Methods and Apparatus for Intraoperative Administration of Analgesia

摘要

A guide conduit (900) for delivering analgesia to a target site during a surgical procedure. The guide conduit defines a channel for directing a catheter (975) to an epidural target site cephalad a surgical opening for the injection of analgesia after the surgical opening is substantially closed. An angle (937) formed in the guide conduit functions to urge the catheter toward a bone and away from a thecal sac as it is passed toward the epidural target site. In one embodiment, a finger rest (1040) on a first member (1002) cooperates with a thumb rest (1018) on a second member (1004) of the guide conduit to allow the surgeon to activate sliding disengagement of the two members with one hand to allow the guide conduit to be removed from the surgical site without dislodging the catheter.