Patent ID: 11969563
Assignee: ABIOMED, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method comprising the steps of:
percutaneously inserting an expandable sheath into a blood vessel of a patient, wherein the expandable sheath comprises:
a sheath body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a lumen of the sheath body that extends along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end of the sheath body, the sheath body being comprised of:
a first member extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the sheath body, the first member comprising a first material having a first elastic modulus;
a plurality of second members, each of the plurality of second members extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the sheath body, and each of the plurality of second members comprising a second material having a second elastic modulus that is higher than the first elastic modulus; and
a plurality of third members, each of the plurality of third members extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the sheath body, and each of the plurality of third members being at least partially encapsulated within a respective second member of the plurality of second members and comprising a third material having a third elastic modulus that is higher than the second elastic modulus;

positioning the expandable sheath in a first desired position in the patient;
inserting a medical device into the lumen of the sheath body; and
positioning the medical device in a second desired position in the patient,
wherein the sheath body is configured to be radially expandable from an unexpanded state to an expanded state to allow a passage of a portion of the medical device through the lumen of the sheath body, the portion of the medical device having a transverse cross-sectional area larger than a transverse cross-sectional area of the lumen of the sheath body when the sheath body is in the unexpanded state.