System for implanting an implant and method thereof

• US 6,991,597 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2002
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Jianmin, Gellman, Barry N., Slanda, Jozef
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anhtuan T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EREZO, DARWIN P
• Application Number:
  US10/093,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 600/37
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06019 by means of a suture-receiving lateral eyelet machined in the needle lateral opening for attaching suture to suture anchor A61B2017/0414
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06042 located close to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06052 Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle hollow suture needles A61B2017/061
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06076 helically or spirally coiled for sutures A61B2017/06171
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06171 helically or spirally coiled for needles A61B2017/06076
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0019 rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0087 colour-coded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

A system for implanting an implant and method thereof is disclosed. In general overview, the system includes an implant, an envelope enclosing the implant, a delivery assembly and an attachment piece for attaching the envelope or implant to the delivery assembly. The envelope may include a drug coating, positioning aids, and means to ease envelope removal. In one embodiment, the delivery assembly is employed for implant and/or envelope delivery inside the patient'"'"'s body. In another embodiment, the delivery assembly and an attachment piece are employed to deliver the implant or the envelope inside the patient'"'"'s body.

Claims

1. A sling assembly, comprising:

an implantable sling;

an envelope, comprising first and second sleeve portions cooperating to cover, at least partially, the sling and further comprising first and second ends disposed at opposite ends of said envelope; and

a hinge, located along a mid portion of the envelope between said first and second sleeve portions of said envelope, for joining and extending downward from bottom sections of said first and second sleeve portions.

2. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein said hinge is sized and shaped for an operator to grasp for positioning said envelope inside the body of a patient.

3. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein said envelope comprises a visual indication mark disposed along a longitudinal axis of said envelope.

4. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second sleeve portions of said envelope have the same length.

5. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second sleeve portions of said envelope overlap to cover said sling.

6. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second sleeve portions of said envelope comprise a first tab located at the first end of the envelope.

7. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second sleeve portions of said envelope comprise first and second bottom sections, respectively, which are coupled together to form the hinge.

8. The sling assembly of claim 1 comprising a clamp.

9. The sling assembly of claim 8, wherein said clamp comprises a balloon.

10. The sling assembly of claim 8, wherein said clamp comprises a bulk material.

11. The sling assembly of claim 8, wherein said clamp comprises a pressure sensor.

12. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein said envelope comprises a tearable region.

13. The sling assembly of claim 12, wherein said hinge includes said tearable region.

14. The sling assembly of claim 12, wherein said tearable region comprises a plurality of apertures.

15. The sling assembly of claim 12, wherein said envelope is made from a tearable material.

16. The sling assembly of claim 15, wherein said envelope is made from a material with a linear molecular orientation.

17. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the envelope comprises upper and lower sides and wherein the hinge is located on the lower side of the envelope.

18. The sling assembly of claim 17, wherein the upper side comprises a discontinuity located along the mid portion of the envelope.

19. The sling assembly of claim 18, wherein the discontinuity comprises a gap exposing, at least partially, a mid portion of the sling.

20. The sling assembly of claim 17, wherein the upper side comprises an overlap of the first and second sleeve portions of the envelope.

21. The sling assembly of claim 17, wherein the envelope comprises a discontinuity between the first and second sleeve portions of the envelope, and wherein the hinge joins the first and second sleeve portions of the envelope at the discontinuity.

22. A method for implanting an implantable sling in the body of a patient, comprising:

delivering an implantable sling, covered, at least partially, by an envelope, to an anatomical location in the body of the patient,

employing a hinge located along a mid portion of the envelope and extending downward from a bottom of the envelope to adjust the position of the envelope, and

sliding the envelope off the sling to implant the sling at the anatomical location in the body of the patient.

23. The method of claim 22 comprising pulling tabs on opposite ends of the envelope to remove the envelope from the sling assembly.

24. The method of claim 22 comprising trimming the hinge.

25. A sling assembly for implanting a sling at an anatomical site in the body of patient, comprising:

an implantable sling means;

an envelope means, comprising first and second sleeve portions cooperating to cover, at least partially, the sling means and further comprising first and second ends disposed at opposite ends of said envelope means; and

a hinge means, located along a mid portion of the envelope means between said first and second sleeve portions of said envelope means, for joining and extending downward from bottom sections of said first and second sleeve portions.