Patent ID: 7214236

Claim:
In an apparatus for creating an anatomic space in tissue in a body, an introducer device having a tubular member with a bore extending therethrough, a tunneling shaft assembly slidably mounted in the bore of the tublar member, said tunneling shaft assembly including a tunneling shaft having proximal and distal extremities, a balloon assembly, means carried by the balloon assembly for removably securing the balloon assembly to the tunneling shaft, said balloon assembly including a balloon wrapped about said tunneling shaft, a sheath enclosing said balloon and carried by said tunneling shaft, said sheath having a weakened region extending longitudinally thereof permitting said sheath to be removed to release the balloon, and the balloon having a generally planar shape, so that the balloon progressively unwraps, the balloon expanding to create seperation forces in the tissue generally perpendicular to the plane of the balloon to create the anatomic space.