1. A method performed by a network node for correlating subscriber IDs in a communication network, the method comprising:
receiving from another network node a message that relates to an application function wherein the message includes information uniquely related to a subscriber of the application function;
extracting subscriber identification information from the message;
determining if the extracted subscriber identification information is found in a correlation object in a correlation object database;
if the extracted subscriber identification information does not correlate to an existing correlation object, generating a new correlation object where the new correlation object comprises the information uniquely related to a subscriber of the application function and the extracted subscriber identification information.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlation object corresponds to a single user account in a communication network with access to various network resources.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second message and extracting subscriber identification information from the second message;
if the extracted subscriber identification information in the second message is found in a correlation object in the correlation database, then adding the information uniquely related to a subscriber of the application function to the correlation object found in the correlation object database.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the extracted subscriber identification information into another format compatible with the correlation object database.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber identification information may be one of E164, network access identifier (NAI), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier (SIP URI).
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber identification information may be a vendor specific subscriber identification type.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the received message is a Diameter message.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber identification information may be one of an end user IP address and access point name.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying subscriber identification information in a specific correlation object in the correlation object database;
searching external databases for the subscriber identification information; and
if the subscriber identification information is found in an external database, then extracting additional subscriber identification information from the external database and then adding the additional subscriber identification information to the specific correlation object.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said external databases comprise vendor subscription profile repositories (SPR) and said subscriber identification information is stored in SPR records distributed across one or multiple SPRs.
11. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the additional subscriber identification information to repeat the steps of identifying subscriber identification information, searching external data bases, extracting additional subscriber identification information, and adding the additional subscriber identification information.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising repeating the steps of identifying subscriber identification information, searching external data bases, extracting additional subscriber identification information, and adding the additional subscriber identification information according to a scheduled time interval.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlation object includes correlation subscriber identification and wherein the correlation subscriber identification and the subscriber identification information are stored in a same correlation database data structure level.
14. A subscriber correlation identification correlation service device, comprising:
a request dispatcher that sends and receives messages that relate to an application function, wherein the messages include information uniquely related to a subscriber of the application function;
a command handler that processes the received messages according to the type of message;
a subscriber identification information decompressor that extracts subscriber identification information from the received messages;
a subscriber identity resolver that determines if extracted subscriber identification information correlates to an existing correlation object; and
a correlation object generator that generates a new correlation object when extracted subscriber identification information does not correlate to an existing correlation object, where the new correlation object comprises the information uniquely related to a subscriber of the application function and the extracted subscriber identification information.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein the correlation object corresponds to a single user account in a communication network with access to various network resources.
16. The device of claim 14, wherein the subscriber identification information decompressor includes plug-ins that allow for the transformation of the received subscriber identification information to a format that uses in the correlation object.
17. The device of claim 14, wherein the subscriber identity resolver includes a correlation object database and a search engine that searches the correlation object database.
18. The device of claim 14, wherein the subscriber identification information may be one of E164, network access identifier (NAI), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier (SIP URI).
19. The device of claim 14, wherein the subscriber identification information may be a vendor specific subscriber identification type.
20. The device of claim 14, wherein the received message is a Diameter message.
21. The device of claim 14, wherein the subscriber identification information may be one of an end user IP address and access point name.
22. The device of claim 14, wherein the subscriber identity resolver searches external databases to identify additional subscriber identification information.
23. The device of claim 14, wherein the correlation object includes correlation subscriber identification and wherein the correlation subscriber identification and the subscriber identification information are stored in a same correlation database data structure level.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of performing percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic lumbar surgery on a patient, comprising the steps of:
creating an opening in said patent’s skin;
passing at least one tubular cannula through said opening so as to create a soft tissue tunnel;
placing a semi-tubular spreader over a said at least one tubular cannula inside said soft tissue tunnel;
placing a flat blade spreader into an opening formed by said semi-tubular spreader;
dilating said opening by spreading apart blades of said flat blade spreader;
inserting bone grafts through said opening and into an intervertebral space of said patient.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least at least one tubular cannula has a first end, and said first end passes through said opening and stops substantially adjacent to said invertervebral space of said patient.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after said step of placing said semi-tubular spreader, the step of removing said at least one cannula.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after said step of dilating said opening, the step of rotating said flat blade spreader and said semi-tubular spreader in unison.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, after said rotating step, the step of removing said semi-tubular spreader.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein said flat blade spreader is rotated through an angle of approximately ninety degrees.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein said flat blade spreader is rotated through an angle such that blades of said flat blade spreader are oriented substantially cephalad-caudad.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein when said flat blade spreader is dilated, a cross section of said soft tissue tunnel is changed to be substantially rectangular in shape, and said intervertebral space is increased.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to said step of inserting bone grafts, the step of debriding nucleus pulposus in said intervertebral space.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said bone grafts are substantially rectangular in shape.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said bone grafts have the shape of a flat disc.
12. A method of performing percutaneous transforaminal lumbar surgery in a patient, comprising the steps of:
creating a skin window in said patient’s skin;
defining a foraminal window substantially adjacent to said a discal space of said patient;
inserting a needle through said skin window and guiding a tip of said needle to said foraminal annular window;
passing an obturator over a said needle so as to create a soft tissue tunnel in said patient, said soft tissue tunnel beginning at said skin window and terminating at said foraminal window;
removing said needle;
placing a first cannula over said obturator, within said soft tissue tunnel;
removing said obturator;
placing a plurality of progressively larger cannulae within said soft tissue tunnel so as to dilate said skin window and said soft tissue tunnel, each of said cannulae being removed after said next larger cannula is inserted;
inserting a semi-tubular spreader over one of said tubular cannulae, said semi-tubular spreader having a tube portion comprised of an upper arm and lower arm, said semi-tubular spreader being oriented such that an opening between said upper arm and said lower arm is substantially horizontal;
dilating said annular fenestration and vertebral separation by using circular rods of progressively increasing diameter inserted within said tube portion of said semi-tubular spreader;
debriding nucleus pulposus within said intervertebral space;
inserting a flat blade spreader into said semi-tubular spreader, said flat blade spreader having at least two blade portions, said blade portions fitting into said opening between said upper and lower arms of said semi-tubular spreader;
rotating said semi-tubular spreader and said flat blade spreader in unison;
removing said semi tubular spreader;
spreading said blade portions of said flat blade spreader so as to dilate said soft tissue tunnel and spread apart vertebrae adjacent to said intervertebral space;
inserting at least one substantially rectangular graft substantially anteriorly in said intervertebral space;
filling lattices of the block graft and void spaces of the interspace with osteoinductive agents.
13. The met hod of claim 12, wherein said skin window constitutes an annular fenestration.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein said semi-tubular spreader and said flat blade spreader are rotated through an angle of approximately ninety degrees.
15. A flat blade spreader for use in endoscopic lumbar surgery, comprising:
a first handle and a second handle joined together by at least one pivot point, each of said handles including a grip;
each handle having attached to it a flat surface blade extending outward at an angle from a planar surface of the first and second handle grips.
16. The device of claim 15 wherein said flat surface blades are grooved.