FIBROTIC BAND INTERRUPTER AND IMPLANT INTRODUCING DEVICE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Assembly, comprising:
- a housing including a hollow proximal barrel and a hollow distal bulb, the bulb and barrel being coaxial and being engaged with each other to define a continuous channel from a proximal end of the barrel to a distal opening of the bulb, the bulb having a larger outside diameter than the barrel and having a rounded distal segment tapering down to the distal opening, an interior stop being formed in the barrel and extending into the channel;
a closure element covering the proximal end of the barrel and defining a round opening and a keyway contiguous to the round opening; and
a plunger including a stem slidably disposed in the channel from the proximal end of the barrel into the channel and terminating at a distal disc, a proximal disc being formed on the stem, a key being formed on the stem, the plunger being movable relative to the housing between a distal position, in which the distal disc is closely juxtaposed with the distal opening of the bulb, an unlocked proximal position, in which the proximal disc abuts the interior stop to prevent proximal motion of the plunger relative to the housing and the key of the plunger aligns with the keyway of the closure element to permit distal motion of the plunger toward the distal position, and a locked proximal position, in which the plunger is at a different angular location relative to the barrel from an angular position of the plunger in the unlocked proximal position such that the key of the plunger is not aligned with the keyway of the closure element and instead the key abuts the closure element to prevent distal motion of the plunger relative to the housing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A space in a muscle wall such as the inguinal canal is dilated by a plunger-based mechanism to break up fibrotic bands by divulsion. While the space is dilated a dynamic plug is advanced into it, with the plug expanding and contracting with the space.
35 Citations
20 Claims
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1. Assembly, comprising:
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a housing including a hollow proximal barrel and a hollow distal bulb, the bulb and barrel being coaxial and being engaged with each other to define a continuous channel from a proximal end of the barrel to a distal opening of the bulb, the bulb having a larger outside diameter than the barrel and having a rounded distal segment tapering down to the distal opening, an interior stop being formed in the barrel and extending into the channel; a closure element covering the proximal end of the barrel and defining a round opening and a keyway contiguous to the round opening; and a plunger including a stem slidably disposed in the channel from the proximal end of the barrel into the channel and terminating at a distal disc, a proximal disc being formed on the stem, a key being formed on the stem, the plunger being movable relative to the housing between a distal position, in which the distal disc is closely juxtaposed with the distal opening of the bulb, an unlocked proximal position, in which the proximal disc abuts the interior stop to prevent proximal motion of the plunger relative to the housing and the key of the plunger aligns with the keyway of the closure element to permit distal motion of the plunger toward the distal position, and a locked proximal position, in which the plunger is at a different angular location relative to the barrel from an angular position of the plunger in the unlocked proximal position such that the key of the plunger is not aligned with the keyway of the closure element and instead the key abuts the closure element to prevent distal motion of the plunger relative to the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Apparatus comprising:
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a housing including a hollow proximal barrel and a hollow distal bulb, the distal bulb being curved from an open distal end such that a distal diameter of the bulb is smaller than a proximal diameter of the bulb so that the bulb can be advanced into an opening in tissue distal diameter first and then advanced further until the proximal diameter is in the opening so as to gently stretch the tissue during advancement of the bulb, thereby interrupting fibrotic bands in the tissue; a plunger slidably disposed in the channel and terminating at a distal disc, the plunger being movable relative to the housing between a distal position, in which the distal disc is closely juxtaposed with the open end of the bulb, and a proximal position, in which the distal disc is distanced from the open end of the bulb such that a tissue repair implant is disposable in the open end of the bulb, wherein moving the plunger from the proximal position to the distal position urges the implant out of the bulb into tissue. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Method comprising:
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retracting a plunger in a hollow barrel and rotating the plunger to a locked proximal position such that the plunger cannot be advanced back distally into the barrel; advancing an implant into an open distal end of a bulb extending proximally from the barrel; advancing the bulb into a tissue defect until a depth stop flange formed between the bulb and barrel rests against a muscular wall in which the tissue defect is formed; rendering the plunger into an unlocked proximal position; advancing the plunger distally relative to the barrel to release the implant out of the open distal end onto the defect.
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Specification