Embedded body container and embedded body implant package

Abstract

An embedded body container (14A) comprises: a fibrous embedded body (12) that is implanted in a living body; and a storage case (18) for accommodating the embedded body (12). The storage case (18) has a device positioning part (24) that communicates with a storage part (22) in which the embedded body (12) is accommodated. The tip (d) of a device (D1) for implantation in the living body can be inserted into the device positioning part (24). When the tip (d) of the device (D1) is positioned in the device positioning part (24), a held part (121) of the embedded body (12) is inserted into a holding part (38) of the device (D1).

Description

Implant container and implant package

[0001] The present invention relates to an implant implantation package including an implant container for accommodating an implant to be implanted in a living body and a device for implanting the implant in a living body.

[0002] Various treatment methods have been proposed for treating tissues with impaired function in the living body, in which an implant that promotes tissue regeneration is placed at the treatment site (inside the living body). Japanese Patent Publication No. 4765602 discloses a container capable of containing an implant. The implant is formed from fiber in a rod shape. The implant is contained and fixed in a recess within the container.

[0003] Patent No. 4765602

[0004] When the implant contained in the container of Japanese Patent No. 4765602 is set in a device for use, the user must first remove the implant from the container using an appropriate gripping tool, and then set the implant in the device. This makes the process of setting the implant in the device cumbersome. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to easily set the implant in the device.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] (1) A first aspect of the present invention is an implant container comprising a fibrous implant to be implanted in a living body and a container case for containing the implant, wherein the container case comprises a container section for containing the implant, and a device positioning section having a holding section at its tip for holding the implant, into which at least the tip of a device for implanting the implant in the living body can be inserted, the device positioning section communicating with the container section, and into which a held portion of the implant inserted into and held by the holding section is disposed, and wherein when the tip of the device is positioned in the device positioning section, the held portion of the implant is inserted into the holding section of the device.

[0007] With this implant container, when removing the implant from the storage case, the device positioning part can be used to position the tip of the device, making it easy to set the implant relative to the device. Furthermore, the implant can be effectively removed by holding the tip of the device at the retained part in the storage part.

[0008] (2) In the implant container described in (1) above, the implant may be formed in a linear shape, and the container portion may be a groove portion extending in the axial direction of the implant container.

[0009] This configuration allows the embedding body to be accommodated along the groove, making it easy to form the accommodation portion.

[0010] (3) In the implant container described in (2) above, the container case may include a fixing portion that faces the groove and holds the implant within the groove.

[0011] With this configuration, the fixing portion can prevent the embedding body from coming off the groove, and the embedding body can be stably accommodated in the groove.

[0012] (4) In the implant container according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the device positioning portion may be a hole portion that opens in a direction intersecting with the extension direction of the container portion.

[0013] With this configuration, the device positioning portion is formed as a hole, which makes it easy to form the device positioning portion, and is suitable for when the device is inserted from a direction intersecting the extension direction of the storage portion.

[0014] (5) In the implant container described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the device positioning portion may be a positioning groove provided at the tip of the container portion and extending in the extension direction of the container portion.

[0015] With this configuration, the device positioning portion is formed as a positioning groove, which makes it easy to form the device positioning portion. When a device is inserted along the extension direction of the housing portion, the device can be effectively positioned in the extension direction of the housing portion.

[0016] (6) In the implant container described in any one of (1) to (5) above, the device positioning portion may include an installation portion against which the tip of the device abuts in the direction of insertion of the device into the container portion.

[0017] With this configuration, the tip of the device can be placed at a predetermined position by abutting the tip of the device against the placement portion.

[0018] (7) In the implant container described in (6) above, the device positioning portion may be arranged in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the device relative to the installation portion, and may include an introduction portion that guides the tip of the device toward the installation portion.

[0019] With this configuration, the leading portion can effectively guide the tip of the device to the installation portion.

[0020] (8) In the implant container described in (7) above, the introduction section may be tapered toward the installation section.

[0021] With this configuration, the tapered introduction section can more effectively guide the tip of the device toward the installation section.

[0022] (9) In the implant container described in any one of (1) to (8) above, when the held portion of the implant is inserted into the holding portion of the device, the held portion and the tip may be arranged to intersect.

[0023] This configuration allows the holding portion of the device to effectively hold the held portion of the implant.

[0024] (10) In the implant container described in any one of (1) to (5) above, the device positioning section may include an insertion direction positioning section that positions the device in the insertion direction relative to the container section, and a width direction positioning section that positions the device in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the container section and perpendicular to the insertion direction of the tip of the device.

[0025] With this configuration, the device can be positioned in the device insertion direction and the width direction of the storage case, so that the tip of the device can be accurately positioned with the held portion of the implant.

[0026] (11) In the implant container described in (1) above, the container portion may have a cylindrical structure having a container space extending in the axial direction of the container case.

[0027] With this configuration, the implant can be effectively covered by the cylindrical housing portion.

[0028] (12) In the implant container described in (11) above, the container section may have an opening at the axial end of the container case that communicates with the container space, and a lid member that covers the opening may be removably arranged at the end of the container case.

