Expandable introducer
An expandable introducer includes an introducer hub and an introducer sheath coupled to the introducer hub and extending distally therefrom. The introducer sheath includes a sheath wall, the sheath wall having an interior surface defining a lumen of the introducer sheath and an exterior surface disposed radially outward from the interior surface. The exterior surface may be wavy or ridged to reduce contact surface area between the introducer sheath and a patient's anatomy. The interior surface of the sheath wall may be wavy or ridged to reduce contact surface area between the sheath wall and a dilator and/or delivery system that advances therethrough. The exterior surface of the sheath wall may be textured to aid in hydro-coat retention and/or to reduce surface contact area with a patient's anatomy, thereby reducing track forces during insertion and delivery. The introducer sheath wall may include a spine.
1 . An expandable introducer comprising:
an introducer hub; and
an introducer sheath coupled to the introducer hub and extending distally therefrom, the introducer sheath including a sheath wall, the sheath wall having an interior surface defining a lumen of the introducer sheath and an exterior surface disposed radially outward from the interior surface,
wherein the introducer sheath is radially expandable from a folded, unexpanded state to an unfolded, expanded state,
wherein in a lateral cross-section the introducer sheath includes a folded region and a non-folded region around a circumference of the introducer sheath when the introducer sheath is in the folded, unexpanded state, and
wherein in the unfolded, expanded state the folded region unfolds to radially expand the introducer sheath and the exterior surface is wavy in a longitudinal direction such that an outer diameter of the sheath wall alternates smoothly in a longitudinal direction between a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter, the second outer diameter being larger than the first outer diameter.
2 . The expandable introducer of claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the sheath wall is textured to aid in hydro-coat retention or reduce surface contact area with a patient's anatomy, thereby reducing track forces during insertion and delivery.
3 . The expandable introducer of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the introducer sheath remains constant along a length of the introducer sheath and a thickness of the sheath wall varies longitudinally such that the exterior surface is wavy.
4 . The expandable introducer of claim 1 , wherein the interior surface of the sheath wall is wavy in a longitudinal direction such that an inner diameter of the introducer sheath defining the lumen alternates smoothly in a longitudinal direction between a first inner diameter and a second inner diameter, the second inner diameter being larger than the first inner diameter.
5 . The expandable introducer of claim 4 , wherein a thickness of the sheath wall is constant longitudinally such that the first outer diameter aligns with the first inner diameter and the second outer diameter aligns with the second inner diameter.
6 . The expandable introducer of claim 1 , further comprising
a spine coupled to the sheath wall and extending longitudinally along the sheath wall.
7 . The expandable introducer of claim 1 , wherein the folded region has exactly two folds in the folded, unexpanded state.
8 . An expandable introducer comprising:
an introducer hub; and
an introducer sheath coupled to the introducer hub and extending distally therefrom, the introducer sheath including a sheath wall, the sheath wall having an interior surface defining a lumen of the introducer sheath and an exterior surface disposed radially outward from the interior surface,
wherein the introducer sheath is radially expandable from a folded, unexpanded state to an unfolded, expanded state,
wherein the introducer sheath includes a folded region and a non-folded region when the introducer sheath is in the folded, unexpanded state,
wherein in the unfolded, expanded state the exterior surface is wavy in a longitudinal direction such that an outer diameter of the sheath wall alternates smoothly in a longitudinal direction between a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter, the second outer diameter being larger than the first outer diameter, and
wherein the sheath wall includes a spine at the non-folded region of the introducer sheath.
9 . An expandable introducer comprising:
an introducer hub; and
an introducer sheath coupled to the introducer hub and extending distally therefrom, the introducer sheath including a sheath wall, the sheath wall having an interior surface defining a lumen of the introducer sheath and an exterior surface disposed radially outward from the interior surface,
wherein the exterior surface of the sheath wall is wavy in a longitudinal direction such that an outer diameter of the sheath wall alternates smoothly in a longitudinal direction a plurality of times between a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter, the second outer diameter being larger than the first outer diameter, and
wherein an inner diameter of the introducer sheath remains constant along a length of the introducer sheath and a thickness of the sheath wall varies longitudinally such that the exterior surface is wavy.
10 . The expandable introducer of claim 9 , wherein the exterior surface of the sheath wall is textured to aid in hydro-coat retention or reduce surface contact area with a patient's anatomy, thereby reducing track forces during insertion and delivery.
11 . The expandable introducer of claim 9 ,
wherein the introducer sheath is radially expandable from a folded, unexpanded state to an unfolded, expanded state, and
wherein the introducer sheath includes a folded region and a non-folded region when the introducer sheath is in the folded, unexpanded state.
12 . The expandable introducer of claim 9 , wherein the introducer sheath includes a spine coupled to the sheath wall and extending longitudinally.