Importance

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Abstract

A reinforced splittable medical introducer cannula for insertion into a patient and delivering a catheter to a desired location within a patient comprising: (a) a body made of splittable material having sufficient strength for insertion through a needle puncture in the skin and through semi-hard tissue of a patient, the cylindrical body having a proximal end and a distal end, the cylindrical body defining a channel, the channel extending along the longitudinal length of the cylindrical body and between the proximal and distal ends of the cylindrical body, the channel further having a dimensions to permit the catheter to be inserted into the channel at the proximal end and through the cylindrical body and the distal end and delivered to the desired location within the patient; and (b) at least one strengthening strip co-extruded and embedded within the splittable material of the cylindrical body and extending at least partially along the longitudinal length of the cylindrical body, the material of the strengthening strip having a shear strength greater than the splittable material of the cylindrical body, whereby the strengthening strip can be pulled along the longitudinal length of the cylindrical body to cut and thereby split the medical introducer cannula so that the medical introducer cannula can be removed from the catheter while leaving the catheter in the desired location within the patient.

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First Claim