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BACK PAIN RANKS SECOND ONLY TO THE COMMON COLD AS A CAUSE OF TIME LOST FROM WORK (1).

Award Information
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 1377
Amount: $45,740.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1984
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
2999 Teagarden Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 CARL C.T. WANG
 PRESIDENT
 () -
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

BACK PAIN RANKS SECOND ONLY TO THE COMMON COLD AS A CAUSE OF TIME LOST FROM WORK (1). SOME BACK PAIN MAY BE DIAGNOSED AS LUMBAR DISC DISEASE AND MAY REQUIRE MEDICAL TREATMENT, WHICH CAN INCLUDE TOTAL DISC REMOVAL BY PARTIAL HEMILAMINECTOMY OR CHEMONUCLEOLYSIS. TO REDUCE THE MORBIDITY AND CURRENT EXPENSE OF DISC SURGERY AND THE DANGERS INHERENT IN CHEMONUCLEOLYSIS, AN AUTOMATED PERCUTANEOUS DISCECTOMY INSTRUMENT IS GREATLY NEEDED. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO INVESTIGATE THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING AN AUTOMATED SUCTION AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT FOR PERCUTANEOUS REMOVAL OF HERNIATED DISC MATERIAL.* SHEATHED IN A BLUNT-END TUBE (2MM DIAMETER, 200MM LENGTH), THIS AUTOMATED ASPIRATING-CUTTING PROBE WOULD BE DRIVEN BY PNEUMATIC FORCE TO ENSURE AGAINST BINDING OR STALLING. COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) WOULD ACCOMPANY THE DEVELOPMENTAL USE OF THIS INSTRUMENT TO PROMOTE ACCURACY OF PROBE PLACEMENT AND TO SUBSTANTIATE OPERATIVE SUCCESS. PERCUTANEOUS NUCLECTOMY HAS NOW BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN ABOUT 90 PATIENTS WORLDWIDE USING MANUAL INSTRUMENTS (2-4). AN AUTOMATED INSTRUMENT FOR THIS PROCEDURE WOULD PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE NON-TRAUMATIC, SEMI-INVASIVE MEANS OF ALLEVIATING THE OFTEN RELENTLESS PAIN OF A HERNIATED OR PROTRUDED INTERVERTEBRAL DISC ON AN OUTPATIENT BASIS, ELIMINATING POST-OPERATIVE TRAUMA AND GREATLY REDUCING MEDICAL CARE COSTS.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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