US20020029079A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Devices for forming and/or maintaining connections between adjacent anatomical conduits
Assignee: Medtronic Vascular Inc
•
Filing: 2001-07-24
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2021-07-24
Abstract
Abstract Implantable connector devices which are useable to maintain fluidic connection between, or approximation of, openings formed in adjacent natural or prosthetic anatomical conduits (or adjacent openings formed in a single anatomical conduits). These connector devices generally comprise a plurality of radially expandable annular members having one or more elongate strut members extending therebetween. Initially, the device is mountable on or within a delivery catheter while in a radially compact configuration. After the delivery catheter has been inserted into the body, the device is caused to transition to a radially expanded configuration whereby it becomed implanted within the body so as to maintain the desired fluidic connection between, or the desired approximation of, the anatomical conduit(s).
Inventors
- 👤 Steven Kim
- 👤 J. Flaherty
- 👤 Jason Whitt
- 👤 Theodore Lamson
- 👤 Joshua Makower
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:30
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/11; A61B1/00; A61B1/313; A61B1/3137; A61B17/12; A61B17/12022; A61B17/12027; A61B17/1204; A61B17/12045; A61B17/12099; A61B17/12109; A61B17/12131; A61B17/12136; A61B17/34; A61B17/3417; A61B18/00; A61B18/04; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B18/1442; A61B18/1445; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/24; A61F2/2493; A61F2/95; A61B17/00234; A61B17/00491; A61B17/0057; A61B17/064; A61B17/0643; A61B17/32; A61B17/3205; A61B17/3207; A61B17/320725; A61B17/3494; A61B17/3496; A61B18/1477; A61B18/1492; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/22; A61B18/24; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00243; A61B2017/00247; A61B2017/00252; A61B2017/00292; A61B2017/003; A61B2017/00504; A61B2017/00637; A61B2017/00646; A61B2017/00668; A61B2017/0641; A61B2017/1107; A61B2017/1139; A61B2017/12127; A61B17/22; A61B2017/22038; A61B2017/22072; A61B2017/22074; A61B2017/22077; A61B17/30; A61B2017/306; A61B2017/347; A61B2017/348; A61B2017/3482; A61B2017/3484; A61B2017/3488; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00345; A61B2018/00351; A61B2018/00392; A61B2018/00404; A61B2018/00636; A61B2018/00773; A61B2018/00869; A61B2018/1405; A61B2018/1425; A61B2018/1475; A61B90/00; A61B90/36; A61B90/37; A61B2090/378; A61B90/39; A61B2090/3925; A61B2090/3929; A61B2090/3954; A61B2090/3958; A61B90/361; A61B90/40; A61F2/04; A61F2/06; A61F2/07; A61F2/82; A61F2/86; A61F2/90; A61F2/30; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30003; A61F2002/3006; A61F2002/30079; A61F2/848; A61F2002/8486; A61F2210/00; A61F2210/009; A61F2250/00; A61F2250/0058; A61F2250/0096; A61F2250/0098; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/0067; A61M25/0074; A61M25/0075; A61M2025/0076; A61M25/0082; A61M25/0084; A61M2025/0089; A61M2025/009; A61M2025/0096; A61M25/01; A61M2025/018; A61M25/10; A61M2025/1043; A61M2025/1052
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 63
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
1 . A device for facilitating flow fluid between a first opening formed in an anatomical conduit and a second opening formed in an anatomical conduit, said device comprising: at least one proximal annular member and at least one distal annular member, each of said annular members having a radially compact configuration and a radially expanded configuration; at least one strut member connected to and extending between said proximal and distal annular members, said at least one strut member having a pre-expansion configuration and a post-expansion configuration; said device being initially transluminally deliverable with its annular members in their radially collapsed configurations and said at least one strut member is in its pre-expansion configuration; and, said device being thereafter implantable with its annular members are in their radially expanded configurations and said at least one strut member is in its post-expansion configuration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
1 . A device for facilitating flow fluid between a first opening formed in an anatomical conduit and a second opening formed in an anatomical conduit, said device comprising: at least one proximal annular member and at least one distal annular member, each of said annular members having a radially compact configuration and a radially expanded configuration; at least one strut member connected to and extending between said proximal and distal annular members, said at least one strut member having a pre-expansion configuration and a post-expansion configuration; said device being initially transluminally deliverable with its annular members in their radially collapsed configurations and said at least one strut member is in its pre-expansion configuration; and, said device being thereafter implantable with its annular members are in their radially expanded configurations and said at least one strut member is in its post-expansion configuration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the proximal and distal annular members are coaxially positioned during transluminal delivery of the device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
3 . The device of claim 1 wherein the proximal and distal annular members have different longitudinal axes after the device has been implanted.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
4 . The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one strut member comprises a plurality of strut members.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
5 . The device of claim 2 having 4 to 8 strut members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
6 . The device of claim 2 wherein said strut members are spaced apart from each other and disposed about a central axis when the device is in its implantated, such that a hollow channel is defined within said strut members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
7 . The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one strut member is formed of resilient material such that it remains in its pre-expansion configuration when radially constrained, but will assume its post-expansion configuration when radially unconstrained.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
8 . The device of claim 7 wherein said resilient material is selected from the group of resilient materials consisting of: spring metal; a resilient polymer; and, a shape memory alloy.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
9 . The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one strut member(s) is/are formed of malleable material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
10 . The device of claim 10 wherein said malleable material is selected from the group of malleable materials consisting of: plastically deformable metal; and, plastically deformable polymer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
12 . A system comprising the device of claim 10 in combination with: a pressure-exerting member positioned within said device and useable to cause the annular members to radially expand and the at least one strut member to deform from its pre-expansion configuration to its post-expansion configuration.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
13 . The system of claim 12 wherein said pressure-exerting device is a balloon which has a curved configuration when inflated to deform said strut members to a curvilinear post-expansion configurations.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
