Evertable sheath devices, systems, and methods
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsEdward H. Cully, Craig W. Irwin, James D. Silverman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure comprises devices, systems, and methods having an inverted sheath configured to cover, and in some instances constrain, a medical device and to retract through eversion, thus enabling the deployment of medical device at the treatment site. A constraining sheath can evert hydraulically. A constraining sheath can be configured to neck down a medical device to achieve a lower delivery profile. Furthermore, a constraining sheath can comprise a balloon to expand or positionally or structurally adjust a medical device.
Claims20
A constraining sheath comprising:
- an inverted sheath having an inner layer and an outer layer, the layers at least partially defining a chamber;
- a restraining member fitted between the inner layer and the outer layer of the inverted sheath;
- and
- a medical device covered by or contained in the inverted sheath in a first profile;
- wherein the chamber of the inverted sheath is pressurizable via introduction of fluid into the chamber, the inverted sheath is evertable and retractable along the medical device by foreshortening of the inverted sheath to assume a second profile in response to pressurizing the chamber, and the restraining member is movable in a proximal direction in response to everting the inverted sheath.
A method of loading a medical device comprising:
- radially compressing a medical device about an elongate element;
- providing a sheath that is inverted to define an inner layer and an outer layer and a pressurizable chamber defined between the inner and outer layers, the sheath having a restraining member fitted between the inner layer and the outer layer of the sheath, the sheath being configured to transition transitionable between a delivery profile and a deployment profile by pressurizing the pressurizable chamber, such that the sheath is evertable by expanding in diameter and shortening in length relative to the delivery profile and the restraining member is movable in a proximal direction in response to everting the sheath;
- and
- disposing the sheath about the radially compressed medical device with the sheath in the delivery profile.
A method of loading a medical device comprising:
- disposing a medical device about an elongate element;
- disposing a sheath about the medical device;
- causing a diameter of the sheath to be reduced to cause the medical device to be radially compressed about the elongate element;
- and
- inverting a portion of the sheath to define an inner layer and an outer layer of the sheath such that a restraining member is fitted between the inner layer and the outer layer of the sheath, wherein the inner and outer layers define a pressurizable chamber such that the sheath is transitionable between a delivery profile and a deployment profile by pressurizing the pressurizable chamber, the sheath is evertable by expanding in diameter and shortening in length relative to the delivery profile, and the restraining member is movable in a proximal direction in response to everting the sheath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.