The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 1995
Filed:
Sep. 02, 1993
Gene W Kammerer, East Brunswick, NJ (US);
M Joshua Tolkoff, Brookline, MA (US);
Robert C Allman, Wakefield, MA (US);
George R Muise, Stow, MA (US);
Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ (US);
Abstract
An applicator for applying a sheet of surgical material, e.g., a surgical mesh, to internal body tissue includes a delivery tube, a deployment tube slidably received within the delivery tube, and a shaft or irrigation tube slidably received within the deployment tube. An expandable spreader tip is connected between the distal ends of the shaft and the deployment tube. The spreader tip is collapsed and inserted in the delivery tube with the surgical mesh. The applicator is inserted through a trocar tube into a body cavity and the spreader tip is exposed by retracting the delivery tube relative to the deployment tube and shaft. The applicator has a first actuator for urging the spreader tip and surgical mesh into engagement with the tissue as the deployment tube is retracted and a second actuator for advancing the deployment tube relative to the shaft to expand the spreader tip to apply the surgical mesh to the tissue. The spreader tip includes a plurality of flexible strips each having its opposite ends pivotally connected to the distal ends of the shaft and the deployment tube. The applicator includes a return spring to bias the deployment tube proximally relative to the shaft to normally maintain the spreader tip collapsed.