[0029] With this configuration, the implant can be covered with the lid member when it is stored, and therefore, when removing the implant, the storage section can be easily opened by removing the lid member.

[0030] (13) A second aspect of the present invention is an implant implantation package comprising an implant container having a fibrous implant to be implanted in a living body and a container case for containing the implant, and a device for holding the implant at its tip and implanting the implant in the living body, wherein the container case of the implant container comprises a container section for containing the implant, and a device positioning section that communicates with the container section, into which at least the tip of the device can be inserted, and into which the held portion of the implant held by the device is positioned, and the device comprises a shaft and a holding section that is provided at the tip of the shaft and holds the implant, and when the tip of the shaft is positioned in the device positioning section, the held portion of the implant is inserted into and held in the holding section of the device.

[0031] With this implant implantation package, when removing an implant housed in the housing of the implant housing, the tip of the device can be positioned using the device positioning part of the housing case, making it easy to set the implant relative to the device. The implant can be effectively removed by holding the tip of the device in the housing.

[0032] According to the present invention, in an implant container containing an implant, the tip of the device is positioned by the device positioning portion, making it possible to easily set the implant relative to the device. Furthermore, when the implant is to be removed by the device, the tip of the device holds the held portion of the implant in the container, allowing for effective removal.

[0033] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an implant implantation package according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an implant container. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the implant container shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a device. FIG. 7A is an enlarged perspective view of the tip of the device shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7B is an enlarged perspective view showing the device of FIG. 7A holding an implant. FIG. 8 is a first explanatory view showing the operation of removing an implant from an implant container using the device. FIG. 9 is a second explanatory view showing the operation of removing an implant from an implant container using the device. FIG. 10 is an overall configuration diagram of an implant implant implantation package according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway external perspective view of an implant container. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the implant container shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 12. FIG. 15 is a first explanatory view showing the operation of removing an implant from an implant container using a device. FIG. 16 is a second explanatory view showing the operation of removing an implant from an implant container using a device. FIG. 17 is an overall configuration diagram of an implant implantation package according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18A is an external perspective view of an implant container. FIG. 18B is an exploded perspective view of an implant container. FIG. 19 is a plan view of the implant container shown in FIG. 18A. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX-XX in FIG. 19. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXI-XXI in FIG. 19.

[0034] 1, the implant implantation package 10A according to the first embodiment includes an implant container 14A that contains an implant 12 (see FIG. 2) to be implanted in a living body, and a device D1 for implanting the implant 12 contained in the implant container 14A into the living body. In the implant implantation package 10A, the implant container 14A and the device D1 are contained and sealed in a packaging container 16. The packaging container 16 is, for example, in the form of a transparent, sealable bag.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 2, the implant container 14A includes an implant 12 to be implanted in a living body and a container case 18 that houses the implant 12. Hereinafter, one end of the implant container 14A in the longitudinal direction will be referred to as the distal end 201, and the other end of the implant container 14A in the longitudinal direction will be referred to as the proximal end 202. Hereinafter, in the longitudinal direction of the implant container 14A in Fig. 2, the direction of the distal end 201 will be referred to as the distal direction (direction of arrow X1), and the direction of the proximal end 202 will be referred to as the proximal direction (direction of arrow X2).

[0036] 3, the implant 12 is fibrous (thread-like), for example, made of collagen fibers. The implant 12 exhibits a certain degree of elasticity. The implant 12 is a linear, long rod-like structure extending in the longitudinal direction.

[0037] The implant 12 has a held portion 121 that is held by the holding portion 38 of the device D1. The held portion 121 is disposed from the center of the implant 12 in the longitudinal direction toward the tip (direction of arrow X1).

[0038] The storage case 18 is a case in which the embedding body 12 is stored before use. The storage case 18 is formed from, for example, a resin material. In a plan view of the storage case 18, the storage case 18 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in one direction and short in a direction perpendicular to the one direction.

[0039] The storage case 18 comprises a storage section 22 in which the implant 12 is stored, a device positioning section 24 into which the tip d of the device D1 for implanting the implant 12 into the living body can be inserted, and a fixing section 26 capable of holding the implant 12 within the storage section 22.

[0040] The storage section 22 is disposed at the center of the storage case 18 in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The storage section 22 has a groove 221 extending in the longitudinal direction of the storage case 18. As shown in Fig. 2 , the groove 221 is recessed downward from the top surface of the storage case 18. The depth of the groove 221 relative to the top surface of the storage case 18 is constant along the longitudinal direction of the storage case 18 (see Fig. 4 ).

[0041] The longitudinal length of the groove 221 is a length that can accommodate the implant 12. The length of the groove 221 is formed to be equal to or greater than the length of the implant 12. The tip of the groove 221 is located more inward than the tip 201 of the accommodating case 18. The base end of the groove 221 is located more inward than the base end 202 of the accommodating case 18. In other words, the tip and base ends of the groove 221 are closed by the tip 201 and base end 202 of the accommodating case 18, respectively. Therefore, the tip and base ends of the groove 221 do not penetrate the tip 201 and base end 202 of the accommodating case 18, respectively.

