Patent ID: 11904122
Assignee: nan
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 12:
13. A method of dilating a canal of an anatomical orifice to provide a passageway into a cavity of a patient, the method comprising:
a) providing a dilator in a closed state, the dilator having:
(i) a tubular member which is flexible and which has a conical shape in the closed state;
(ii) a plurality of wires which form an inner metallic core inside of the tubular member, wherein the plurality of wires are equally distributed along a radius and a length of the tubular member, overlap with one another, and extend inwardly from an interior of the tubular member to a center of the tubular member;
iii) a string which in the closed state extends through a length of the tubular member and is engaged with and passes through a center of the plurality of wires holding them in the closed state such as to prevent recoiling into an open state; and
(iv) a handle attached to the string;

b) inserting the tubular member into the canal; and
c) pulling the handle away from the tubular member such as to apply a force to the string and causing the dilator to expand into the open state;
wherein the force to the string causes the string to disengage from the plurality of wires such that the plurality of wires recoil against the interior of the tubular member such that the tubular member takes on a diameter of a predetermined dimension;
wherein in the open state, the tubular member has a cylindrical shape and provides for dilation of the canal;
wherein in the open state, a channel extends through a distal end and a proximal end of the tubular member such as to form the passageway through which a surgical device can pass through; and
wherein in the open state, the plurality of wires recoil away from the center of the tubular member such as to expand the tubular member into the open state while not obstructing the channel.