Tunneling tool for deliberate placement of an ILR
First Claim
1. A tunneling tool for implanting a medical device in a body tissue, the tunneling tool comprising:
- a) a first leg extending from a distal first leg end to a proximal first handgrip;
b) a second leg extending from a distal second leg end to a proximal portion connected to a second handgrip, wherein the proximal portion of the second leg is shaped to nest at least a portion of a medical device therein;
c) a hub connecting the distal first and second leg ends together; and
d) a sheath extending distally from the hub opposite the first and second leg ends, wherein the sheath has a lumen extending to an open distal sheath end thereof,e) wherein an imaginary plane bisects the sheath, the first leg and the first handgrip, and the second leg including the proximal portion connected to the second handgrip, andf) wherein the first and second handgrips are manipulatable along the imaginary plane to move their respective first and second legs from a first position relatively closely spaced to each other to a second position of a greater distance from each other than the first position to thereby separate the hub and the sheath into a first split portion connected to the first leg and a second split portion connected to the second leg.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tunneling tool for implanting a medical device into body tissue is described. The tunneling tool comprises a first leg and a second leg. An intermediate portion of the second leg is shaped to nest a medical device therein. A hub connects the first and second distal leg ends together. A sheath providing a lumen extends from the hub to an open end distal of the first and second legs. The first and second legs are manipulatable to separate the hub and the sheath into two portions, a first split portion connected to the first leg and a second split portion connected to the second leg. When a medical device is nested in the tunneling tool, breaking the tunneling tool apart enables the first and second split portions to be removed from body tissue, leaving the implanted medical device behind.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A tunneling tool for implanting a medical device in a body tissue, the tunneling tool comprising:
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a) a first leg extending from a distal first leg end to a proximal first handgrip; b) a second leg extending from a distal second leg end to a proximal portion connected to a second handgrip, wherein the proximal portion of the second leg is shaped to nest at least a portion of a medical device therein; c) a hub connecting the distal first and second leg ends together; and d) a sheath extending distally from the hub opposite the first and second leg ends, wherein the sheath has a lumen extending to an open distal sheath end thereof, e) wherein an imaginary plane bisects the sheath, the first leg and the first handgrip, and the second leg including the proximal portion connected to the second handgrip, and f) wherein the first and second handgrips are manipulatable along the imaginary plane to move their respective first and second legs from a first position relatively closely spaced to each other to a second position of a greater distance from each other than the first position to thereby separate the hub and the sheath into a first split portion connected to the first leg and a second split portion connected to the second leg. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A tunneling tool assembly for implanting a medical device in a body tissue, the assembly comprising:
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a) a tunneling tool, comprising; i) a first leg extending from a distal first leg end to a proximal first handgrip; ii) a second leg extending from a distal second leg end to a proximal U-shaped portion connected to a second handgrip, wherein the U-shaped portion is shaped to nest at least a portion of a medical device therein; iii) a hub connecting the distal first and second leg ends together; and iv) a sheath extending distally from the hub opposite the first and second leg ends, wherein the sheath has a lumen extending to an open distal sheath end thereof; and b) a dilator comprising a shaft extending from a proximal shaft end to a distal shaft end, wherein the shaft supports a body that is nestable in the U-shaped portion of the tunneling tool when the distal shaft end is received in the sheath lumen, c) wherein an imaginary plane bisects the sheath, the first leg and the first handgrip, and the second leg including the U-shaped portion connected to the second handgrip, and d) wherein the first and second handgrips are manipulatable along the imaginary plane to move their respective first and second legs from a first position relatively closely spaced to each other to a second position of a greater distance from each other than the first position to thereby separate the hub and the sheath into a first split portion connected to the first leg and a second split portion connected to the second leg. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for implanting a medical device in body tissue, comprising the step of:
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a) providing a tunneling tool, comprising; i) a first leg extending from a proximal first leg portion to a distal first leg end; ii) a second leg extending from a proximal second leg portion to a distal second leg end, wherein an intermediate portion of the second leg between the proximal second leg portion and distal second leg end is shaped to nest at least a portion of a medical device therein; iii) a hub connecting the distal first and second leg ends together; and iv) a sheath extending distally from the hub opposite the first and second legs, wherein the sheath has a lumen extending to an open distal sheath end thereof; b) providing a dilator comprising a shaft extending from a proximal dilator handle to a distal dilator tip, wherein the dilator shaft supports a shaped body intermediate the handle and the distal tip, the shaped body being sized and shaped to substantially match at least a portion of a medical device intended to be implanted; c) moving the distal dilator shaft into the sheath of the tunneling tool until the distal tip extends distally out beyond the open distal sheath end and the shaped body is nested in the intermediate portion of the second leg end; d) moving the tunneling tool and the dilator into a body tissue until the sheath is located at a desired implant location in the body tissue; e) rotatably manipulating the dilator handle so that the shaped body is no longer nested in the intermediate portion of the second leg but with the dilator shaft remaining in the sheath lumen; f) moving the dilator in a proximal direction out of the sheath of the tunneling tool and out of the body tissue with the dilator shaft leaving the sheath lumen; g) moving a medical device into the sheath so that a device antenna is received in the sheath lumen, but a housing for the device is not nested in the intermediate portion of the second leg; h) rotatably manipulating the medical device so that the device housing is received in the intermediate portion of the second leg; i) manipulating the first and second legs of the tunneling tool to move their respective proximal portions from a first position relatively closely spaced to each other to a second position of a greater distance from each other than the first position to thereby separate the hub and the sheath into a first split portion connected to the first leg and a second split portion connected to the second leg; and j) removing the first and second split portions from the body tissue while leaving the medical device implanted therein.
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Specification