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US 6,814,715 B2Granted
Expandable cannula
AssigneeBonutti 2003 Trust-A
InventorsPeter M. Bonutti, James S. Hawkins
Life of this patent
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AssigneeBonutti 2003 Trust-A
InventorsPeter M. Bonutti, James S. Hawkins
Estimating the term…
Cannulas for surgical and medical use expand along their entire lengths. The cannulas are inserted through tissue when in an unexpanded condition and with a small diameter. The cannulas are then expanded radially outwardly to give a full-size instrument passage. Expansion of the cannulas occurs against the viscoelastic resistance of the surrounding tissue. The expandable cannulas do not require a full depth incision, or at most require only a needle-size entrance opening. In one embodiment of the invention, the cannula has a pointed end portion. In this embodiment of the invention, the cannula includes wires having cores which are enclosed by jackets. The jackets are integrally formed as one piece with a sheath of the cannula. The cannula may be expanded by inserting members or by fluid pressure. The cannula is advantageously utilized to expand a vessel, such as a blood vessel. An expandable chamber may be provided at the distal end of the cannula.
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath having a passage which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which the passage through said sheath has a relatively small cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which the passage through said sheath has a relatively large cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, said sheath having an oval cross section in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath when said sheath is in the contracted condition;
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath leaving a passage which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which the passage through said sheath has a relatively small cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which the passage through said sheath has a relatively large cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, said sheath having an oval cross section in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath when said sheath is in the contracted condition;
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath which at least partially encloses an array of filaments which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath substantially from one end portion to the other end portion of said sheath, said sheath having a passage configured and dimensioned to receive an object therethrough and which extends between opposite end portions of said sheath with said array of filaments extending along an inner side of said passage such that said array of filaments blocks contact between an object inserted in the passage and said sheath maintaining the object in a spaced apart, non-contacting relationship with said sheath, said sheath, passage, and array of filaments being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which said sheath and array of filaments have a relatively small oval cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which said sheath and array of filaments have a relatively large oval cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, wherein said sheath is biased inwardly to the contracted condition.
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath which at least partially encloses an array of filaments which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath and said array of filaments being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which said sheath and said array of filaments have a relatively small cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which said sheath and said array of filaments leave a relatively large cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath;
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath which at least partially encloses an array of filaments which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath and said array of filaments being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which said sheath and said array of filaments have a relatively small cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which said sheath and said array of filaments leave a relatively large cross sectional size in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, wherein said sheath has a pointed end portion for piercing body tissue when said sheath and array of filaments are in the contracted condition.
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath having a passage which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which said sheath and passage have relatively small oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which said sheath and passage have relatively large oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, and a pointed end portion at least partially formed by said sheath for piercing body tissue when said sheath and passage have the relatively small oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath.
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath which at least partially encloses an array of filaments which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath having a passage which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath and said array of filaments being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which said sheath, array of filaments, and passage have relatively small oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which said sheath, array of filaments, and passage have relatively large oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, and a pointed end portion for piercing body tissue when said sheath and passage have the relatively small oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to a longitndinal central axis of said sheath, wherein said passage in said sheath is engagable by a member having an oval cross sectional configuration in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, said member having an oval cross sectional configuration being axially movable along said passage in said sheath to expand said sheath from the contracted condition to the expanded condition.
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath having a passage which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which said sheath and passage have relatively small oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which said sheath and passage have relatively large oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, and a pointed end portion for piercing body tissue when said sheath and passage have the relatively small oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath;
An expandable cannula which is movable into a patient's body tissue, said cannula comprising a tubular sheath having a passage which extends between axially opposite end portions of said sheath, said sheath being resiliently expandable from a contracted condition in which said sheath and passage have relatively small oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath to an expanded condition in which said sheath and passage have relatively large oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of said sheath, and a pointed end portion for piercing body tissue when said sheath and passage have the relatively small oval cross sectional sizes in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said sheath;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.