Apparatus and Method for Introducing Implants

An implant introducer comprising:

• an elongated and curved needle having a distal end, the needle further having an opening positioned adjacent the distal end and defining an inner lumen that extends to the opening, the needle further having a tip formed at the distal end, the tip being configured to dissect tissue as the needle is passed into the body through an external incision;
• a handle from which the needle extends;
• an elongated snare positioned within the needle, the snare having an implant coupling element at its distal end and being sized and shaped to be extended from the needle through the opening to an extended position at which the implant coupling element is positioned outside of the inner lumen such that an implant can be coupled to the implant coupling element;
• and
• a snare extension mechanism provided on the handle, the extension mechanism being configured to alternately extend and retract the snare, the extension mechanism including an external slide element positioned within an elongated slot formed in the handle and an internal carrier element to which the external slide element is coupled, the carrier element being coupled to the snare such that when the slide element is displaced along the slide in a distal direction the snare is extended and when the slide element is displaced along the slide in a proximal direction the snare is retracted.

A method for positioning an implant within the body using an introducer, the method comprising:

• passing a distal tip of a needle of the introducer through an external incision to a desired internal location,
• extending a snare from the needle using a snare extension mechanism provided on a handle of the introducer;
• connecting the implant to the snare;
• retracting the snare back into the needle using the snare extension mechanism;
• and
• withdrawing the needle from the body with the snare positioned adjacent or within the needle so as to draw the implant through a passage formed by the needle when the needle is passed from the external incision to the desired internal location.

A method for positioning a mesh implant within the body, the method comprising:

• passing a distal tip of an introducer needle through an external pelvic incision into the vagina, the needle comprising an inner lumen;
• extending an elongated snare from an opening adjacent the needle distal tip to the vaginal introitus by operating a snare extension mechanism provided on a handle of the introducer;
• passing an arm of the mesh implant through a loop formed at a distal end of the extended snare;
• retracting the snare back into the needle by operating the snare extension in mechanism in a retraction direction until at least a portion of the loop is retracted back into the needle inner lumen;
• and
• withdrawing the needle from the body so as to draw the implant through a passage formed by the needle when the needle is passed from the external incision to the vagina until a portion of the mesh implant arm extends out from the external incision.