Delivery sleeve
An implant-delivery sleeve may comprise an enclosure having at least one opening and at least one vent conduit. The vent conduit may extend along a surface of the enclosure to assist in removing fluids (e.g., blood and air) from the tissue pocket to facilitate implantation of the implant.
1 . An implant-delivery sleeve, comprising:
an enclosure having an opening for passing an implant from inside the enclosure to outside the enclosure;
a vent conduit extending along an outside surface of the enclosure, the vent conduit having a first end and a second end, the second end being disposed outside the enclosure and proximate to the opening and the first end disposed at a location on the outside surface of the enclosure that is further from the opening than the second end.
2 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 1 , wherein the entire vent conduit is disposed along the outside surface of the enclosure.
3 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 2 , wherein the enclosure is porous.
4 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 3 , wherein the opening consists of a single opening.
5 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 4 , further comprising a handle disposed opposite to the single opening.
6 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 3 , wherein the vent conduit further includes a segment connected to the second end that extends away from a longitudinal axis of the enclosure.
7 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 3 , wherein the first end is attached to an outer surface of the enclosure.
8 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 3 , further comprising a vent port.
9 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 3 , wherein the vent conduit has a cross-sectional shape of a square, rectangle, ellipse, or circle.
10 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 3 , wherein the enclosure is fabricated from vinyl or an elastomeric rubber.
11 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 3 , wherein the vent conduit includes a corrugated surface.
12 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 3 , further comprising an ampule containing a fluid, the ampule disposed upon an inner surface of the enclosure.
13 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises a material having an elastic modulus of between 0.1 gigapascal and 1 gigapascal.
14 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 1 , wherein the opening has a diameter of between one inch and five inches.
15 . The implant-delivery sleeve of claim 1 , further comprising a breast implant disposed within the enclosure.