EXPANSIBLE APPARATUS WITH BACK-LOADED CANNULA

摘要

The present invention relates to an expansible tunneling apparatus (20) suitable for tissue dissection. The apparatus is provided with a cannula loading shaft (21) at its proximal end such that a cannula chosen from a range of different cannulas may be loaded over the cannula loading shaft (21), and installed in an anatomic space created by th e expansible tunneling apparatus (20). The apparatus is also provided with an inflatable member such as a balloon (87) to accomplish the dissection, and a sleeve (101) covering the balloon which are removed from the apparatus before the cannula is loaded on the cannula loadi ng shaft (21).