Medical implant
View Patent ↗A medical assembly includes an implant and an envelope at least partially enclosing a portion of the implant. The envelope may include a tongue to protect the implant, a scaffold to provide integrity to the envelope, a tab access to ease envelope withdrawal, and/or one or more discontinuities to ease envelope withdrawal.
1. A method for delivering an implant to an anatomical site in the body of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an assembly comprising the implant and an envelope, said envelope comprising at least a first sleeve and a second sleeve, said sleeves configured to enclose at least a portion of said implant, said first sleeve comprising a tongue, wherein said tongue overlaps said implant and extends into said second sleeve, the implant being a sling;
positioning said implant at said anatomical site; and
withdrawing said envelope from the patient's body, the withdrawing including withdrawing at least a portion of said envelope from the patient's body via a vagina of the patient.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein each sleeve further comprises a hinge section, the hinge section of one sleeve coupled to the hinge section of the other sleeve.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
cutting said hinge sections, separating said first sleeve from said second sleeve and withdrawing said first and second sleeves from the patient's body.
4. A method for delivering an implant to an anatomical site in the body of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an assembly comprising the implant and an envelope, said envelope comprising at least a first sleeve and a second sleeve, said first and second sleeves configured to enclose at least a portion of said implant, the implant being a sling;
providing a scaffold comprising a folded portion, said folded portion forming a hinge extending at an angle away from a straight portion of said scaffold, said scaffold coupling said first sleeve and said second sleeve;
positioning said implant at said anatomical site; and
withdrawing said envelope from the patient's body, the withdrawing including withdrawing at least a portion of said envelope from the patient's body via a vagina of the patient.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:
cutting said scaffold and separating said first sleeve and said second sleeve; and
withdrawing said scaffold and said sleeves from the patient's body.
6. A method for delivering an implant to an anatomical site in the body of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an assembly comprising the implant and an envelope, the implant being a sling, said envelope comprising at least two sleeves, said sleeves configured to enclose at least a portion of said implant, wherein
each sleeve further comprises a hinge section, said hinge section of one sleeve coupled to said hinge section of the other sleeve to define a portion extending at an angle away from the implant;
positioning said implant at said anatomical site in the patient's body; and
withdrawing said envelope from the patient's body, the withdrawing including withdrawing at least a portion of said envelope from the patient's body via a vagina of the patient.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising, prior to withdrawing said envelope from the patient's body, the step of:
cutting said hinge section and separating said first and second sleeves.
8. A method for delivering an implant to an anatomical site in the body of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
positioning an implant at an anatomical location;
pulling a tab in a first sleeve section to tear a portion of an envelope away from the implant; and
intravaginally pulling on a hinge on the envelope subsequent to pulling on said tab to withdraw at least a portion of said envelope from the body via the vagina.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:
accessing said tab on the first sleeve section via a tab access on the first sleeve section prior to pulling said tab.