MATERIAL MANIPULATION METHOD AND APPARATUS
First Claim
1. A tool for manipulating material during a medical procedure, the tool comprising:
- a handle;
a shaft extending from the handle, said shaft having a distal end portion with a major side surface which is engagable with the material during the medical procedure; and
a gripper movable along a longitudinal central axis of said shaft to grip the material between said gripper and said major side surface of said distal end portion of said shaft.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for use in manipulating material during a medical procedure includes positioning the material in engagement with a major side surface on a distal end portion of a shaft. A gripper is operated to grip the material between a wire and a major side surface of the shaft by moving the wire along a longitudinal central axis of the shaft. Material is moved to a desired position relative to a patient'"'"'s body while the material is gripped between the wire and the major side surface of the distal end portion of the shaft. The wire is then retracted along the longitudinal central axis of the shaft to release the material for movement relative to the end distal end portion of the shaft.
10 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A tool for manipulating material during a medical procedure, the tool comprising:
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a handle; a shaft extending from the handle, said shaft having a distal end portion with a major side surface which is engagable with the material during the medical procedure; and a gripper movable along a longitudinal central axis of said shaft to grip the material between said gripper and said major side surface of said distal end portion of said shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of positioning material at a target anatomical location during a medical procedure, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a tool that includes a handle, a shaft extending from the handle, and a gripping mechanism operably coupled to the handle, the shaft having a distal end portion; placing the material on a first major surface of the distal end portion of the shaft, operating the gripping mechanism to apply a linear engaging force to the material so that the material is securely retained on the first major surface; advancing the material to the target anatomical location; and operating the gripping mechanism to remove the linear engaging force from the material thereby deploy the material at the target anatomical location. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of positioning material during a medical procedure, said method comprising the steps of:
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positioning the material in engagement with a major side surface on a distal end portion of a shaft; moving a distal end portion of a wire in a first direction along a longitudinal central axis of the shaft into engagement with the material to grip the material between the distal end portion of the wire and the major side surface of the distal end portion of the shaft; moving the material to a desired location relative to a patient'"'"'s body while the material is gripped between the distal end portion of the wire and the major side surface of the distal end portion of the shaft; and moving the distal end portion of the wire in a second direction along the longitudinal central axis of the shaft to release the material for movement relative to the distal end portion of the shaft.
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Specification