14 . The device of claim 1 wherein said annular members are self-expanding.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
15 . The device of claim 10 wherein said self-expanding annular members are formed of resilient material and are biased to their radially expanded configurations.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
16 . The device of claim 15 wherein said resilient material is selected from the group consisting of: spring metal; resilient polymer; and, shape memory alloy.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
17 . The device of claim 1 wherein said annular members are pressure-expandable.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
18 . The device of claim 17 wherein said pressure-expandable annular members are formed of malleable material capable of being plastically deformed from their radially compact configurations to their radially expanded configurations.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
19 . The device of claim 18 wherein said malleable material is selected from the group of malleable materials consisting of: plastically deformable metal; and plastically deformable polymer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
11 . The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one strut member has first and second ends, said first and second ends being fused to said first and distal annular members.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
12 . The device of claim 16 wherein said at least one strut member has first and second ends which are connected to said first and distal annular members by flexible connections.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
60 words
13 . The device of claim 13 wherein loops are formed on the first and second ends of said at least one strut member, and portions of said first and distal annular members are captured within said loops, to thereby form said flexible connections between the ends of said at least one strut member and first and distal annular members.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
15 . The device of claim 1 wherein the curvilinear post-expansion configuration of said at least one strut member is a serpentine configuration.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
16 . The device of claim 1 wherein the curvilinear post-expansion configuration of said 10 at least one strut member is a generally U shaped configuration.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
17 . The device of claim 2 further comprising: a plurality of transverse strut connector members formed between adjacent ones of said strut members.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
78 words
18 . The device of claim 2 wherein outer ones of said strut members have a longer radius of curvature than inner ones of said strut members when the device is in its second condition, and wherein said outer ones of said strut members are longer in length than said inner ones of said strut members, said outer ones of said strut members having at least one wave formed therein while the device is in its first condition.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
19 . The device of claim 1 further comprising a pliable covering formed on at least a portion of said device.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
20 . The device of claim 19 wherein said pliable covering is a generally cylindrical covering formed about said device, said cover defining a hollow lumen which extends longitudinally through the device.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
21 . The device of claim 19 wherein at least one flow-through opening is formed in said pliable covering.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
22 . The device of claim 19 wherein said pliable covering is formed transversely across the device to block flow of body fluid.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
65 words
23 . The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one strut member has a post-expansion configuration which is multicurvate, such that said proximal and distal annular members may be positioned at spaced-apart locations in the same anatomical conduit and said at least one strut member may extend through said first and second openings and through a segment of an adjacent second anatomical conduit.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
28 words
24 . The device of claim 1 wherein at least some of the proximal and distal annular members are of differing size when in their radially expanded configurations.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
193 words
25 . A device for facilitating fluid flow between the lumen of a first anatomical conduit which has a first opening formed therein, and the lumen of a second anatomical conduit which has a second opening formed therein, said device comprising: at least one proximal annular member, at least one distal annular member and at least one medial annular member, each of said annular members having a radially compact configuration and a radially expanded configuration; at least one first strut member connected to and extending between said proximal and medial and medial annular members, said at least one first strut member having a pre-expansion configuration and a post-expansion configuration; at least one second strut member connected to and extending between said medial and distal annular members, said at least one second strut member having a pre-expansion configuration and a post-expansion configuration; said device being initially transluminally deliverable with its annular members in their radially collapsed configurations and said first and second strut members in their pre-expansion configurations; and, said device being thereafter implantable with its annular members in their radially expanded configurations and its first and second strut members in their post-expansion configurations.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
193 words
25 . A device for facilitating fluid flow between the lumen of a first anatomical conduit which has a first opening formed therein, and the lumen of a second anatomical conduit which has a second opening formed therein, said device comprising: at least one proximal annular member, at least one distal annular member and at least one medial annular member, each of said annular members having a radially compact configuration and a radially expanded configuration; at least one first strut member connected to and extending between said proximal and medial and medial annular members, said at least one first strut member having a pre-expansion configuration and a post-expansion configuration; at least one second strut member connected to and extending between said medial and distal annular members, said at least one second strut member having a pre-expansion configuration and a post-expansion configuration; said device being initially transluminally deliverable with its annular members in their radially collapsed configurations and said first and second strut members in their pre-expansion configurations; and, said device being thereafter implantable with its annular members in their radially expanded configurations and its first and second strut members in their post-expansion configurations.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
26 . The device of claim 25 wherein the proximal, distal and medial annular members are coaxially positioned during transluminal delivery of the device.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
24 words