[0042] The distal end and proximal end of the groove 221 are not limited to a configuration in which they do not penetrate the distal end 201 and proximal end 202 of the casing 18. The distal end of the groove 221 may penetrate the distal end 201 of the casing 18, or the proximal end of the groove 221 may penetrate the proximal end 202 of the casing 18.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2 , the device positioning portion 24 is disposed near the tip 201 in the longitudinal direction of the accommodating case 18. The device positioning portion 24 is disposed at a position a predetermined distance from the tip 201 of the accommodating case 18 in the proximal direction (the direction of arrow X2). The device positioning portion 24 has a hole 241 that opens in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the accommodating portion 22. As shown in FIG. 4 , the hole 241 opens on the upper surface of the accommodating case 18 and extends downward. The hole 241 and the accommodating portion 22 intersect perpendicularly and communicate with each other. The tip d of the device D1 can be inserted downward into the device positioning portion 24. When the tip d of the device D1 is inserted into the device positioning portion 24, the held portion 121 of the implant 12 is disposed in the device positioning portion 24.

[0044] The hole 241 includes an installation section 28 against which the tip d of the device D1 abuts, and an introduction section 30 that is disposed in the direction of the upper surface of the storage case 18 relative to the installation section 28. The installation section 28 is provided at the lower end of the hole 241 and is disposed downward relative to the storage section 22. In other words, the device positioning section 24 extends from the upper surface of the storage case 18 to below the storage section 22. The installation section 28 has a substantially constant diameter in the axial direction of the hole 241.

[0045] The introduction section 30 is disposed between the upper surface of the storage case 18 and the installation section 28. The introduction section 30 is tapered from the upper surface of the storage case 18 toward the installation section 28. When the tip d of the device D1 is inserted into the device positioning section 24, the tapered introduction section 30 guides the tip d into the installation section 28.

[0046] Furthermore, the device positioning unit 24 includes an insertion direction positioning unit 321 and a width direction positioning unit 322. The insertion direction positioning unit 321 can position the device D1 in the insertion direction of the device D1 when inserting the device D1 into the storage unit 22. The width direction positioning unit 322 can position the device D1 in the width direction (arrow Y direction) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (arrow X1, X2 directions) of the storage unit 22 and perpendicular to the insertion direction of the device D1. The insertion direction positioning unit 321 is the underside of the installation unit 28 of the device positioning unit 24. The width direction positioning unit 322 is the outer peripheral surface of the installation unit 28.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3 , the fixing portion 26 is provided in the groove 221 of the housing case 18. The fixing portion 26 is provided on the inner surface of the groove 221 along the extending direction. The fixing portion 26 has a cantilever structure that protrudes inward in the width direction from the inner surface of the groove 221. As shown in FIG. 5 , the protruding length of the fixing portion 26 is equal to or less than the width of the groove 221. As shown in FIG. 3 , a plurality of fixing portions 26 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the groove 221. As shown in FIG. 5 , a fixing portion 26 is provided on one inner surface of the groove 221 and another inner surface of the groove 221. Note that the fixing portion 26 may be provided on only one of the inner surfaces of the groove 221. The fixed end of the fixing portion 26 is fixed to the inner surface of the groove 221. As shown in FIG. 4 , when the embedding body 12 is housed in the groove 221, a plurality of fixing portions 26 are arranged above the embedding body 12.

[0048] When the embedding body 12 is accommodated in the accommodation section 22, the held portion 121 of the embedding body 12 is positioned in the device positioning section 24, and the portion on the tip side of the held portion 121 is positioned on the tip side of the device positioning section 24.

[0049] The device D1 is used by inserting a puncture needle (not shown) into the skin of a living body and then inserting the device D1 inside the outer needle of the puncture needle.

[0050] 6, the device D1 includes an outer cylinder assembly 34, a shaft assembly 36, and a holding portion 38 capable of holding the implant 12. The device D1 is assembled by placing the shaft assembly 36 inside the outer cylinder assembly 34.

[0051] The outer cylinder assembly 34 includes a long outer cylinder 40 and an outer cylinder hub 42 joined to the base end side of the outer cylinder 40. The outer cylinder 40 has an outer diameter that allows it to be inserted into the outer needle of a puncture needle (not shown). The inner cavity of the outer cylinder 40 opens to the base end side.

[0052] 7A , a pair of first through-holes 44 are formed in the tip end of the outer cylinder 40. The first through-holes 44 extend in the axial direction and are disposed at positions facing each other across the central axis of the outer cylinder 40. The first through-holes 44 hold the implant 12 so that it passes through the outer cylinder 40 in the radial direction. The circumferential dimension of the first through-holes 44 is larger than the diameter of the implant 12.

[0053] 6, a grip portion 46 is provided at the base end of the outer cylindrical hub 42. The grip portion 46 includes a pair of grip rings 48 into which the user can insert his or her fingers.

[0054] The shaft assembly 36 includes a shaft 50 and a shaft hub 52 joined to the base end of the shaft 50. The shaft 50 is insertable into the inner cavity of the outer cylinder 40. As shown in Fig. 7A, a second insertion hole 54 is formed in the tip end of the shaft 50. The second insertion hole 54 extends in the axial direction and is formed to penetrate radially through the side of the shaft 50. The second insertion hole 54 opens at the tip end of the shaft 50. The second insertion hole 54 is formed in a portion of the shaft 50 that is inside the first insertion hole 44.

