System and method for delivery and positioning of surgical implants

A delivery system for delivering a sheet-like implant to a surgical site, said system comprising:

• a delivery tube having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end;
• an elongate shaft slideably positioned through the lumen of the delivery tube;
• a handle assembly coupled to the proximal end of the delivery tube for selectively actuating the elongate shaft relative to the delivery tube;
• a pair of deployment arms attached to a distal end of the elongate shaft;
• wherein the pair of deployment arms is resiliently biased to an open configuration wider than the lumen of the delivery tube, and compressible to a closed configuration in which the pair of deployment arms are disposed within the lumen of the delivery tube;
• a sheet-like implant coupled to the pair of deployment arms;
• wherein manipulation of the handle assembly causes translation of the elongate shaft within the lumen of the delivery tube to deploy the pair of deployment arms from the distal end of the delivery tube with the sheet-like implant spanning between the pair of deployment arms;
• wherein the sheet-like implant is in a folded configuration within the lumen of the delivery tube, and upon deployment of the deployment arms, the sheet-like implant is spread to an unfolded configuration;
• a fluid delivery channel extending through the delivery tube to the distal end of the delivery tube;
• and
• a syringe connectible to the proximal end of the handle and in fluid communication with the fluid delivery channel;
• wherein manipulation of the syringe causes fluid to be dispensed from the distal end of the fluid delivery channel onto the sheet-like implant spanning between the pair of deployment arms.

A method for delivering a sheet-like implant to a surgical site, the method comprising;

• advancing a delivery system for delivering a sheet-like implant to a surgical site, said system comprising:
• a delivery tube having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end;
• an elongate shaft slideably positioned through the lumen of the delivery tube;
• a handle assembly coupled to the proximal end of the delivery tube for selectively actuating the elongate shaft relative to the delivery tube;
• a pair of deployment arms attached to a distal end of the elongate shaft;
• wherein the pair of deployment arms is resiliently biased to an open configuration wider than the lumen of the delivery tube, and compressible to a closed configuration in which the pair of deployment arms are disposed within the lumen of the delivery tube;
• a sheet-like implant coupled to the pair of deployment arms;
• a fluid delivery channel extending through the delivery tube elongate shaft from a proximal end of the handle assembly to the distal end of the delivery tube;
• and
• a syringe, connectible to the proximal end of the handle and in fluid communication with the fluid delivery channel;
• manipulating the handle assembly to translate the elongate shaft within the lumen of the delivery tube to deploy the pair of deployment arms from the distal end of the delivery tube with the sheet-like implant spanning between the pair of deployment arms, wherein upon deployment of the pair of deployment arms, the sheet-like implant is spread to an unfolded configuration;
• manipulating the syringe to dispense a fluid from the distal end of the fluid delivery channel onto the sheet-like implant spanning between the pair of deployment arms;
• and
• attaching the sheet-like implant to body tissue within the surgical site.