Patent ID: 9504467
Filing Date: 2016-11-29
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F

Claim Text:
1. A method, comprising: inserting a needle of a delivery needle into a lumen of a first dilator, wherein, when the needle is inserted into the lumen of the first dilator, a tip of the needle extends outside the lumen from a first opening of the first dilator; extending the first dilator into a body of a patient via a vaginal incision in a direction until a distal end portion of the first dilator extends from a first supra-pubic incision, the first dilator defining the first opening disposed proximate the distal end portion and a second opening disposed proximate to a proximal end portion of the first dilator, the lumen of the first dilator extending from the first opening to the second opening, at least a portion of the first dilator being disposed within the body when the distal end portion extends from the body, wherein a first suture extends through at least a portion of the lumen of the first dilator, the first suture having a first end portion coupled to an implant; passing, after the extending, a first portion of the implant through the vaginal incision and then into the lumen defined by the first dilator by pulling on a second end portion of the first suture; removing the first dilator from the body via the first supra-pubic incision by moving the first dilator in a direction that is the same as the direction used to extend the first dilator into the body of the patient while the portion of the first portion of the implant slides out of the lumen defined by the first dilator and remains in the body, wherein the removing includes removing the needle of the delivery needle from the body of the patient via the vaginal incision and removing the first dilator from the body of the patient via the first supra-pubic incision; extending a second dilator into the body of the patient via the vaginal incision until a distal end portion of the second dilator extends from a second supra-pubic incision, wherein a second suture extends through at least a portion of the lumen of the second dilator, the second suture having a first end portion coupled to a second portion of the implant, the first dilator and the second dilator extending into the body of the patient via the same vaginal incision; passing, after the extending, the second portion of the implant through the vaginal incision and then into the lumen defined by the second dilator.