[0055] 6, the shaft hub 52 is provided at the base end of the shaft 50. An operation ring 56 is provided at the base end of the shaft hub 52. When the operator biases the operation ring 56 in the axial direction, the shaft 50 rotates.

[0056] The holding portion 38 is provided at the tip d of the device D1. As shown in FIG. 7A , the holding portion 38 is composed of a pair of first insertion holes 44 provided at the tip of the outer tube 40 and a pair of second insertion holes 54 provided at the tip of the shaft 50. With the implant 12 inserted through the first insertion holes 44 and the second insertion holes 54, the shaft 50 can be rotated using the operating ring 56 shown in FIG. 6 to rotate the second insertion holes 54 relative to the first insertion holes 44 and hold the implant 12 (see FIG. 7B ). As shown in FIG. 7B , with the implant 12 held by the holding portion 38, the tip d of the device D1 is inserted into the outer needle of a puncture needle (not shown).

[0057] 8, when the device D1 is used to remove the implant 12 from the implant container 14A, the holding portion 38 is inserted into the device positioning portion 24 of the implant container 14A. At this time, the insertion direction of the device D1 and the extension direction of the container portion 22 of the implant container 14A are perpendicular to each other.

[0058] The implant 12 in the implant container 14A is set in the device D1 as follows.

[0059] As shown in Figure 4, the implant container 14A is placed in place. At this time, the container section 22 and the device positioning section 24 are open upward. The implant 12 is contained in the container section 22 of the implant container 14A, and the held section 121 of the implant 12 is positioned in the device positioning section 24.

[0060] Next, the user inserts the tip d of the device D1 into the device positioning portion 24 of the implant container 14A. The device D1 is positioned above the implant container 14A so that the axial direction of the device D1 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the implant container 14A. The insertion direction of the device D1 is downward, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the implant container 14A. When the tip d of the device D1 is inserted into the device positioning portion 24, it is guided toward the installation portion 28 by the introduction portion 30 of the device positioning portion 24, and the holding portion 38 of the device D1 is inserted into the installation portion 28. At this time, the holding portion 38 is in a released state in which the circumferential positions of the second insertion hole 54 of the shaft 50 and the first insertion hole 44 of the outer tube 40 are aligned (see FIG. 7A ).

[0061] By inserting the holding portion 38 into the installation portion 28, the tip d of the device D1 abuts against the bottom surface of the installation portion 28. This positions the device D1 in the vertical direction (arrow Z direction) relative to the implant container 14A. Furthermore, by inserting the tip d of the device D1 into the installation portion 28 of the device positioning portion 24, the device D1 is positioned in the width direction (arrow Y direction) of the implant container 14A (see FIG. 3 ). This causes the held portion 121 of the implant 12 to be inserted into the first and second insertion holes 44, 54 of the device D1. As shown in FIG. 7A , the held portion 121 is inserted so as to straddle one first insertion hole 44 and the other first insertion hole 44, and also straddle one second insertion hole 54 and the other second insertion hole 54. That is, the held portion 121 of the implant 12 is inserted into the holding portion 38 of the device D1. When the held portion 121 of the implant 12 is inserted into the holding portion 38 of the device D1, the tip d of the device D1 and the held portion 121 of the implant 12 intersect.

[0062] Next, the user operates the operating ring 56 of the device D1 to rotate the shaft 50 relative to the outer tube 40. As shown in FIG. 7B , as the shaft 50 rotates, the first insertion hole 44 and the second insertion hole 54 are displaced circumferentially, and the implant 12 is sandwiched and fixed between the shaft 50 and the outer tube 40. The implant 12 is fixed in the holding portion 38 so that it cannot be removed. This sets the implant 12 in place in the holding portion 38 of the device D1.

[0063] As shown in Figure 9, the user moves the device D1 upward from the implant container 14A. With the implant 12 held by the holding portion 38, the tip d of the device D1 is removed from the device positioning portion 24. As the implant 12 moves upward from the container 22, the implant 12 bends and moves upward past the multiple fixing portions 26. This releases the state in which the implant 12 is held by the multiple fixing portions 26. The implant 12 is then removed from the container 22 to the outside of the implant container 14A. This completes the removal of the implant 12 from the implant container 14A using the device D1.

[0064] Next, to place the implant 12 removed by the device D1 at a target site in a living body, the puncture needle is inserted into the target site, and the tip d of the device D1 holding the implant 12 is inserted from the proximal end of the outer needle of the puncture needle. The outer tube 40 of the device D1 is inserted into the lumen of the outer needle, and the implant 12 is moved into the living body through the lumen. During this process, the implant 12 is protected by the outer needle and does not experience resistance as it advances through the living body. After further advancing the device D1 so that the holding portion 38 protrudes beyond the tip of the outer needle, the operating ring 56 of the device D1 is operated, and as the shaft 50 rotates, the circumferential positions of the first insertion hole 44 of the outer tube 40 and the second insertion hole 54 of the shaft 50 coincide (see FIG. 7A ). This places the holding portion 38 of the device D1 in a released state, allowing the implant 12 to be removed.

