摘要 |
An inner diameter retaining instrument for holding a predetermined expansion state of the lumen of a tubular organ such as a blood vessel, a digestive tract, or a windpipe is disclosed. This instrument is formed into a cylindrical shape or substantially cylindrical shape by a unidirectional shape memory alloy. The outer diameter of the cylindrical body at its transformation temperature (e.g., a temperature higher than a body temperature) is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of a tubular organ in which the cylindrical body is introduced. The instrument can be deformed to be radially expanded at, e.g., the body temperature or lower. As a cylindrical shape, a coil-like shape, a shape having a spiral section, a shape having a slit in its longitudinal direction, or a mesh-like shape can be arbitrarily selected.
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