Patent US3636570A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0119688A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for restoring patency to body vessels
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1984-01-23
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2004-01-23
Abstract
Abstract A process in which a shape memory alloy, such as nitinol wire, which has been previously fabricated in its parent phase to form a longitudinally oriented coil of adjacent wire loops and thereafter cooled to its martensite phase and reshaped to a relatively straight shape, is utilised as an intraluminal device to reinforce a weakened or otherwise damaged vessel. The reformable wire is inserted into the vessel in such a manner to be temperature insulated such that, upon the removal of the insulation means, the wire reforms to its coil shape so as to be urged against the internal walls of the damaged vessel and supplies a patent channel through which body fluids may pass. In this manner, removal of the damaged portion of the vessel with the attachment of graft material as a replacement thereto along with the complex surgical techniques required to perform such is avoided.
Inventors
- 👤 Alexander Balko
- 👤 Dhiraj Shah
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 22:00
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/04; A61F2/06; A61F2/07; A61F2/82; A61F2/86; A61F2/88; A61F2/95; A61F2/962; A61F2/966; A61F2/0004; A61F2002/075; A61F2210/00; A61F2210/0014; A61F2210/0019; A61F2250/00; A61F2250/0004; A61F2250/0008
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
184 words
A process of restoring the patency and/or re-establish continuity of a disrupted hollow body vessel which includes a localised defect disposed intermediate first and second patent vessel portions, characterised in inserting at least the forward end of a shape-memory alloy wire (24) which has been previously fabricated in its parent phase to form a longitudinally oriented coil (26), (38) of adjacent wire loops and then cooled to its martensite phase and reshaped to an alternate form (24a) along the interior of said vessel past said defect to a position adjacent the first patent vessel portion (12) while maintaining the temperature of said wire below its martensite transformation point and thereafter heating said wire to its transformation point so as to initially cause the thus reshaped wire loops (28) of the forward wire end to be urged against the interior of said first patent vessel portion (12) so as to be at least temporarily positioned thereat and thereafter cause the reformation of the remainder of said coil so as to bridge said localised defect (18) and into position adjacent said second patent vessel portion (14).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
184 words
A process of restoring the patency and/or re-establish continuity of a disrupted hollow body vessel which includes a localised defect disposed intermediate first and second patent vessel portions, characterised in inserting at least the forward end of a shape-memory alloy wire (24) which has been previously fabricated in its parent phase to form a longitudinally oriented coil (26), (38) of adjacent wire loops and then cooled to its martensite phase and reshaped to an alternate form (24a) along the interior of said vessel past said defect to a position adjacent the first patent vessel portion (12) while maintaining the temperature of said wire below its martensite transformation point and thereafter heating said wire to its transformation point so as to initially cause the thus reshaped wire loops (28) of the forward wire end to be urged against the interior of said first patent vessel portion (12) so as to be at least temporarily positioned thereat and thereafter cause the reformation of the remainder of said coil so as to bridge said localised defect (18) and into position adjacent said second patent vessel portion (14).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said heating is progressive in the direction from the first and to the second portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the martensite transformation temperature of said wire is below the normal temperature range of said body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said heating of said wire takes place by said body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the temperature of said wire is regulated by insulating means when initially inserted into said vessel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein said insulating means is a tube through which said wire is transported to said first patent vessel portion after which said tube is progressively withdrawn.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the adjacent loops of said reformed coil are closely spaced to each other so as to essentially form the wall of the vessel in said defective portion thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that a tubular graft is positioned between said reshaped coil and the interior wall of said vessel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The process as claimed in claim 8 as appended to claim 6, characterised in that said wire is attached to said graft at least at the forward end thereof and said wire and graft are temporarily positioned in said tube in a crushed compacted form.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said wire is composed of a nitinol alloy.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said alternate wire form is a relatively straight length thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
123 words
Apparatus for restoring the patency and/or re-establishing continuity of a disrupted hollow body vessel which includes a localised defect disposed intermediate first and second patent vessel portions, characterised in that it comprises means for inserting at least the forward end of a length of shape-memory alloy wire which has been previously fabricated in its parent phase to form a longitudinally oriented coil of adjacent wire loops and then cooled to its martensite phase and reshaped to an alternate form along the interior of said vessel past said defect to a position adjacent the first patent vessel portion, tube means for temporarily maintaining the temperature of said wire below its martensite transformation temperature point and means for progressively withdrawing said tube from said body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
123 words
Apparatus for restoring the patency and/or re-establishing continuity of a disrupted hollow body vessel which includes a localised defect disposed intermediate first and second patent vessel portions, characterised in that it comprises means for inserting at least the forward end of a length of shape-memory alloy wire which has been previously fabricated in its parent phase to form a longitudinally oriented coil of adjacent wire loops and then cooled to its martensite phase and reshaped to an alternate form along the interior of said vessel past said defect to a position adjacent the first patent vessel portion, tube means for temporarily maintaining the temperature of said wire below its martensite transformation temperature point and means for progressively withdrawing said tube from said body.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.