US 11,883,618 B2Granted

Dilation catheter tip removal instrument

AssigneeAcclarent, Inc.

InventorsGeorge L. Matlock, John H. Thinnes, Jr., Jordan R. Trott, Karthick Ramyan Mohan

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Abstract

A method of using an apparatus including a base housing, an actuator, and a blade. The base housing defines an upwardly presented support surface. The base housing also defines a distally oriented tip receiving recess. The distally oriented tip receiving recess is sized and configured to receive a bulbous distal tip of a dilation catheter. The actuator is movably coupled with the base housing. The blade us secured to the actuator. The actuator is operable to move the blade downwardly relative to the base housing. The blade is configured to sever a portion of a dilation catheter along a plane longitudinally interposed between the support surface and the tip receiving recess to thereby sever the bulbous distal tip of the dilation catheter in response to movement of the actuator relative to the base housing.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of using an apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

(a) base housing defining:
(i) an upwardly presented support surface configured to support and contact a distal end of a dilation catheter, the upwardly presented support surface forming a channel such that an upper portion of the distal end of the dilation catheter is unconstrained above the upwardly presented support surface by the base housing, and
(ii) a distally oriented tip receiving recess tip receiving recess being sized and configured to receive a bulbous distal tip of the dilation catheter, the support surface being aligned with the receiving recess and is thereby positioned and configured to guide the bulbous distal tip of the dilation catheter into the receiving recess;
(b) an actuator movably coupled with the base housing;
and
(c) a blade secured to the actuator;
the method comprising:
(a) using the dilation catheter to dilate a Eustachian tube of a patient;
(b) inserting the bulbous distal tip of the dilation catheter into the distally oriented tip receiving recess of the apparatus;
(c) actuating the actuator to thereby drive the blade downwardly relative to the base housing to sever the bulbous distal tip from the dilation catheter along a plane longitudinally interposed between the support surface and the tip receiving recess;
(d) removing the dilation catheter from the apparatus;
and
(e) using the dilation catheter to dilate a passageway associated with drainage of a paranasal sinus of the patient after the act of removing.

10 more elements

A method of using an apparatus, the apparatus, comprising:

(a) a dilation catheter, the dilation catheter comprising:
(i) a shaft,
(ii) a dilator at a distal portion of the shaft, and
(iii) a bulbous distal tip secured to the shaft at a location distal to the dilator, the bulbous distal tip being configured to prevent the distal portion of the shaft from otherwise traversing a sinus ostium or an isthmus between a Eustachian tube and a middle ear, the distal portion of the shaft being configured to traverse the sinus ostium in the absence of the bulbous distal tip;
and
(b) a cutting instrument, the cutting instrument comprising:
(i) a base housing, the base housing defining:
(A) a support surface configured to support the distal portion of the shaft,
(B) a tip receiving recess configured to receive the bulbous tip while the support surface supports the distal portion of the shaft,
(C) a first guide channel positioned adjacent to a first side of the support surface, and
(D) a second guide channel positioned adjacent to a second side of the support surface,
(ii) an actuator movably coupled with the base housing, the actuator including:
(A) a first guide prong, the first guide channel being configured to slidably receive the first guide prong, and
(B) a second guide prong, the second guide channel being configured to slidably receive the second guide prong,
the first guide channel, the first guide prong, the second guide channel, and the second guide prong being configured to cooperate to maintain alignment between the base housing and the actuator, and
(iii) a blade including an opening, the actuator being secured to the blade at the opening, the actuator being operable to drive the blade to sever the bulbous distal tip from the shaft while the support surface supports the distal portion of the shaft and while the bulbous tip is received in the tip receiving recess,
the distal portion of the shaft being configured to traverse the sinus ostium after the bulbous distal tip is severed from the shaft by the cutting instrument;
the method comprising:
(a) using the dilation catheter to dilate a Eustachian tube of a patient;
(b) inserting the bulbous distal tip of the dilation catheter into the tip receiving recess of the cutting instrument;
(c) actuating the actuator to thereby drive the blade to sever the bulbous distal tip from the dilation catheter;
(d) removing the dilation catheter from the cutting instrument;
and
(e) using the dilation catheter to dilate a passageway associated with drainage of a paranasal sinus of the patient after the act of removing.

21 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/553,384Filed 28 Aug 2019 · us provisional application
Priority: 5 Oct 2018
Published: US 2020/0108238 A19 Apr 2020
Granted: 30 Jan 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

A61B 17/24
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose ; Tongue scrapers
A61M 29/02
Dilators with or without means for introducing media, e.g. remedies: dilators made of swellable material
A61B 90/08
Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00,…
B26D 1/08
Wherein the cutting member reciprocates: of the guillotine type