Instruments and methods for the implantation of cell-seeded ultra-thin substrates
AssigneeUniversity of Southern California
InventorMark S. Humayun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument, and methods for its use, is described that includes clamp heads that can be nestled within or extended from a tubular sheath by longitudinal movement of the clamp heads' tines with respect to the tubular sheath. One of the tines includes an arch that slides against a mouth and inside wall of the tubular sheath, causing the clamp heads to open or close. The clamp heads close lightly, to within a predetermined (or zero) distance from one another, gently grasp an ultrathin polymer substrate seeded with cells, and pulls it within the sheath such that the substrate curls and folds to protect the cells.
Claims20
An instrument for implantation of a flexible, ultra-thin substrate onto a target tissue, comprising:
- a handpiece;
- a tubular sheath extended in a distal direction from said handpiece;
- an internal shaft nested within said tubular sheath and anchored with said handpiece, wherein the internal shaft comprises:
- a) a fixed tine that is parallel to the tubular sheath, the fixed tine having a clamp head;
- and
- b) a movable tine with a clamp head that is configured to move inwardly with respect to the clamp head of the fixed tine, the movable tine including an arch configured to variably interact with an inner wall of the tubular sheath and close the clamp heads to have a predetermined nonzero gap between the clamp heads when the clamp heads fully retract inside the tubular sheath and are not gripping anything;
- a movement control mechanism configured to cause a longitudinal movement of said tubular sheath with respect to said handpiece and thus cause the arch to variably interact with the inner wall of the tubular sheath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.