INFLATABLE APPARATUS FOR ACCESSING A BODY CAVITY AND METHODSOF MAKING

摘要

Apparatus (10) is provided for accessing a body cavity comprising a tubular member (11) having a deflated configuration that facilitates viewing within the body cavity. The apparatus is formed by everting a length of material up on itself to form a tube having a single circumference seam at the distal end, and includes an inflation tube (13) that is sufficiently rigid to assist in inserting the tubular member (11) into a body cavity in the deflated inserti on configuration. The tubular member further includes a pattern of staggered contact areas (22) that configured so as to avoid the creation of longitudin al features that preferentially bend when loaded, thereby ensuring that tubular member (11) provides a substantially circular central lumen (18).