US 20040002726A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2004/0002726 Al
Nunez et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 1,2004
(54) BALLOON-TYPE ACTUATOR FOR SURGICAL APPLICATIONS
(76) Inventors: George Nunez, Miami, FL (US);
Mohammed Ike Juman, Miami, FL
(US)
Correspondence Address:
Patrick J. Fay, Esq.
FAY, KAPLUN & MARCIN, LLP
Suite 702
150 Broadway
New York, NY 10038 (US)
(21) Appl. No.: 10/187,144
(22) Filed: Jun. 28, 2002
Publication Classification (51) Int. CI.7 A61M 29/00
An actuator for surgical applications comprises an inflation fluid conduit extending from a proximal end which, when the actuator is in an operative configuration, remains outside a patient's body, to a distal end and an inflatable member coupled to the distal end of the inflation fluid conduit so that, when inflation fluid is supplied to the inflatable member via the inflation fluid conduit, the inflatable member is expanded from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, wherein, when in the collapsed configuration, the inflatable member includes a fold extending substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis thereof so that, when inflation fluid is supplied thereto, the inflatable member expands substantially along the longitudinal axis.
