Patent ID: 6613062
Filing Date: 2003-09-02
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An apparatus for delivering a medical device to a desired sealed location within a patient's body and stabilizing said medical device with respect to an adjacent portion of tissue, such that a distal portion of said medical device must pierce the adjacent portion of tissue to reach said desired location, comprising:an elongated device body having a proximal end and a distal end and having an internal, longitudinally extending lumen open to the distal end of the device body; and a stabilizing mechanism located at the distal end of the;device body, the stabilizing mechanism in turn comprising: a tubular elastic member having a proximal end attached to the device body and having a first length and a first circumference in a first configuration; means for causing the tubular member to change from the first configuration to a second configuration by elastically stretching the tubular elastic member longitudinally to a second length greater than the first length and thereby causing the tubular member to neck down to a second circumference smaller than the first circumference; and means for causing the tubular elastic member to change from the second configuration to a third configuration having a third length less than the second length and a third circumference greater than the second circumference.