Patent 11944545 was granted and assigned to Cartiva, Inc. on April, 2024 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A tool configured to deliver a radially compressible hydrogel implant at a surgical site includes an introducer tube, a plunger provided inside the introducer tube and configured to travel from the proximal end of the introducer tube toward the distal end of the introducer tube urging the hydrogel implant through a sloped portion of the introducer tube radially compressing the implant before exiting through the distal end of the introducer tube, a handle connected to the introducer tube, and a clamp hingeably connected to the handle.