Method and apparatus for delivering drugs to the spine of a patient, and/or for delivering other materials and/or devices to the spine of a patient

Abstract

A drug delivery system comprising: a plurality of needles; a needle guide for guiding and holding the plurality of needles during insertion into a patient's spine; a syringe containing a drug which is to be delivered into the patient's spine; a port multiplier comprising an inlet port connectable to the syringe and a plurality of outlet ports; and a plurality of tubes for providing fluid connections between the outlet ports of the port multiplier and the plurality of needles.

1 . A drug delivery system comprising:
 a plurality of needles;   a needle guide for guiding and holding the plurality of needles during insertion into a patient's spine;   a syringe containing a drug which is to be delivered into the patient's spine;   a port multiplier comprising an inlet port connectable to the syringe and a plurality of outlet ports; and   a plurality of tubes for providing fluid connections between the outlet ports of the port multiplier and the plurality of needles.   
     
     
         2 . A drug delivery system according to  claim 1  wherein the needle guide comprises:
 a frame; and 
 a plurality of needle supports selectively movably mounted to the frame, wherein each of the needle supports is configured to guide and hold a needle during insertion into the patient's spine. 
 
     
     
         3 . A drug delivery system according to  claim 2  wherein each of the needle supports is reconfigurable between
 (i) a first configuration wherein the needle support is movable axially along the frame and rotatable relative to the frame; and 
 (ii) a second configuration wherein the needle support is axially and rotatably fixed relative to the frame. 
 
     
     
         4 . A drug delivery system according to  claim 3  wherein the frame comprises two frame supports connected to one another by at least one adjustable arm. 
     
     
         5 . A drug delivery system according to  claim 4  wherein each of the frame supports comprises a frame lumen and a pair of slots communicating with the frame lumen. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A drug delivery system according to  claim 4  wherein the frame supports are formed out of a radiolucent material, and further wherein radiopaque markers are disposed on the frame supports. 
     
     
         9 . A drug delivery system according to  claim 2  wherein the plurality of needle supports are formed out of a radiolucent material, and further wherein radiopaque markers are disposed on the plurality of needle supports. 
     
     
         10 . A drug delivery system according to  claim 1  further comprising a spring-loaded syringe assist device for operating the syringe. 
     
     
         11 . A method for delivering drugs, the method comprising:
 providing a drug delivery system comprising:
 a plurality of needles; 
 a needle guide for guiding and holding the plurality of needles during insertion into a patient's spine; 
 a syringe containing a drug which is to be delivered into the patient's spine; 
 a port multiplier comprising an inlet port connectable to the syringe and a plurality of outlet ports; and 
 a plurality of tubes for providing fluid connections between the outlet ports of the port multiplier and the plurality of needles; 
   positioning the needle guide against the skin of the patient adjacent to the spine;   using the needle guide to guide the plurality of needles as they are inserted into the spine and hold them in position;   connecting the port multiplier to the syringe containing the drug which is to be delivered;   connecting the tubes to the outlet ports of the port multiplier and to the needles; and   using the syringe to eject the drug into the port multiplier, through the tubes and through the needles so as to be injected into the desired locations in the spine of the patient.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the needle guide comprises:
 a frame; and 
 a plurality of needle supports selectively movably mounted to the frame, wherein each of the needle supports is configured to guide and hold a needle during insertion into the patient's spine. 
 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein each of the needle supports is reconfigurable between (i) a first configuration wherein the needle support is movable axially along the frame and rotatable relative to the frame; and (ii) a second configuration wherein the needle support is axially and rotatably fixed relative to the frame. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13  wherein one of the plurality of needles is inserted through a needle support and into the spine while the needle support is in its first configuration, the needle has its disposition checked and corrected as necessary while the needle support is in its first configuration, and then the needle support is reconfigured into its second configuration while the needle remains inserted into the spine, with the foregoing process thereafter repeated for at least one other of the plurality of needles. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the needle has its disposition checked and corrected as necessary using fluoroscopy. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the frame comprises two frame supports connected to one another by at least one adjustable arm. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein each of the frame supports comprises a frame lumen and a pair of slots communicating with the frame lumen. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the frame supports are formed out of a radiolucent material, and further wherein radiopaque markers are disposed on the frame supports. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the plurality of needle supports are formed out of a radiolucent material, and further wherein radiopaque markers are disposed on the plurality of needle supports. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 11  further comprising a spring-loaded syringe assist device for operating the syringe. 
     
     
         23 . A delivery system for delivering a plurality of cannulated devices into the anatomy of a patient, the delivery system comprising:
 a plurality of guidewires;   a frame; and   a plurality of guidewire supports selectively movably mounted to the frame, wherein each of the guidewire supports is configured to guide and hold a guidewire during insertion into the anatomy of a patient;   wherein the frame comprises two frame supports connected to one another by at least one adjustable arm;   wherein each of the frame supports comprises a frame lumen and a pair of slots communicating with the frame lumen;   wherein each of the guidewire supports comprises:
 a body slidably disposed in a frame lumen of a frame support; and 
 a member configured to slidably support a guidewire and to selectively lock the body in a selected position within a frame lumen of a frame support. 
   
     
     
         24 . A method for delivering a plurality of cannulated devices into the anatomy of a patient, the method comprising:
 providing a delivery system comprising:
 a plurality of guidewires; 
 a frame; and 
 a plurality of guidewire supports selectively movably mounted to the frame, wherein each of the guidewire supports is configured to guide and hold a guidewire during insertion into the anatomy of a patient; 
 wherein the frame comprises two frame supports connected to one another by at least one adjustable arm; 
 wherein each of the frame supports comprises a frame lumen and a pair of slots communicating with the frame lumen; 
 wherein each of the guidewire supports comprises:
 a body slidably disposed in a frame lumen of a frame support; and 
 a member configured to slidably support a guidewire and to selectively lock the body in a selected position within a frame lumen of a frame support; 
 
   positioning the frame against the anatomy of the patient;   using the plurality of guidewire supports to guide the plurality of guidewires as they are inserted into the anatomy of the patient;   withdrawing the frame and the plurality of guidewire supports while leaving the plurality of guidewires inserted into the anatomy of the patient; and   delivering a plurality of cannulated devices into the anatomy of a patient by passing the cannulated devices over the plurality of guidewires.   
     
     
         25 . A needle guide for guiding and holding a plurality of needles during insertion into a patient's body, the needle guide comprising:
 a frame; and   a plurality of needle supports selectively movably mounted to the frame, wherein each of the needle supports is configured to guide and hold a needle during insertion into the patient's body;   and further wherein each of the needle supports is reconfigurable between:
 (i) a first configuration wherein the needle support is movable at least one of (a) axially along the frame, and (b) rotatably relative to the frame; and 
 (ii) a second configuration wherein the needle support is fixed relative to the frame. 
   
     
     
         26 . A spring-loaded syringe assist device for use with a syringe containing a drug which is to be delivered into a patient's spine, wherein the syringe comprises (a) a syringe body having a cavity containing the drug and an output port, and (b) a plunger movably disposed in the cavity for driving the drug out of the output port, the spring-loaded syringe assist device comprising:
 a housing for mounting to the syringe body;   a driver for engaging the plunger and moving the plunger so as to drive the drug contained in the cavity out of the output port; and   a power unit for moving the driver.   
     
     
         27 . A port multiplier comprising:
 a hollow body having an interior;   an input port in fluid communication with the interior of the hollow body, the input port being configured for attachment to a syringe containing a drug; and   a plurality of output ports in fluid communication with the interior of the hollow body, each of the plurality of output ports being configured for attachment to a fluid line comprising a needle.