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Radially expandable fixation member constructed of recovery metal

  • US 5,378,239 A
  • Filed: 06/22/1993
  • Issued: 01/03/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for fixation in a body cavity, including:

  • an elongate bodily insertable device having a proximal end region and a distal end region;

    a fixation element at the distal end region of the device, said fixation element being constructed of a recovery metal initially set in a radially expanded configuration in which the fixation element has a fixation diameter, and then plastically deformed into a delivery configuration in which the fixation element has a delivery diameter substantially less than the fixation diameter;

    wherein said device is bodily insertable to selectively position the fixation element at a predetermined location within a body cavity with the fixation element in the delivery configuration; and

    said fixation element, responsive to being heated, reverts to the fixation configuration thereby radially expanding into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining said cavity at a predetermined location, to secure the fixation element to the wall segment and thus substantially fix the distal region of the device within the body cavity; and

    wherein said device comprises a retrieval filament constructed of the recovery metal.

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