| CPC A61F 2/9522 (2020.05) [A61F 2/2427 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A loading tool to facilitate loading a self-expanding prosthesis into a delivery system, the loading tool comprising:
a hinged body including a first body portion and a second body portion, each of the first body portion and the second body portion having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first body portion is attached to the first end of the second body and the second end of the first body portion is not attached to the second end of the second body portion, and wherein each of the first body portion and the second body portion includes a resilient clip formed thereon that includes a radial protrusion on an outer surface thereof, each resilient clip being configured to be displaced radially inwards when a pinching force is applied thereto; and
a collar slidingly disposed over the hinged body, wherein the loading tool has an open configuration in which the second end of the first body portion and the second end of the second body portion are radially spaced apart from each other and the collar is disposed over the first ends of the first and second body portions, and wherein the loading tool has a closed configuration in which the second end of the first body portion and the second end of the second body portion are disposed directly adjacent to each other and the collar is disposed over the second ends of the first and second body portions, and
wherein the radial protrusions are configured to lock the loading tool in the closed configuration when the resilient clips are not displaced radially inwards.
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