US 2025/0144367 A1 · EXPANDABLE INTRODUCER

Expandable introducer

AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.

InventorsMarc A. Anderson, Timothy Desmond Farrell, Fionnuala Morelli, Maro J. Sciacchitano, Matthew P. Norgrove, Luke A. Clarke, Mark Desmond Reid, Laura Marie Coultry, Shridhar R. Sail, Alan Thomas McGuinn, Mark Casley, Susheel R. Deshmukh, Jacqueline Bernadette OGorman, Patricia McAfee, Chris Moran, Antonia Trotta

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Abstract

An expandable introducer includes a hub and a tubular sheath (121) coupled thereto. The tubular sheath (121) defines a central lumen (103). A circumference of the tubular sheath includes a full thickness region (162) having a first wall thickness (T2) and a reduced thickness region (161) having a second wall thickness (T1) smaller than the first wall thickness (T2). The reduced thickness region (162) is configured to be folded such that the tubular sheath includes an unexpanded, folded state and is configured to expand to an expanded, unfolded state in response to a device passing though the central lumen (103). A first outer diameter of the tubular sheath in the unexpanded, folded state is smaller than a second outer diameter of the tubular sheath in the expanded, unfolded state.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An expandable introducer comprising:

a hub having a distal end and a proximal end;
and
a tubular sheath coupled to the hub and extending distally therefrom, the tubular sheath defining a central lumen, wherein a circumference of the tubular sheath includes a thick wall region having a first wall thickness and a thin wall region having a second wall thickness smaller than the first wall thickness, wherein the thin wall region is configured to be folded such that the tubular sheath includes an unexpanded, folded state and is configured to expand to an expanded, unfolded state in response to a device passing though the central lumen, wherein a first outer diameter of the tubular sheath in the unexpanded, folded state is smaller than a second outer diameter of the tubular sheath in the expanded, unfolded state.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

18/832,570Filed 26 Jan 2023

Priority

27 Jan 2022

Published

8 May 2025

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

A61M 25/0023
Characterised by the form of the tubing: by the form of the lumen, e.g. cross-section, variable diameter
A61M 25/01
Catheters; Hollow probes: introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters
A61M 25/0045
Characterised by structural features: multi-layered, e.g. coated
A61M 25/0053
With embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids: having a variable stiffness along the longitudinal axis, e.g. by varying the…