[0065] The user then pulls out the device D1 together with the puncture needle from the skin of the living body. The implant 12 separates from the holding portion 38 due to friction within the living body and is left in the living body.

[0066] The first embodiment has the following advantages.

[0067] As shown in Figure 2, the storage case 18 of the implant container 14A has a storage section 22 in which the implant 12 is stored and a device positioning section 24 into which at least the tip d of the device D1 can be inserted, and when the tip d of the device D1 is inserted into the device positioning section 24 and positioned, the held section 121 of the implant 12 is inserted into the holding section 38 of the device D1.

[0068] As a result, when the implant 12 is removed from the storage case 18 by the device D1, the tip d of the device D1 can be positioned in the implant storage container 14A by the device positioning portion 24, allowing the implant 12 to be easily set relative to the device D1. Also, the retained portion 121 of the implant 12 can be held by the retaining portion 38 of the device D1 in the storage portion 22, allowing for effective removal.

[0069] 3, the implant 12 is formed linearly, and the accommodation portion 22 is a groove 221 extending in the axial direction of the implant accommodation container 14A. This allows the implant 12 to be accommodated along the groove 221. The accommodation portion 22 can be easily formed in the accommodation case 18.

[0070] The storage case 18 has a fixing portion 26 that faces the groove portion 221 and holds the embedding body 12 within the groove portion 221. This makes it possible for the fixing portion 26 to prevent the embedding body 12 from coming out of the groove portion 221, and for the embedding body 12 to be stably stored within the groove portion 221.

[0071] 4, the device positioning portion 24 is a hole 241 that opens in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the accommodation portion 22. By using the device positioning portion 24 as the hole 241, the device positioning portion 24 can be easily formed. This is suitable for inserting the device D1 from a direction intersecting the extension direction of the accommodation portion 22.

[0072] The device positioning section 24 includes an installation section 28 with which the tip d of the device D1 abuts in the insertion direction of the device D1 into the accommodation section 22, and an introduction section 30 that is disposed in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the device D1 relative to the installation section 28 and guides the tip d of the device D1 toward the installation section 28. This allows the introduction section 30 to effectively guide the tip d of the device D1 to the installation section 28, and by bringing it into abutment against the installation section 28, the tip d of the device D1 can be installed at a predetermined position.

[0073] The introduction section 30 is tapered toward the installation section 28. This allows the tapered introduction section 30 to more effectively guide the tip d of the device D1 toward the installation section 28 when inserting the tip d of the device D1 into the device positioning section 24.

[0074] 8, when the held portion 121 of the implant 12 is inserted into the holding portion 38 of the device D1, the held portion 121 and the tip d are arranged to intersect with each other, thereby allowing the holding portion 38 of the device D1 to effectively hold the held portion 121 of the implant 12.

[0075] 4, the device positioning unit 24 includes an insertion direction positioning unit 321 that positions the device D1 in the insertion direction relative to the accommodating unit 22, and a width direction positioning unit 322 that positions the device D1 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the accommodating unit 22 and perpendicular to the insertion direction of the tip d of the device D1. As a result, by positioning the device D1 in the insertion direction relative to the accommodating case 18 and in the width direction (direction of arrow Y) of the accommodating case 18, the tip d of the device D1 can be accurately positioned with respect to the held portion 121 of the implant 12.

[0076] 1, the implant implantation package 10A includes an implant container 14A having a container case 18 that contains the implant 12, and a device D1 that holds the implant 12 and implants the implant 12 into a living body. When the tip of the shaft 50 of the device D1 is positioned in the device positioning portion 24 of the container case 18, the held portion 121 of the implant 12 is inserted into and held in the holding portion 38 of the device D1.

[0077] As a result, when removing the implant 12 housed in the housing portion 22 of the implant container 14A, the implant 12 can be easily set relative to the device D1 by positioning the tip d of the device D1 using the device positioning portion 24 of the housing case 18. Furthermore, the implant 12 can be effectively removed by holding the held portion 121 of the implant 12 in the housing portion 22 with the holding portion 38 of the device D1.

[0078] 10, an implant implantation package 10B according to the second embodiment includes an implant container 14B that contains an implant 12 (see FIG. 11) to be implanted in a living body, and a device D2 for implanting the implant 12 contained in the implant container 14B into the living body. The implant implantation package 10B is formed by containing the implant container 14B and the device D2 in a packaging container 16 and sealing them.

[0079] 11, the implant container 14B includes an implant 12 to be implanted in a living body and a container case 60 that houses the implant 12. Note that the implant 12 is the same as the implant 12 of the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0080] The storage case 60 comprises a storage section 62 in which the implant 12 is stored, a device positioning section 64 into which the tip d of the device D2 for implanting the implant 12 in the living body can be inserted, and a fixing section 26 capable of holding the implant 12 within the groove section 621.

