Device for the introduction of a duration of expansion device for the ureter.

摘要

An indwelling ureteral stent positioning apparatus (10) is provided for allowing single intrusion placement of a stent (20) in the ureter of a patient. The apparatus is pre-assembled and includes a wire guide (12) with floppy tip (14). The stent (20) is positioned about the wire guide (12) adjacent to the floppy tip (14) of the wire guide (12), and is adjustably situated on the wire guide (12) to expose a pre-determined length of the floppy tip (14) for insertion into the patient. The stent (20) is a dual open-ended tubular stent having a resilient retentive curved circular or pigtail shape at each end for retention in the kidney and bladder. A positioner (25) is conveyed on the wire stent until the end of the positioner abuts the anatomically distal end (24) of the stent (20). A pin-vise clamp (30) abuts the external end of the positioner (25) and releasably engages the wire guide (12) to stabilize the apparatus (10) during insertion. When used to position the stent (20) within the ureter, the apparatus (10) is conveyed along the ureter until the floppy tip (14) is within the renal collecting system. The positioner (25) is advanced along the wire guide (12) to push the anatomically proximal end (23) of the stent (20) over and beyond the floppy tip (14) so that the retentive coil forms within the kidney. The pin-vise clamp (30) is released to allow the wire guide (12) to be withdrawn until it passes the anatomically distal end (24) of the stent (20), wherein the retentive coil shape is formed within the bladder. With the stent fully indwelling, the positioner (25) and wire guide (12) are removed from the patient.