Patent ID: 11918235
Assignee: SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A tissue protection sleeve arranged and configured to facilitate insertion of an intramedullary (“IM”) nail into a patient's bone, the tissue protection sleeve comprising:
an inner sleeve including a first end portion, a second end portion, a longitudinal axis, and a bore extending there through from the first end portion to the second end portion; and
a flexible outer sleeve including a first end portion, a second end portion, a cannulated inner bore extending from the first end portion to the second end portion of the flexible outer sleeve, and an outer surface, the cannulated inner bore of the flexible outer sleeve being arranged and configured to at least partially receive and surround the inner sleeve, the flexible outer sleeve further including first and second pin channels formed on the flexible outer surface of the outer sleeve so that at least a portion of the first and second pin channels protrude from the outer surface, the first and second pin channels extending along a portion of an entire longitudinal length of the flexible outer sleeve;
wherein the tissue protection sleeve is capable of bending without collapsing, in part or in total, the bore; and
wherein the pin channels are angled about the flexible outer surface of the outer sleeve as the pin channels extend from the first end portion to the second end portion of the flexible outer sleeve such that the pins channels extend non-parallel and circumscribe a portion of the outer surface of the flexible outer sleeve.