Tissue closing method and apparatus
AssigneeRoffe Medical Holdings Pty Ltd.
InventorKevin Marshall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for opening or closing a tissue opening in a biological subject, the apparatus including at least two flexible arms coupled to a tissue surface in use, each arm being curved outwardly in a mid-portion to accommodate a tissue opening therebetween and a biasing mechanism that selectively biases opposing ends of each arm to thereby at least one of bias mid-portions of the arms apart to assist in at least partially opening the tissue opening; and bias mid-portions of the arms towards each other to assist in at least partially closing the tissue opening.
Claims20
Apparatus for opening or closing a tissue opening in a biological subject, the apparatus comprising:
- a) at least two flexible arms coupled to a tissue surface in use, each arm being curved outwardly in a mid-portion to accommodate a tissue opening therebetween, the at least two flexible arms being coupled to a frame;
- b) a biasing mechanism comprising a drive ring configured to engage the frame, the biasing mechanism being configured to selectively bias opposing ends of each arm to thereby at least one of:
- i) bias mid-portions of the arms apart to assist in at least partially opening the tissue opening;
- and,
- ii) bias mid-portions of the arms towards each other to assist in at least partially closing the tissue opening.
A method of closing a tissue opening in a biological subject, the method comprising:
- a) coupling at least two flexible arms to a tissue surface on either side of the tissue opening with each arm being curved outwardly in a mid-portion to thereby accommodate the tissue opening therebetween;
- b) coupling the at least two flexible arms to a frame;
- and
- c) biasing opposing ends of each arm apart by deforming the frame with a drive ring to thereby at least partially straighten the arms, which in turn biases the mid-portions towards each other to at least partially close the tissue opening.
A method of creating a tissue opening in a biological subject, the method comprising:
- a) coupling at least two flexible arms to a tissue surface, wherein in an unbiased state the arms are resilient and curved in at least a mid-portion;
- b) coupling the at least two flexible arms to a frame;
- c) at least partially biasing opposing ends of each arm apart by deforming the frame with a drive ring so that the arms are at least partially straightened;
- d) creating an incision between the arms;
- and,
- e) at least partially unbiasing the opposing ends of the arms so that the mid-portions move apart to thereby open the incision and create a tissue opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.