Patent ID: 9707131
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F,A61M,A61N

Claim:
1. A system for deploying a tympanostomy tube in a tympanic membrane in an ear of a patient, the system comprising: (a) a cutting tool having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end capable of penetrating the tympanic membrane; (b) a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the sheath can selectively cover the distal end of the cutting tool; (c) an actuation assembly movably supporting the cutting tool, the sheath, and the tympanostomy tube, the actuation assembly being operable to cause relative movement between: (d) a first locking mechanism including at least one leg biased toward a radially expanded configuration, the at least one leg being radially compressed in an unlocked state and radially expanded in a locked state, wherein the at least one leg can restrict proximal movement of the tympanostomy tube after deployment in the locked state.