[0081] As shown in Figure 12, the housing section 62 has a groove 621 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the implant housing 14B. The groove 621 is recessed downward from the top surface of the housing case 60 (see Figure 13). A device positioning section 64 is provided at the tip of the groove 621. The base end of the groove 621 is positioned inside the base end of the housing case 60. A plurality of fixing sections 26 are provided in the groove 621 of the housing case 60.

[0082] The device positioning portion 64 is disposed at the tip of the accommodating case 60. The device positioning portion 64 is disposed within a predetermined range from the tip of the accommodating case 60 toward the base end (arrow X2 direction). The device positioning portion 64 has a positioning groove 641. The positioning groove 641 opens toward the tip end (arrow X1 direction) at the tip of the accommodating case 60. The positioning groove 641 communicates with the groove portion 621 of the accommodating portion 62. The positioning groove 641 is provided along the extension direction of the accommodating portion 62. The tip d of the device D2 can be inserted into the device positioning portion 64 from the tip 201 of the accommodating case 60 toward the base end. The insertion direction of the device D2 is the extension direction (base end direction) of the accommodating portion 62. When the implant 12 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 62, the held portion 121 of the implant 12 is disposed in the device positioning portion 64.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 13, the positioning groove 641 includes an installation portion 66 against which the tip d of the device D2 abuts, and an introduction portion 68 that is positioned toward the tip of the accommodating case 60 (the direction of arrow X1) relative to the installation portion 66.

[0084] The installation portion 66 is provided at the base end of the positioning groove 641. The installation portion 66 extends toward the tip end of the accommodating case 60 (in the direction of arrow X1). As shown in FIG. 12 , in a plan view of the accommodating case 60, the installation portion 66 has a width equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the tip end d of the device D2. That is, the installation portion 66 has a width that allows the tip end d of the device D2 to be inserted therein. The width of the installation portion 66 is approximately constant in the longitudinal direction of the accommodating case 60. Note that the width of the installation portion 66 is not limited to being approximately constant in the longitudinal direction of the accommodating case 60. The width of the installation portion 66 may gradually increase from the tip end of the accommodating case 62 toward the tip end.

[0085] The introduction section 68 extends from the tip of the installation section 66 toward the tip of the storage case 60. In the plan view of the storage case 60 shown in Figure 12, the introduction section 68 expands in the width direction (arrow Y direction) toward the tip (arrow X1 direction). The introduction section 68 is formed in a tapered shape toward the installation section 66.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 14 , the device positioning unit 64 includes an insertion direction positioning unit 701 and a width direction positioning unit 702. The insertion direction positioning unit 701 has a locking step 72 provided on the installation unit 66. The locking step 72 is provided in the center of the installation unit 66 in the vertical direction (arrow Z direction) of the installation unit 66, which is the insertion direction of the device D2. The locking step 72 can lock the tip d of the device D2 in the insertion direction. The tip d of the device D2 is the tip of a shaft 74, which will be described later. The locking step 72 is located above the embedding body 12 accommodated in the accommodation unit 62. When the device D2 is inserted into the accommodation unit 62, the locking step 72 can position the device D2 in the vertical direction. The width direction positioning unit 702 is the installation unit 66 of the device positioning unit 64.

[0087] The device D2 is used by inserting a puncture needle (not shown) into a living body and then inserting it inside the outer needle of the puncture needle.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 10, the device D2 includes a shaft 74, a shaft hub 76 provided at the base end of the shaft 74, and a holding portion 78 provided at the tip of the shaft 74 and capable of holding the implant 12.

[0089] The shaft 74 is formed in a long, straight shape along the axial direction. The diameter of the shaft hub 76 is larger than the diameter of the shaft 74, and the shaft hub 76 is gripped by the user when operating the device D2.

[0090] The holding portion 78 is formed into a loop from an elastically deformable wire. The shape of the holding portion 78 is a diamond shape that is long in the axial direction of the shaft 74. The base end of the holding portion 78 is connected to the tip of the shaft 74. The tip of the holding portion 78 is disposed on the axis of the shaft 74 and has a tip corner 80 that protrudes toward the tip (direction of arrow X1).

[0091] The shape of the holding portion 78 is not limited to a diamond shape, but may be, for example, a trapezoidal or circular shape whose tip is perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 74.

[0092] 13 , when the device D2 is used to remove the implant 12 from the implant container 14B, the holding portion 78 is aligned with the device positioning portion 64 of the implant container 14B, and the holding portion 78 is moved toward the proximal end (in the direction of arrow X2) to insert it into the device positioning portion 64. At this time, the insertion direction of the device D2 and the extension direction of the container portion 62 of the implant container 14B are the same.

[0093] The implant 12 in the implant container 14B is set in the device D2 as follows.

[0094] First, as shown in FIG. 15 , the distal end d of the device D2 is moved from the distal end of the implant container 14B toward the proximal end (the direction of arrow X2) and inserted into the device positioning section 64. The insertion direction of the device D2 is the proximal end direction. The shaft 74 of the device D2 is guided toward the installation section 66 by the introduction section 68 of the device positioning section 64, and the holding section 78 of the device D2 is inserted into the installation section 66 (see FIG. 13 ). The distal end of the shaft 74 moves along the locking step 72. As a result, the distal end d of the device D2 is positioned in the vertical direction (the direction of arrow Z) of the storage case 60 by engaging the distal end of the shaft 74 with the locking step 72 (see FIG. 14 ). The distal end d of the device D2 is inserted into the installation section 66 and positioned in the width direction (the direction of arrow Y) of the storage case 60 (see FIG. 12 ).

