Releasably locking dilator and sheath assembly
First Claim
1. A dilator and sheath assembly comprising:
- a) a dilator having;
1) an elongated dilator stem having a proximal dilator end; and
2) a dilator hub fixedly connected to the proximal dilator end, wherein the dilator hub includes a threaded portion at a distal portion thereof;
and b) a sheath having;
1) an elongated tubular portion having a proximal sheath end, a distal sheath end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal sheath end and the distal sheath end, wherein the tubular portion is sized to frictionally retain the dilator stem;
2) at least one tear seam extending in a plane between the proximal sheath end and the distal sheath end; and
3) a sheath hub fixedly connected to the proximal sheath end, wherein the sheath hub includes a proximal portion, a valve and a mating threaded portion at a proximal end thereof, wherein the threaded portion of the dilator hub and the mating threaded portion of the sheath hub provide a releasably locking engagement between the dilator and the sheath.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A releasably locking dilator and sheath assembly and methods for releasing the dilator from the sheath and longitudinally splitting the sheath are provided. The assembly includes a dilator having a dilator hub and a sheath having a sheath hub. The sheath hub has a valve and two opposing winged tabs, each tab having a perpendicular portion and an angled portion as well as a female threaded portion. The dilator hub has a male threaded portion designed to engage the female threaded portion of the sheath hub. The dilator is released from the sheath by rotating the dilator 90° in relation to the sheath and pulling the dilator out of the sheath. The sheath is longitudinally split by creating a couple on each of the winged tabs thereby forcing the sheath and the sheath hub to split longitudinally. With the sheath and sheath hub split longitudinally, the sheath is removed from around a catheter while leaving the catheter in place.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A dilator and sheath assembly comprising:
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a) a dilator having;
1) an elongated dilator stem having a proximal dilator end; and
2) a dilator hub fixedly connected to the proximal dilator end, wherein the dilator hub includes a threaded portion at a distal portion thereof;
andb) a sheath having;
1) an elongated tubular portion having a proximal sheath end, a distal sheath end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal sheath end and the distal sheath end, wherein the tubular portion is sized to frictionally retain the dilator stem;
2) at least one tear seam extending in a plane between the proximal sheath end and the distal sheath end; and
3) a sheath hub fixedly connected to the proximal sheath end, wherein the sheath hub includes a proximal portion, a valve and a mating threaded portion at a proximal end thereof, wherein the threaded portion of the dilator hub and the mating threaded portion of the sheath hub provide a releasably locking engagement between the dilator and the sheath. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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10. A dilator and sheath assembly comprising:
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a) a dilator having;
1) an elongated dilator stem having a proximal dilator end; and
2) a dilator hub fixedly connected to the proximal dilator end;
b) a sheath having;
1) an elongated tubular portion having a longitudinal axis, a proximal sheath end and a distal sheath end, wherein the tubular portion is sized to frictionally retain the dilator stem;
2) at least one tear seam extending in a plane between the proximal sheath end and the distal sheath end; and
3) a sheath hub, having a valve, fixedly connected to the proximal sheath end; and
c) a means for providing a releasably locking engagement between the distal portion of the dilator hub and the proximate portion of the sheath hub.
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16. A dilator and sheath assembly comprising:
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a) a dilator having an elongated dilator stem, a proximal dilator end and a dilator hub fixedly connected to the proximal dilator end, wherein the dilator hub includes a threaded portion at a distal portion thereof; and
b) a sheath having;
(i) a proximal sheath end, a distal sheath end and an elongated tubular portion having a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal sheath end and the distal sheath end;
(ii) two tear seams extending along the tubular portion between the proximal sheath end and the distal sheath end, wherein the two tear seams are located on opposite sides of the sheath and are in a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the sheath;
(iii) a first and second opposing sheath hub portions, wherein each of the first and second sheath hub portions comprise an inverted semicircular edge fixedly connected to the sheath, whereby the first and second sheath hub portions generally encircle the tubular sheath and whereby there are small spaces between the first and second sheath hub portions, wherein the spaces between the first and second sheath hub portions are aligned with the two tear seams on the sheath;
wherein each of the first and second sheath hub portions comprise a threaded portion at a proximal end thereof, whereby the first and second threaded portions form a circular threaded portion forming the proximal end of the sheath, and whereby the threaded portion is matable with the threaded portion of the dilator hub to provide a releasably locking engagement between the dilator and the sheath; and
(iv) a valve located between the proximal sheath end and the distal sheath end. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of separating a dilator from a sheath comprising:
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a. providing a dilator having a dilator stem extending along a longitudinal axis and a dilator hub connected to a proximal end of the dilator stem, wherein the dilator hub comprises a male threaded portion;
b. providing a sheath having a sheath hub comprising a female threaded portion, a valve and winged tabs having a perpendicular portion and an angled portion, whereby the dilator is releasably connected to the sheath by mating the threads on the dilator hub to the threads on the sheath hub;
C. rotating the dilator around the longitudinal axis in relation to the sheath, thereby unthreading the male threaded portion from the female threaded portion; and
d. disengaging the dilator from the sheath. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of removing a sheath from around a catheter assembly, wherein the catheter assembly and sheath are both partially disposed inside of a desired vessel to be catheterized, the sheath having:
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a. a longitudinal axis;
b. a distal portion having a distal tip with a hollow portion aligned with the longitudinal axis of the sheath;
c. an elongated tubular structure comprising a hollow passageway traversing the entire longitudinal axis of the sheath;
d. a proximal portion comprising a proximal tip at the proximal end thereof and a hollow passageway along the longitudinal axis of the sheath;
e. two opposing tear seams running entire length of the sheath and coplanar with the longitudinal axis of the sheath; and
f. a sheath hub fixedly connected to the proximal portion of the sheath, the sheath hub comprising;
(i.) two opposing reveals disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular sheath and are coplanar with the tear seams running along the surface of the sheath and the longitudinal axis of the sheath;
(ii.) two opposing winged tabs, each tab includes a perpendicular portion and an angled portion, the perpendicular portion extending laterally from the sheath hub in a plane perpendicular to the plane containing the longitudinal axis of the sheath and the two opposing reveals and the angled portion of the tab extending from the perpendicular portion, wherein an angle between the proximal surface of the perpendicular portion and the angled portion is between 90° and
179°
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(iii.) a valve;
the method comprising;
A. applying a distal force to the proximal surface of the angled portion of each of the winged tabs;
B. applying a proximal force to the distal surface of each of the tabs at a point on the tab closer to the center of the sheath than the point upon which the distal force is applied to the proximal surface;
C. grasping the tabs of the sheath and pulling them outward from the center of the sheath thereby separating the sheath into two halves along the tear seams running the length of the sheath; and
D. pulling the sheath in a proximal direction. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification