Systems for gaining access around an implanted medical device

摘要

Systems for gaining access into a body of a patient around an implanted body of an elongate medical device (100) include a sheath (30) having a deformable wall (300) that allows insertion of the device body into a lumen surrounded by the sheath wall. The sheath wall may include first (301) and second (302) edges that extend from a proximal end (33) to a distal end (35) of the lumen (305), or just extend along a distal portion of the lumen. A tool (80), which includes a groove (82) sized to grasp about a circumference of the device body, may facilitate insertion of the device body into the lumen of those sheath embodiments that include the first and second edges, by spreading at least one of the first and second edges of the wall apart from the other of the first and second edges while the device body is grasped within the tool.