent, the stent being configurable from a collapsed first configuration to an expanded second configuration and providing access to a surgical site from a point of entry, comprising:
 making an incision at the point of entry;   creating access through tissue from the point of entry to the surgical site;   passing the stent in its collapsed first configuration through the access created through the tissue;   applying a force to a proximal end of the stent to cause the stent to expand to the expanded second configuration.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of securing the proximal end of the stent to a patient's skin to maintain the stent in its expanded second configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the stent further comprises an access member at the proximal end of the stent, the access member being adhered to the skin of the patient