Expandable medical access sheath
A medical access sheath including a first member, a second member and a third member. The first member includes a longitudinal length and a channel therethrough. The first member includes a slit along the longitudinal length. The channel is configured to expand from a first cross-sectional size to a larger second cross-sectional size. The slit is configured to enlarge as the channel expands. The second member is connected to the first member proximate the slit. The second member extends across the slit. The second member is configured to expand from first configuration to second configuration. The third member is removably located within the channel. The third member is configured to keep the second member in the first configuration when the third member is located in the channel. The third member is configured to release the second member to the second configuration when the third member is removed from the channel.
1. A medical access sheath assembly comprising:
a first member comprising a length with a channel therethrough, where the first member comprises a wall having a gap through the wall, where the channel is configured to expand from a first cross-sectional size to a larger second cross-sectional size, and where the gap is configured to enlarge as the channel expands;
a second member connected to the first member, where the second member extends across the gap, and where the second member is configured to expand from a first configuration to a second configuration; and
a third member removably located within the channel, wherein the third member is configured to keep the second member in the first configuration when the third member is located in the channel, and wherein the third member is configured to release the second member to the second configuration when the third member is removed from the channel.
2. A medical access sheath assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the third member comprising a groove along a length of the third member, wherein at least part of the second member is configured to be disposed in the groove when in the first configuration.
3. A medical access sheath assembly as in claim 2 where the second member comprises a foil, where the foil is substantially folded in the groove as the first configuration, and where the foil is substantially unfolded as the second configuration when the third member is removed from the channel.
4. A medical access sheath assembly as in claim 1 where the first member comprises a shape memory material, and where the second member comprises a polymer material.
5. A medical access sheath assembly as in claim 1 where the medical access sheath assembly has an expanded configuration with the channel having the second cross-sectional size, where the medical access sheath assembly is configured to automatically expand from a collapsed configuration, with the channel having the first cross-sectional size, to the expanded configuration with the channel having the second cross-sectional size.
6. A medical access sheath assembly as in claim 1 where the first member comprises a substantial semi-circular portion and two movable flap portions extending from opposite sides of the substantial semi-circular portion.
7. A medical apparatus comprising:
a medical access sheath comprising:
a first member comprising a length with a channel therethrough, where the first member comprises a wall having a gap through the wall, where the channel is configured to expand from a first cross-sectional size to a larger second cross-sectional size, and where the gap is configured to enlarge as the channel expands; and
a second member connected to the first member, where the second member extends across the gap, and where the second member is configured to expand from a first configuration to a second configuration; and
a dilator located in the channel, where the dilator comprises a receiving area defined at least partially by a notch through a wall of the dilator, where the receiving area comprises a portion of the second member located therein, and where the receiving area is configured to release the second member from a collapsed first configuration to an expanded second configuration as the dilator is slid out of the medical access sheath.
8. An apparatus comprising:
a medical access sheath dilator; and
a medical access sheath connected to the medical access sheath dilator,
where the medical access sheath dilator is configured to be inserted through a channel of the medical access sheath, where the dilator comprises a receiving area defined at least partially by a notch through a wall of the dilator, where the receiving area is configured to have an expandable portion of the medical access sheath located therein, where the receiving area is configured to release the expandable portion from a first collapsed configuration to an expanded second configuration as the dilator is slid out of the medical access sheath.
9. An apparatus as in claim 8 where the medical access sheath comprises a first member comprising a channel therethrough, where the first member comprises a a wall having a gap through the wall, where the channel is configured to expand from a first cross-sectional size to a larger second cross-sectional size, and where the gap is configured to enlarge as the channel expands, and where the expandable portion is connected to the first member proximate the gap, where the expandable portion extends across the gap, and where the expandable portion is configured to expand when the channel expands from the first size to the second larger size.