| CPC A61M 25/0662 (2013.01) [A61F 2/2433 (2013.01); A61F 2/2436 (2013.01); A61F 2/958 (2013.01); A61F 2/966 (2013.01); A61M 25/1002 (2013.01); A61M 25/1025 (2013.01); A61B 17/3468 (2013.01); A61M 29/02 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |

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1. An introducer sheath comprising:
a tubular shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
wherein the shaft comprises a distal tip that is more flexible than a main body of the shaft,
a balloon adjacent to the distal end of the shaft, said balloon having, on inflation, a toroidal shape; and
a proximal anchoring element having a release configuration in which the anchoring element is movable along the shaft and an anchoring configuration in which a tissue bridging gap, between the anchoring element located on a proximal side of the tissue bridging gap and the balloon located on a distal side of the tissue bridging gap, is reduced and the anchoring element is locked to the shaft,
wherein:
the anchoring element comprises a collar which is movable along the shaft,
the collar, in the release configuration is slidably movable along the shaft,
the collar has a distally facing end face that is configured for engaging one side of tissue of the tissue bridging gap, and said collar distal end face is only substantially flat; and
the anchoring element comprises a mounting system for mounting the collar to the shaft.
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