Patent ID: 11925342
Assignee: HOWMEDICA OSTEONICS CORP.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 5:
6. A system comprising:
a dilation device comprising:
a frame defining a central opening;
a first arm clamp, a second arm clamp, and a third arm clamp, each arm clamp attached to the frame in circumferentially spaced relation to one another; and
a first arm attached to the first arm clamp, a second arm attached to the second arm clamp, and a third arm attached to the third arm clamp, the first, second and third arms being movable from a closed position to an open position, and

an arm retention clip including a plurality of circumferentially located, spaced-apart short prongs and a plurality of circumferentially located, spaced apart intermediate length prongs, wherein the short prongs are positioned where adjacent arm clamps touch, and wherein the intermediate length prongs are positioned through the central opening so as to be partially positionable in between the first, second and third arms to thereby aid in holding the dilation device closed during insertion into a tissue or a natural passageway, the arm retention clip including a stylus that projects outwardly from a central disk so as to be spaced-away and within the intermediate length prongs with one or more laterally projecting tabs positioned away from the frame when the arm retention clip is positioned within the central opening, the tabs being sized and shaped so as to engage a complementary distally positioned groove in each arm,
wherein the stylus defines a cannulation sized to receive a small diameter shaft, and
wherein when the first, second and third arms are closed so as to be positioned around the stylus so that the intermediate length prongs are positioned between adjacent arms, inward facing surfaces of the first, second and third arms are flush with an outward facing surface of the stylus.