Safety and Effectiveness Study of the AO-1000 Device to Treat Contained Herniated Discs

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the AO-1000 device to treat and relieve the pain of symptomatic subjects with contained herniated discs. This single-arm pilot study will be used as a go vs. no-go decision on performing a randomized-controlled trial. The study's primary effectiveness objective is to demonstrate that the patient's functionality (based on Oswestry Disability Index scores) has improved from baseline at one month. The study's primary safety objective is to demonstrate that serious device/procedure related adverse events and subsequent surgical interventions are no greater than those in a literature control of other percutaneous disc decompression procedures at discharge, 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months post-treatment. Secondary objectives are to demonstrate procedural success and improvement in the pain and function of the subjects at 1, 6, and 12 months using the VAS and ODI scales as well as tracking analgesic medication use. Pain and function scores for each follow-up time will be compared to the baseline scores.