| 主权项 |
1. A medical device for the repair and reinforcement of a muscle wall defect, and that comprises, in combination:
(a) a biologically compatible implantable prosthesis having a first layer of material with a peripheral outer edge, and a second layer of material juxtaposed with said first layer and, connected to the first layer at said peripheral outer edge to provide a pocket between said layers; one of said layers of material containing an opening to allow access to said pocket between the first and second layers; and (b) a delivery device for delivering the prosthesis to a repair site, said delivery device having a generally planar support piece with a stable, self-supporting free body configuration to permit said support piece to be nested within the pocket between the first and second layer of the prosthesis, said support piece, in its free body configuration having a continuous surface over a substantive portion of said support piece and a zone of weakness to facilitate deformation of said support piece, said support piece made from material having flexibility sufficient to adopt a collapsed configuration allowing the support piece to pass through said opening, and the delivery device further comprising a handle extending from said continuous surface and connected to the support piece to transmit a force thereto, said handle having sufficient rigidity to transfer a bending moment to said support piece and move said support piece to said collapsed configuration to facilitate removal of the support piece from the implantable prosthesis after the implantable prosthesis has been positioned relative to the muscle defect. |
