Patent ID: 6354995
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A rotating and lateral expansion device adapted to reach, with relation to a central orifice axis of an orifice, left and top furthermost expansion positions from an initial closed position and passing through an intermediate position comprising:(a) at least two blades and an opposing blade means, each having an effective longitudinal axis substantially parallel to that of the other longitudinal axes, each adapted to have its longitudinal axis remain substantially parallel to the others throughout lateral expansion of the blades from the central orifice axis during an orifice expansion and each having an outer face adapted to forcingly engage an orifice edge and at least laterally expand the orifice edge from the central orifice axis during an orifice expansion; (b) the first blade comprising a top blade and the second blade comprising a left blade, whereby the top and left blades lie within top and left blade force planes, respectively, and the outer faces of the left and top blades correspond to at least part of an outer face of the left and top blade force planes, respectively; (c) a base plate assembly adapted to, in the closed position, maintain an inner face of the top blade force plane substantially closely opposed to and just outside of, with respect to the central orifice axis during an orifice expansion, the outer face of the left blade force plane, while maintaining an inner face of the left blade force plane relatively close to the central orifice axis; (d) the opposing blade means further adapted to remain fixed or move in a direction substantially opposite the lateral expansion direction of the top and left blades during such lateral expansion; (e) a lateral motion forcing means is operatively attached to the base plate assembly such that activation of the lateral motion forcing means forces a rotating and sliding action in the base plate assembly which translates into forcing a lateral expansion of at least the left and top blades; and (f) the base plate assembly further adapted to, upon activation of the lateral motion forcing means from the closed position, expandingly move: (i) the left blade force plane laterally outward in a path substantially perpendicular to the left blade force plane and (ii) the top blade force plane simultaneously laterally outward and toward the top position together with and expandingly slightly ahead of the left blade force plane such that the two force planes form an effectively continuous and broader orifice expanding forcing plane than at the closed position.