27 . The device of claim 26 wherein the proximal and distal annular members have different longitudinal axes after the device has been implanted.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
26 words
28 . The device of claim 25 wherein said at least one first and second strut members comprise a plurality of first and second strut members.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
19 words
29 . The device of claim 28 having 4 to 8 first strut members and 4-8 second strut members.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
45 words
30 . The device of claim 25 wherein adjacent ones of said first and second strut members are spaced apart from each other and disposed about a central axis when the device is implanted, such that a hollow channel is defined within said strut members.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
39 words
31 . The device of claim 25 wherein said first and second strut members are formed of resilient material such that they remain in their pre-expansion configurations when radially constrained, but will assume their post-expansion configurations when radially unconstrained.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
31 words
32 . The device of claim 31 wherein said resilient material is selected from the group of resilient materials consisting of: spring metal; a resilient polymer; and, a shape memory alloy.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
19 words
33 . The device of claim 25 wherein said first and second strut members are formed of malleable material.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
28 words
34 . The device of claim 33 wherein said malleable material is selected from the group of malleable materials consisting of: plastically deformable metal; and, plastically deformable polymer.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
29 words
35 . The device of claim 25 whein at least some of said proximal, distal and medial annular members are of different size when in their radially expanded configurations.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
53 words
36 . A system comprising the device of claim 33 in combination with: a pressure-exerting member positioned within said device and useable to cause the device to deform and become implanted such that its annular members are in their radially expanded configurations and its first and second strut members in their post-expansion configurations.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
34 words
37 . The system of claim 36 wherein said pressure-exerting device is a balloon which has a curved configuration when inflated to deform said first and second strut members to their curved post-expansion configurations.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
13 words
38 . The device of claim 25 wherein said annular members are self-expanding.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
25 words
39 . The device of claim 38 wherein said self-expanding annular members are formed of resilient material and are biased to their radially expanded configurations.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
26 words
40 . The device of claim 39 wherein said resilient material is selected from the group consisting of: spring metal; resilient polymer; and, shape memory alloy.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
13 words
41 . The device of claim 25 wherein said annular members are pressure-expandable.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
32 words
42 . The device of claim 41 wherein said pressure-expandable annular members are formed of malleable material capable of being plastically deformed from their radially compact configurations to their radially expanded configurations.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
28 words
43 . The device of claim 42 wherein said malleable material is selected from the group of malleable materials consisting of: plastically deformable metal; and plastically deformable polymer.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
58 words
44 . The device of claim 25 wherein said first and second strut members have first and second ends, the first and second ends of said first strut members being fused to said proximal and medial annular members and the first and second ends of said second strut members being fused to said medial and distal annular members.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
64 words
45 . The device of claim 44 wherein said first and second strut members have first and second ends, the first and second ends of said first strut members are connected to said proximal and medial annular members by flexible connections and the first and second ends of said second strut members are connected to said medial and distal annular members by flexible connections.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
52 words
46 . The device of claim 45 wherein loops are formed on the first and second ends of said first and second strut members, and portions of said annular members are captured within said loops, to thereby form said flexible connections between the ends of said strut members and said annular members.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
57 words
47 . The device of claim 25 wherein the post-expansion configuration of said at least one first strut member is curved in a first direction and the post-expansion configuration of said at least one second strut member is curved in a second direction, such that said first and second strut members combine to provide a serpentine configuration.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
24 words
48 . The device of claim 25 further comprising: a plurality of transverse strut connector members formed between adjacent ones of said strut members.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
72 words
49 . The device of claim 25 wherein outer ones of said strut members have a longer radius of curvature than inner ones of said strut members when the device is implanted, and wherein said outer ones of said strut members are longer in length than said inner ones of said strut members, said outer ones of said strut members having at least one wave formed therein while in their pre-expansion configurations.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
21 words
50 . The device of claim 25 further comprising a pliable covering formed on at least a portion of said device.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
32 words
51 . The device of claim 50 wherein said pliable covering is a generally cylindrical covering formed about said device, said cover defining a hollow lumen which extends longitudinally through the device.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
19 words
52 . The device of claim 50 wherein at least one flow-through opening is formed in said pliable covering.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
23 words
53 . The device of claim 50 wherein said pliable covering is formed transversely across the device to block flow of body fluid.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
76 words
54 . The device of claim 25 wherein said first and second strut members combine to have a post-expansion configuration which is multicurvate, such that said proximal and distal annular members may be positioned at spaced-apart locations in the same anatomical conduit and said strut member may extend through said first and second openings and into a segment of an adjacent second anatomical conduit with said medial annular member being located within said secon anatomical conduit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5643312A
Cited
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