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US 12,390,370 B2Granted
Tympanostomy tube
OwnerJohn Vaughan, Olive O'Driscoll +1inventors
InventorsJohn Vaughan, Olive O'Driscoll, Carol Grimes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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OwnerJohn Vaughan, Olive O'Driscoll +1inventors
InventorsJohn Vaughan, Olive O'Driscoll, Carol Grimes
Estimating the term…
A fluidic bridging tube (1), for bridging membranes in the human or animal body allowing the passage of fluid, has a proximal flange (2), an inter lumen connector (3) with a lumen (5) and a distal flange (4). The tube comprises a metal skeleton or scaffold structure (51) and a surrounding polymer which is softer than the scaffold structure. The scaffold structure (51) has a tubular mesh providing structural strength to the inter lumen connector. The tubular mesh has members (61) defining substantial rectangular mesh apertures, and distal crowns (64). At its proximal end the scaffold structure comprises spines (68) extending from a proximal tubular mesh rim (63). The spines provide structural strength to the proximal flange (2). In the preferred embodiment the tube is a tympanostomy tube. A method of manufacturing the tube comprises providing the scaffold structure and over-moulding the outer material to form the shape of the proximal flange, the inter lumen connector with a lumen, and the distal flange.
A fluidic bridging tube for use in a human or animal, the tube comprising a proximal flange, a distal flange, and an inter lumen connector with a lumen extending unobstructed from a proximal end of the proximal flange through a distal end of the distal flange, wherein the tube comprises a scaffold structure and an outer material fully surrounding the scaffold structure which is softer than the scaffold structure, wherein the distal flange does not include any part of the scaffold structure, and wherein the scaffold comprises a plurality of spines extending with a radial component at a proximal end of the scaffold structure into the proximal flange and configured to provide structural support to the proximal flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.