[0095] 13 , with the tip d of the device D2 positioned, the tip of the implant 12 is inserted into the holding portion 78. The tip of the implant 12 protrudes a predetermined length in the tip direction (direction of arrow X1) relative to the holding portion 78. The held portion 121 of the implant 12 is disposed inside the holding portion 78. At this time, when the held portion 121 of the implant 12 is inserted into the holding portion 78 of the device D2, the tip d of the device D2 and the held portion 121 of the implant 12 are disposed so as to intersect.

[0096] 16 , the user moves the device D2 upward from the implant container 14B. The implant 12 is held by the holding portion 78. This causes the implant 12 to be set in the holding portion 78 of the device D2. The tip d of the device D2 is then removed from the device positioning portion 64, and the implant 12 is removed from the container 62 to the outside of the implant container 14B. This completes the removal of the implant 12 from the implant container 14B using the device D2.

[0097] When the implant 12 is to be placed in a target region of a living body, the tip d of the device D2 holding the implant 12 is inserted from the proximal end of the outer needle of the puncture needle inserted into the target region of the living body, and the implant 12 is moved into the living body through the lumen of the outer needle. The user then pulls out the device D2 together with the puncture needle from the living body, causing the implant 12 to separate from the holder 78 and be placed in the living body.

[0098] The second embodiment has the following advantages.

[0099] 12, the implant 12 is formed linearly, and the accommodation portion 62 is a groove 621 extending in the axial direction of the implant container 14B. This allows the implant 12 to be accommodated along the groove 621 of the implant container 14B. The groove 621 makes it easy to form the accommodation portion 62.

[0100] 13 , the device positioning portion 64 is a positioning groove 641 that is provided at the tip of the accommodating portion 62 and extends in the extension direction of the accommodating portion 62. This makes it possible to easily form the device positioning portion 64 by using the positioning groove 641 as the device positioning portion 64. When the device D2 is inserted into the accommodating case 60 along the extension direction of the accommodating portion 62, the device D2 can be effectively positioned in the extension direction of the accommodating portion 62.

[0101] 17, an implant implantation package 10C according to the third embodiment includes an implant container 14C that contains an implant 12 (see FIG. 18A) to be implanted in a living body, and a device D1 for implanting the implant 12 contained in the implant container 14C into the living body. In the implant implantation package 10C, the implant container 14C and the device D1 are contained and sealed in a packaging container 16. Note that the device D1 is the same as the device D1 in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0102] 18A , the implant container 14C includes an implant 12 to be implanted in a living body, a container case 90 that houses the implant 12, and a lid member 92. The implant 12 is the same as the implant 12 of the first and second embodiments, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 18B , the storage case 90 is a cylindrical structure 94 having a storage space 901 extending in the axial direction of the storage case 90. The storage case 90 includes a storage section 96 and a device positioning section 98. When viewed from the direction in which the storage case 90 extends, the storage case 90 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape having four corners 902 (see FIG. 21 ). One of the corners 902 of the storage case 90 (hereinafter referred to as a storage corner 903) is the storage section 96 that holds the embedding body 12. The storage corner 903 is positioned so as to face downward in the direction of gravity. The embedding body 12 is held inside the storage corner 903, thereby storing the embedding body 12 within the storage case 90.

[0104] The tip of the storage case 90 has an opening 100. The opening 100 opens in the tip direction (direction of arrow X1) at the tip of the storage case 90. The opening 100 communicates with the storage space 901. The implant 12 stored in the storage space 901 can be removed to the outside through the opening 100.

[0105] 19 , the device positioning section 98 is provided at the tip of the storage case 90. The device positioning section 98 includes an installation section 102 and an introduction section 104. The installation section 102 is rectangular and protrudes from the storage corner section 903 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the storage case 90. The tip d of the device D1 can be inserted into the installation section 102.

[0106] The introduction section 104 is a groove cut out from the tip of the accommodating case 90 toward the base end (the direction of arrow X2). The introduction section 104 is formed by cutting out one corner 902 that faces the accommodating corner 903 (see FIG. 18B ). The base end of the introduction section 104 faces the installation section 102. Note that the introduction section 104 may be tapered from the tip of the accommodating case 90 toward the base end.

[0107] 20 , the device positioning section 98 includes an insertion direction positioning section 1061 and a width direction positioning section 1062. The insertion direction positioning section 1061 is the lower surface of the installation section 102. The width direction positioning section 1062 is the introduction section 104.

[0108] 18B , the lid member 92 is detachably attached to the tip of the storage case 90. The shape of the lid member 92 is rectangular, corresponding to the shape of the storage case 90. The lid member 92 includes a lid main body 921 and an annular wall portion 922 provided on the outer edge of the lid main body 921. The lid main body 921 is disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the storage case 90 and covers the opening 100. The annular wall portion 922 extends perpendicular to the lid main body 921 in the proximal direction (the direction of arrow X2).

