Expandable dilator
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsDaniel Presteng, James M. Anderson, John M. Edgell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable dilator for use with an expandable sheath includes a shaft having a tapered distal tip, a body, a proximal end, and a lumen extending longitudinally from the distal tip to the proximal end. The expandable dilator includes an expansion mechanism extending radially outward from the outer surface of the shaft. When the expandable dilator is withdrawn proximally into the expandable sheath, the expansion mechanism engages the distal end of the sheath and expands the sheath as the expansion mechanism moves proximally through the sheath.
Claims20
An expandable dilator, comprising:
- a shaft having a tapered distal tip, a body, a proximal end, and a lumen extending longitudinally from the tapered distal tip to the proximal end, the shaft including a cutout through a sidewall of the shaft adjacent the tapered distal tip, and a slit extending through the sidewall and extending from the cutout to the proximal end;
- an expander positioned within the cutout, the expander having an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the lumen such that a portion of the expander extends through the cutout, the expander including a tether fixed to the expander and extending through the lumen and exiting out the proximal end of the shaft;
- and
- wherein pulling the tether proximally moves the expander proximally through the shaft such that the expander separates opposing edges of the slit as the expander moves proximally through the shaft.
A dilator for use with an expandable sheath, the dilator comprising:
- a shaft having a tapered distal tip, a proximal end;
- a flexible ring disposed around the tapered distal tip, the flexible ring configured to be moved axially from the tapered distal tip onto the shaft, the flexible ring having a plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from an outer surface of the flexible ring;
- and
- at least one tether having a distal end fixed to the flexible ring and a proximal end extending axially along an outer surface of the tapered distal tip and into an opening in the shaft, the tether extending through a lumen of the shaft, wherein the proximal end of the at least one tether extends proximally out of the proximal end of the shaft.
An expandable dilator for use with an expandable sheath, comprising:
- a shaft having a tapered distal tip and a body with a proximal end, and a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough;
- at least one expandable member disposed on the body of the shaft, each expandable member configured to move from a compressed configuration to an expanded configuration, wherein when in the compressed configuration an outer diameter of the expandable member is equal to or less than an outer diameter of the body, wherein when in the expanded configuration the outer diameter of the expandable member is greater that the outer diameter of the body;
- and
- wherein when the shaft is disposed within the expandable sheath, the expandable member is in the compressed configuration, and moving the shaft distally out of the expandable sheath causes the expandable member to move into the expanded configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.