Surgery – Instruments – Surgical mesh – connector – clip – clamp or band
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-12
2001-01-30
Thaler, Michael H. (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
Surgical mesh, connector, clip, clamp or band
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179848
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to the field of vascular surgery and, more specifically, to a connecting device for blood vessels, especially the aorta in by-pass operations on the coronary vessels.
An increased flow resistance in the various coronary vessels can jeopardise the oxygen supply to the cardiac muscle. In some cases an expansion of the vascular lumen is possible. If the flow of blood in a vessel is completely or practically completely blocked, the only thing to be done is to bypass the blocked portion to prevent an irreparable injury from arising. Such a bypass operation is usually effected by connecting a new vessel after the blocked point and connecting it to another blood vessel, for instance the aorta, which may give a sufficient flow of blood to the blood vessel after the blocked point.
Such a bypass operation normally requires the use of a heart-lung machine, i.e. that the heart be temporarily stopped, since the bypass operation when connecting, for instance, the two vessels involved requires the heart to be immovable. In consequence of the connecting technique employed and the use of the heart-lung machine, the operation will be relatively time-consuming and not without risk.
International Patent Application No. PCT/SE97/00804 discloses a branching device, which to a considerable extent facilitates the connection of the new vessel to the coronary vessel suffering from stenosis, but this branching device is not suited for connection of the new vessel to e.g. the aorta mainly owing to the difference in size.
The object of the present invention therefore is to provide a simple and reliable connection of the new vessel to a blood vessel, for instance the aorta, which can give a sufficient flow of blood to the constricted blood vessel via a branch after the constriction. Preferably it should also be possible to design the connection in a manner which makes it possible that the heart-lung machine need not be used. Most preferably it should be possible to carry out the operation by applying endoscopy.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by the connecting device being given the features that appear from the accompanying claim
1
. Preferred embodiments of the connecting device appear from the dependent claims.
The inventive sleeve thus makes it possible to create a collar from the end of a first blood vessel. The collar can be made to extend around the inside of an opening formed in the second blood vessel. As a result, a relatively large overlapping can be achieved in the connecting area between the first and the second blood vessel, which in turn permits a highly reliable connection of the two vessels.
In the preferred embodiment, use is made of a balloon for expanding the end portion of the sleeve and, thus, for forming the collar. More precisely, the balloon is equipped with an inlet tube, which can be passed through the sleeve, such that the balloon itself will be positioned adjacent to the expandable end portion in order to accomplish, by inflation, the expansion thereof and at the same time also form the collar from the first blood vessel.
For fixing the position of the balloon during inflation thereof such that the resulting pressure acts against the expandable end portion of the sleeve, the inlet tube of the balloon suitably is made of a substantially nonelastic material.
In the preferred embodiment of the inventive device, the balloon besides has a nonelastic portion, which abuts on the inlet tube and in extended state has a shape corresponding to the desired shape of the annular end flange and, thus, the collar. This ensures still more that the expandable end portion of the sleeve is affected in the correct manner for the shape of the annular flange to be correct.
According to the invention, a locking ring is advantageously used to fix the two blood vessels. The locking ring can receive the sleeve and be displaced along this to a position adjacent to the annular flange, mutually overlapping portions of the first and the second vessel being positioned therebetween. With the aid of suitable fixing means, e.g. pins with barbs, which can be integrated with the locking ring and directed axially relative to the sleeve, the first and the second blood vessel portions, which overlap each other, can be interconnected in a simple and reliable manner around the opening formed in the second blood vessel.
The entire sleeve but preferably only its expandable end portion can advantageously be made of a net-like flexible material, but the end portion can alternatively be formed by making a plurality of axial slots from the one end of the sleeve.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2453056 (1948-11-01), Zack
patent: 3868956 (1975-03-01), Alfidi et al.
patent: 4233981 (1980-11-01), Schomacher
patent: 4366819 (1983-01-01), Kaster
patent: 4712551 (1987-12-01), Rayhanabad
patent: 4787386 (1988-11-01), Walsh et al.
patent: 5309894 (1994-05-01), Heckele et al.
patent: 5456714 (1995-10-01), Owen
patent: 5695504 (1997-12-01), Gifford, III et al.
patent: WO 93/00868 (1993-01-01), None
patent: WO 95/17128 (1995-06-01), None
patent: WO 97/43961 (1997-11-01), None
Browdy and Neimark
Thaler Michael H.
Trinh Hoa B.
LandOfFree
Anastomotic fitting does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Anastomotic fitting, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Anastomotic fitting will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2457133