Systems and methods for treatment of compressed nerves

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system for releasing a ligament. In one embodiment, the system includes a proximal handle, a tubular body, and a flexible body. The tubular body includes a proximal end and a distal end. The handle is coupled to the proximal end. The flexible body extends through the tubular body and includes a tissue cutting portion. The flexible body or tubular body is longitudinally displaceable to move the tissue cutting portion between a non-deployed state and a deployed state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of releasing a ligament, the method comprising:
 percutaneously penetrating at a first location with a tubular body;   positioning the tubular body adjacent the ligament;   activating an actuator to combine a first portion of a cutting structure located on the tubular body with a second portion of the cutting structure located on a flexible body extending through the tubular body to form the cutting structure; and   releasing the ligament with the cutting structure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein activating the actuator comprises displacing the actuator along a track located on a handle connected to the tubular body. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the cutting structure comprises an outer portion of cutting teeth or serrations. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second portion of the cutting structure comprises an inner portion of cutting teeth or serrations. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the aligning of the first portion of the cutting structure with the second portion of the cutting structure includes longitudinally displacing the flexible body relative to the tubular body. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein when the flexible body is longitudinally displaced relative to the tubular body, the second portion of the cutting structure moves from being generally hidden within the tubular body to being generally exposed in a plurality of openings comprising at least part of the first portion of the cutting structure. 
     
     
         7 . A medical device for severing tissue in a minimally invasive medical procedure, the device comprising:
 a tubular body including: a tubular wall defining an lumen extending longitudinally through the tubular body; a proximal end; a distal end opposite the proximal end; and a window extending through the tubular wall, the window including a length greater than a width of the window, the length of the window being generally parallel with a length of the tubular body;   an inner body occupying at least a portion of the lumen and including: a proximal end; a distal end opposite the proximal end; an exterior surface located between the proximal and distal ends of the inner body; and a plurality of saw teeth defined in the exterior surface and fixed relative to the exterior surface; and   a handle coupled to the proximal end of the tubular body, the handle including an actuator coupled to the proximal end of the inner body and configured to displace the inner body within the lumen between a non-deployed state and a deployed state, wherein the plurality of saw teeth bow out of the window when the inner body is in a deployed state.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of saw teeth includes a distal end and a proximal end, and the plurality of saw teeth are caused to bow out of the window via a distance between the distal and proximal ends of the plurality of saw teeth being decreased by the actuator displacing the inner body between the non-deployed and deployed states. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the distal end of the saw teeth is prevented from longitudinally displacing relative to the tubular body, and the proximal end of the saw teeth is free to longitudinally displace relative to the tubular body. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the distal end of the saw teeth is pivotally coupled to the tubular body, and the proximal end of the saw teeth is pivotally coupled to a rest of the inner body extending proximally from the proximal end of the saw teeth. 
     
     
         11 . A medical device for severing tissue in a minimally invasive medical procedure, the device comprising:
 a tubular body including: a tubular wall defining an lumen extending longitudinally through the tubular body; a proximal end; a distal end opposite the proximal end; and a window extending through the tubular wall, the window including a length greater than a width of the window, the length of the window being generally parallel with a length of the tubular body;   a first inner body occupying at least a portion of the lumen and including a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end;   a second inner body occupying at least a portion of the lumen at the window and including an exterior surface and a plurality of saw teeth defined in the exterior surface and fixed relative to the exterior surface; and   a handle coupled to the proximal end of the tubular body, the handle including an actuator coupled to the proximal end of the first inner body and configured to displace the first inner body within the lumen between a non-deployed state and a deployed state, wherein displacing the first inner body from the non-deployed state to the deployed state causes the second inner body to be positioned between the window and the first inner body such that the saw teeth extend from the window.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the second inner body is generally fixed within the tubular body with respect to longitudinal displacement. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the second inner body is biased to be recessed within the tubular body so the saw teeth generally do not extend from the tubular body via the window when the second body is not positioned between the window and the first inner body. 
     
     
         14 . A medical system for severing tissue in a minimally invasive medical procedure, the system comprising:
 a tissue cutting device, the device comprising a tubular body, an inner body and a handle, wherein: a) the tubular body includes: a tubular wall defining an lumen extending longitudinally through the tubular body; a proximal end; a distal end opposite the proximal end; and a window extending through the tubular wall, the window including a length greater than a width of the window, the length of the window being generally parallel with a length of the tubular body; b) the inner body occupies at least a portion of the lumen and includes: a proximal end; a distal end opposite the proximal end; an exterior surface located between the proximal and distal ends of the inner body; and a plurality of saw teeth defined in the exterior surface and fixed relative to the exterior surface; and c) the handle is coupled to the proximal end of the tubular body, the handle including an actuator coupled to the proximal end of the inner body and configured to displace the inner body within the lumen between a non-deployed state and a deployed state, wherein: the plurality of saw teeth are hidden within the tubular body so as to be covered by the wall of the tubular body when the inner body is in the non-deployed state; and the plurality of saw teeth are exposed at the window when the inner body is in a deployed state; and   a guard having an elongated body adapted to receive therein the tubular body in a coaxial arrangement, the elongated body including a channel extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the elongated body;   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a probe configured to be received in a coaxial arrangement within the guard, the probe having a first elongated body of a first diameter and a second elongated body of a second diameter larger than the first diameter, the first and second elongated bodies connected at a connection portion, the first elongated body terminating as a distal end of the probe,   wherein, when the probe is received in the guard, the distal end of the probe is positioned adjacent to the distal end of the guard and the connection portion of the probe is positioned adjacent to the proximal end of the guard.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the proximal end of the guard is a relatively wide, flat surface. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the proximal end of the guard is shaped to receive the handle of the tissue cutting device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a visualization system comprising an elongated image conduit including a distal end and a proximal end coupled to a tapered lens, wherein the image conduit is configured to be received in coaxial arrangement within the guard and includes at least one fiber optic and the tapered lens includes a fiber optic taper, wherein the visualization system does not electrically powered. 
     
     
         19 . A system for visualizing interior anatomy of a patient the system comprising: an image conduit configured to transmit light to interior anatomy and to return an image of the interior anatomy to a tapered member without using electronics, the tapered member being configured to magnify the image of the interior anatomy for viewing.