What is claimed is:
1. A sheath for use with a tunneling tool, the sheath comprising:
a pair of nested tubes, each tube having a leading end, a trailing end, and a longitudinal opening; and
a coupling element attached to the leading ends of the nested tubes, the coupling element being removably attachable to a tunneling tool.
2. A sheath as in claim 1, wherein each longitudinal opening subtends a circumferential arc of the tubes in a range from about 20 to about 190.
3. A sheath as in claim 1, wherein at least one tube is made from a memory alloy material.
4. A sheath as in claim 1, wherein each tube has an external diameter in the range from about 1 mm to about 45 mm.
5. A sheath as in claim 1, wherein the pair of nested tubes are serrated.
6. A sheath as in claim 1, where the tubes are counter rotatable so that the openings can be selectively aligned to open a passage therein or staggered apart to close a passage therein.
7. A method for subcutaneously positioning an article, the method comprising:
providing a trailing sheath;
inserting an article into the trailing sheath;
coupling the trailing sheath to a tunneling tool;
subcutaneously passing the tunneling tool through patient tissue to position the article at a desired location; and
removing the sheath from over the article while the article remains at the desired location.
8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the trailing sheath comprises a pair of nested tubes, each tube having a longitudinal opening.
9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the removing comprises withdrawing the tubes sequentially.
10. A method as in claim 8, wherein removing comprises withdrawing an outer tube from an entrance or exit site.
11. A method as in claim 10, wherein removing further comprises at least partially expanding an inner tube to allow release of the article at the desired location.
12. A method as in claim 11, wherein removing further comprises withdrawing an inner tube from an entrance or exit site.
13. A method as in claim 8, wherein removing comprises withdrawing the tubes simultaneously in opposite directions.
14. A method as in claim 8, further comprising counter rotating the tubes so that the openings can be aligned prior to removing the sheath.
15. A method as in claim 8, further comprising counter rotating the tubes so that the article is completely encompassed within the sheath prior to passing the tunneling tool through patient tissue.
16. A method as in claim 7, further comprising uncoupling the tunneling tool from the trailing sheath prior to removing the sheath.
17. A method as in claim 7, further comprising rotating the sheath so that the article can be alignable with an artery or vein prior to removing the sheath.
18. A method as in claim 7, further comprising expanding the sheath while still encompassing the article completely prior to removing the sheath.
19. A method for positioning an article in a subcutaneous tunnel, the method comprising:
providing a trailing sheath having a pair of nested tubes, each tube having a longitudinal opening;
inserting the article into the trailing sheath;
coupling the trailing sheath to a tunneling tool;
subcutaneously passing the tunneling tool through patient tissue to position the article at a desired location; and
removing the sheath from over the article while the article remains at the desired location by separating the nested tubes within the tunnel.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A front suspension apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of links suspending an axle member from a vehicle body to allow the axle member to move in a vertical direction of the vehicle, the axle member including a shaft portion rotatably supporting a front wheel, the plurality of links extending inwardly in a vehicle-width direction from the axle member,
the plurality of links including:
an upper arm member extending from a position above the shaft portion of the axle member to the vehicle body, and
first and second lower link members each extending from a position below the shaft portion of the axle member to the vehicle body, the first and second lower link members being arranged:
to dispose the second lower link member at a more rearward position than the first lower link member,
to cause an imaginary straight line connecting a vehicle-body-side attaching point of the second lower link member with an axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member to have a smaller angle than that of an imaginary straight line connecting a vehicle-body-side attaching point of the first lower link member with an axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link member relative to an imaginary straight line extending right in the vehicle-width direction, as viewed from above of the vehicle,
to cause the imaginary straight line of the second lower link member to overlap with the shaft portion of the axle member, as viewed from above of the vehicle,
to locate the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member more downwardly than the axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link member, and
to locate the axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link member more inwardly in the vehicle-width direction than the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member,
wherein the vehicle-body-side attaching point of the first lower link member is located at a more downward position than the axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link member.
2. The front suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link member is nearer to the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member than to any other attaching point of the plurality of links.
3. The front suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle-body-side attaching point of the first lower link member is located at a more upward position than the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member.
4. The front suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member is located at a more upward position than the vehicle-body-side attaching point of the second lower link member.
5. A front suspension apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of links suspending an axle member from a vehicle body to allow the axle member to move in a vertical direction of the vehicle, the axle member including a shaft portion rotatably supporting a front wheel, the plurality of links extending inwardly in a vehicle-width direction from the axle member,
the plurality of links including:
an upper arm member extending from a position above the shaft portion of the axle member to the vehicle body, and
first and second lower link members each extending from a position below the shaft portion of the axle member to the vehicle body, the first and second lower link members being arranged:
to dispose the second lower link member at a more rearward position than the first lower link member,
to cause an imaginary straight line connecting a vehicle-body-side attaching point of the second lower link member with an axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member to have a smaller angle than that of an imaginary straight line connecting a vehicle-body-side attaching point of the first lower link member with an axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link member relative to an imaginary straight line extending right in the vehicle-width direction, as viewed from above of the vehicle,
to cause the imaginary straight line of the second lower link member to overlap with the shaft portion of the axle member, as viewed from above of the vehicle,
to locate the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member more downwardly than the axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link member, and
to locate the axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link member more inwardly in the vehicle-width direction than the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link member,
wherein the upper arm member includes at least two vehicle-body-side attaching points and one axle-member-side attaching point, the two vehicle-body-side attaching points including a frontward attaching point and a rearward attaching point,
wherein the axle-member-side attaching point of the upper arm member is located at a more upward position than the two vehicle-body-side attaching points of the upper arm member, and
wherein the frontward attaching point of the two vehicle-body-side attaching points is located at a more upward position than the rearward attaching point of the two vehicle-body-side attaching points.
6. The front suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second lower link member is arranged to cause the imaginary straight line of the second lower link member to overlap with the shaft portion of the axle member also as viewed from front of the vehicle.
7. The front suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second lower link member is arranged to locate the imaginary straight line of the second lower link member substantially at the same position as an axis of the shaft portion of the axle member.
8. A front suspension apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
means for suspending an axle member from a vehicle body to allow the axle member to move in a vertical direction of the vehicle, the axle member including a shaft portion rotatably supporting a front wheel, the means extending inwardly in a vehicle-width direction from the axle member,
the means including:
upper link means extending from a position above the shaft portion of the axle member to the vehicle body, and
first and second lower link means each extending from a position below the shaft portion of the axle member to the vehicle body, the first and second lower link means being arranged:
to dispose the second lower link means at a more rearward position than the first lower link means,
to cause an imaginary straight line connecting a vehicle-body-side attaching point of the second lower link means with an axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link means to have a smaller angle than that of an imaginary straight line connecting a vehicle-body-side attaching point of the first lower link means with an axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link means relative to an imaginary straight line extending right in the vehicle-width direction, as viewed from above of the vehicle,
to cause the imaginary straight line of the second lower link means to overlap with the shaft portion of the axle member, as viewed from above of the vehicle,
to locate the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link means more downwardly than the axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link means, and
to locate the axle-member-side attaching point of the first lower link means more inwardly in the vehicle-width direction than the axle-member-side attaching point of the second lower link means.