[0109] 19 , when the lid member 92 is attached to the tip of the storage case 90, the opening 100 is covered by the lid main body 921, and the outside of the device positioning portion 98 is covered by the annular wall portion 922. This covers the embedding body 12 inside the storage case 90. As shown in FIG. 18B , by removing the lid member 92 from the storage case 90, the storage case 90 is opened through the opening 100. The embedding body 12 in the storage space 901 can be removed to the outside of the storage case 90.

[0110] The shape of the storage case 90 is not limited to a rectangular shape. It may be a tubular structure 94 having a storage section 96 that can store the implant 12 at a position that is downward in the direction of gravity when the implant container 14C is placed thereon. Specifically, the cylindrical structure 94 may have a groove-shaped storage section 96 at its bottom. Alternatively, the tubular structure 94 may be a triangular structure having three corners 902.

[0111] The implant 12 in the implant container 14C is set in the device D1 as follows. As shown in FIG. 18B , when the user removes the lid member 92 from the tip of the container case 90, the introduction portion 104 of the device positioning portion 98 is exposed. As shown in FIG. 20 , the user introduces the tip d of the device D1 downward through the introduction portion 104 and inserts it into the installation portion 102. The user holds the held portion 121 of the implant 12 with the holding portion 38 of the device D1. This sets the implant 12 in the holding portion 38 of the device D1. The tip d of the device D1 is then removed from the device positioning portion 98 through the opening 100 to the outside of the implant container 14C. This completes the removal of the implant 12 from the implant container 14C using the device D1.

[0112] The third embodiment has the following advantages.

[0113] 20 , the housing portion 96 of the housing case 90 is a cylindrical structure 94 having the housing case 90 extending in the axial direction. This allows the housing portion 96 of the cylindrical structure 94 to effectively cover the implant 12.

[0114] 18B , the storage section 96 has an opening 100 that opens at the axial end of the storage case 90 and communicates with the storage case 90, and a lid member 92 that closes the opening 100 is removably disposed at the end of the storage case 90. This allows the implant 12 to be covered by the lid member 92 when the implant 12 is stored. When the implant 12 is to be removed, the storage section 96 can be easily opened by removing the lid member 92.

[0115] The present invention is not limited to the above disclosure, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. An implant container comprising a fibrous implant to be implanted in a living body and a container case for housing the implant, wherein the container case comprises a container section in which the implant is housed, and a device positioning section having a holding section at its tip for holding the implant, into which at least the tip of a device for implanting the implant in the living body can be inserted, the device positioning section communicating with the container section and into which a held portion of the implant to be inserted and held by the holding section is disposed, wherein when the tip of the device is positioned in the device positioning section, the held portion of the implant is inserted into the holding section of the device.

2. An implant container according to claim 1, wherein the implant is formed in a straight line, and the container portion is a groove portion extending in the axial direction of the implant container.

3. An implant container according to claim 2, wherein the container case has a fixing portion facing the groove portion and holding the implant within the groove portion.

4. An implant container according to claim 1, wherein the device positioning portion is a hole portion that opens in a direction intersecting with the extension direction of the container portion.

5. An implant container according to claim 1, wherein the device positioning portion is a positioning groove provided at the tip of the container and extending in the extension direction of the container.

6. An implant container according to claim 1, wherein the device positioning portion comprises a mounting portion against which the tip of the device abuts in the direction of insertion of the device into the container.

7. An implant container according to claim 6, wherein the device positioning portion is disposed in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the device relative to the installation portion, and is provided with an introduction portion for guiding the tip of the device toward the installation portion.

8. An implant container according to claim 7, wherein the introduction section is tapered toward the installation section.

9. An implant container according to claim 1, wherein when the held portion of the implant is inserted into the holding portion of the device, the held portion and the tip are positioned to intersect.

10. An implant container as described in claim 1, wherein the device positioning section comprises: an insertion direction positioning section which performs positioning of the device in the insertion direction relative to the container section; and a width direction positioning section which performs positioning of the device in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the container section and perpendicular to the insertion direction of the tip of the device.

11. An implant container according to claim 1, wherein the container section is a cylindrical structure having a container space extending in the axial direction of the container case.

12. An implant container as described in claim 11, wherein the container section has an opening at the axial end of the container case that communicates with the container space, and a cover member that covers the opening is removably arranged at the end of the container case.

13. An implant implantation package comprising: an implant container having a fibrous implant to be implanted in a living body and a container case for housing the implant; and a device for holding the implant at its tip and implanting the implant in the living body, wherein the container case of the implant container comprises: a container section for housing the implant; and a device positioning section that communicates with the container section, into which at least the tip of the device can be inserted and into which a held portion of the implant held by the device is disposed; and wherein the device comprises a shaft and a holding section that is provided at the tip of the shaft and holds the implant; and when the tip of the shaft is positioned in the device positioning section, the held portion of the implant is inserted into and held in the holding section of the device.

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