Method and apparatus for supporting a u-shaped portion of an elongate flexible element relative to a human body tissue
AssigneeTriMed, Inc.
InventorRobert Medoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and a method of engaging a U-shaped portion of an elongate flexible element with the apparatus. The apparatus has a body with an anchoring part, a channel extending up to the anchoring part, and an entry opening to the channel. With the U-shaped portion and body in an operative relationship, wherein the U-shaped portion straddles the anchoring part, the elongate flexible element can be tensioned to draw a side of the body against tissue. With the U-shaped portion straddling the anchoring part, the body can be reconfigured to change the size and/or shape of the entry opening and/or channel to avoid separation of part or all of the U-shaped portion from the body.
Claims3
A method of engaging a U-shaped portion of an elongate flexible element with an apparatus to allow the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element to act against and thereby maintain a body on the apparatus against part of a human body, the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element having a base and first and second legs, with respective first and second lengths, extending in spaced relationship away from the base, the method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining the apparatus, the body of the apparatus:
- a) having a tissue abutting side and an opposite side;
- and b) capable of being changed between first and second states,
- the body comprising an anchoring part and a first channel that extends along a portion of the body up to the anchoring part and has a first entry opening;
- with the body in the first state, relatively moving the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element and body from a starting relationship into an operative relationship wherein the first and second legs straddle the anchoring part and the base can be drawn against the anchoring part to urge the tissue abutting side of the body towards the part of the human body,
- wherein the step of relatively moving the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element and body comprises causing at least a part of the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element to move through the first entry opening into the first channel and within the first channel up to the anchoring part;
- and
- with the body in the first state and the body and the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element in the operative relationship, changing the body into the second state wherein at least one of:
- i) a size;
- and ii) a shape of the first entry opening and/or first channel is changed so as to thereby interfere with movement of the at least part of the U-shaped portion away from the anchoring part within the first channel to and through the first entry opening,
- wherein the step of causing at least a part of the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element to move through the first entry opening into the first channel and within the first channel up to the anchoring part comprises causing at least one of the first and second legs to move through the first entry opening into the first channel and within the first channel up to the anchoring part,
- wherein the step of relatively moving the U-shaped portion of the flexible element and body comprises causing the first and second legs to move through the first entry opening into the first channel.
A method of engaging a U-shaped portion of an elongate flexible element with an apparatus to allow the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element to act against and thereby maintain a body on the apparatus against part of a human body, the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element having a base and first and second legs, with respective first and second lengths, extending in spaced relationship away from the base, the method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining the apparatus, the body of the apparatus:
- a) having a tissue abutting side and an opposite side;
- and b) capable of being changed between first and second states,
- the body comprising an anchoring part and a first channel that extends along a portion of the body up to the anchoring part and has a first entry opening;
- with the body in the first state, relatively moving the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element and body from a starting relationship into an operative relationship wherein the first and second legs straddle the anchoring part and the base can be drawn against the anchoring part to urge the tissue abutting side of the body towards the part of the human body,
- wherein the step of relatively moving the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element and body comprises causing at least a part of the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element to move through the first entry opening into the first channel and within the first channel up to the anchoring part;
- with the body in the first state and the body and the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element in the operative relationship, changing the body into the second state wherein at least one of:
- i) a size;
- and ii) a shape of the first entry opening and/or first channel is changed so as to thereby interfere with movement of the at least part of the U-shaped portion away from the anchoring part within the first channel to and through the first entry opening;
- and
- further comprising the step of, with the U-shaped portion of the elongate flexible element and body in the operative relationship, advancing the body into a passage in the part of the human body and as an incident thereof, causing the body to change from the first state into the second state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.