Patent EP0543499A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0543499A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Adhesion barrier applicator
Assignee: Ethicon Inc
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Filing: 1992-10-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-10-16
Abstract
Abstract An applicator is provided for applying a sheet (80) of surgical material, e.g., an adhesion barrier or other surgical fabric, to internal body tissue. The applicator includes an expandable operating tip (60) which is insertable into an endoscopic tube through an incision in a body to enable a surgeon to apply the adhesion barrier or other surgical fabric to tissue inside the body. A preferred embodiment of the applicator includes a set of telescoping tubes comprising an outer delivery tube (100), a intermediate deployment tube (102), and a inner irrigation tube (104). An expandable spreader tip is mounted at the distal end of the irrigation tube and connected to the distal end of the deployment tube. By advancing the deployment tube and irrigation tube relative to the delivery tube, the spreader tip is exposed at the distal end of the delivery tube. The spreader tip is expanded by movement of the deployment tube relative to the irrigation tube to spread the adhesion barrier over the tissue. A nozzle (116) is provided at the distal end of the irrigation tube for applying a fluid, e.g., a saline solution, to the adhesion barrier.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald D. Adams
- 👤 Richard M. O'grady
- 👤 Robert L. Marvin, Jr.
- 👤 Mary Beth Youtsler
- 👤 Michael T. Brown
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 16:12
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/0063; A61B17/00234; A61B90/00; A61B90/08; A61B2090/0815; A61B2090/0816; A61F2002/0072
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
An applicator for applying a sheet of surgical material to tissue, comprising: a tube; a shaft slidably received within said tube; and an operating tip mounted at the distal end of said shaft and connected to the distal end of said tube for engaging the sheet of surgical material, said operating tip being expandable by movement of said shaft relative to said tube to apply the sheet of surgical material to the tissue.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
The applicator of Claim 1, wherein: said operating tip includes a plurality of flexible arms extending from the distal end of said shaft to the distal end of said tube, said arms being flexed outwardly when said tube is displaced relative to said shaft to spread the sheet of surgical material onto the tissue.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The applicator of Claim 2, wherein: each of said flexible arms has an intermediate portion which bulges radially outward when said arm is flexed for spreading the sheet of surgical material onto the tissue.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The applicator of Claim 2, wherein: said arms are spaced circumferentially apart about said operating tip.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The applicator of Claim 2, wherein: said arms are adapted to flex laterally outward into a convex shape to spread the sheet of surgical material over the tissue.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The applicator of Claim 2, wherein: said arms are adapted to flex into a concave shape at the distal end of said operating tip to spread the sheet of surgical material over the tissue.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
132 words
An applicator for applying a spreadable sheet of surgical material to internal body tissue, comprising: a delivery tube; a deployment tube slidably received within said delivery tube; a shaft slidably received within said deployment tube; an expandable spreader tip mounted at the distal end of said shaft and connected to the distal end of said deployment tube for engaging the sheet of surgical material; actuator means for advancing said deployment tube and said shaft together relative to said delivery tube to expose said spreader tip at the distal end of said delivery tube; and means for stopping the advancement of said shaft with said spreader tip exposed, said spreader tip being expandable by movement of said deployment tube relative to said shaft to apply the sheet of surgical material to the tissue.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
164 words
An endoscopic applicator for insertion into an endoscopic tube for applying an adhesion barrier to internal body tissue, comprising: a delivery tube sized for insertion into the endoscopic tube; a deployment tube slidably received within said delivery tube; a shaft slidably received within said deployment tube; an expandable spreader tip mounted at the distal end of said shaft and connected to the distal end of said deployment tube for engaging the adhesion barrier, said spreader tip assuming a collapsed configuration upon insertion into said delivery tube with said adhesion barrier; actuator means for advancing said deployment tube and said shaft together relative to said delivery tube to expose said spreader tip and said adhesion barrier at the distal end of said delivery tube; and means for stopping the advancement of said shaft with said spreader tip and said adhesion barrier exposed, said spreader tip being expandable by movement of said deployment tube relative to said shaft to apply the adhesion barrier to the tissue.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
87 words
In combination, a spreadable sheet of surgical fabric and an applicator for applying said fabric to internal body tissue, said applicator comprising: delivery tube to expose said spreader tip and said sheet of surgical fabric at the distal end of said delivery tube; and means for stopping the advancement said shaft with said spreader tip and said sheet of surgical fabric exposed, said spreader tip being expandable by movement of said deployment tube relative to said shaft to apply the sheet of surgical fabric to the tissue.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of applying a spreadable sheet of surgical fabric to internal body tissue with an applicator including an expandable spreader tip, including the following steps: inserting said applicator into a delivery tube with said sheet of surgical fabric draped over said spreader tip; inserting said delivery tube through an incision in a body to position its distal end adjacent to the internal body tissue; advancing said spreader tip along said delivery tube to expose said sheet of surgical fabric and said spreader tip from the distal end of said delivery tube; and expanding said spreader tip to spread said sheet of surgical fabric over the internal body tissue.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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