Method and apparatus for disabling vein valves in-situ

Claim 1

An apparatus, for disabling valve cusps within a vein, comprising: (i) a flexible guide tube of a diameter substantially smaller than that of the vein so that the guide tube may be contained entirely within the lumen of the vein along the entire length of the vein, thus allowing minimal contact with the interior vein wall; (ii) hooking means, for ensnaring a valve cusp within the vein, including at least one springy wire retractably disposed within the guide tube for axial motion of such hooking means into first and second positions, such wire being configured at its distal end into a hook formation so as to have a main stem portion and a hooked portion including a vertex, a tip and a gap between the tip and the main stem portion, the gap of each hook being sufficiently small as to preclude entry therein of any venous structure substantially thicker than a valve cusp, the hooking means in the first position being retracted substantially entirely within the guide tube, with the hooked portion of the each wire resting just outside, and against, the distal end of the guide tube, and the tip of each hook being pressed against the guide tube so as to seal off the gap of the hook, such that the hooked portion of the hooking means assumes a configuration about the distal end of the guide tube which is sufficiently compact as to be contained entirely with the lumen of the vein along a substantial length of the vein without contacting the vein wall; the hooking means in the second position being retracted up the guide tube so as to expose a desired length of each wire beyond the distal end of the guide tube, and wherein such exposed length flares outwardly so as to bring a lateralmost surface of the hooked portion thereof into contact with the vein wall; and (iii) control means, attached to the guide tube and the hooking means, for controllably moving the hooking means axially within the guide tube.

Claim 2

An apparatus, for disabling valve cusps within a vein, comprising: (i) a flexible guide tube of a diameter substantially smaller than that of the vein so that the guide tube may be contained entirely within the lumen of the vein along the entire length of the vein, thus allowing minimal contact with the interior vein wall; (ii) hooking means, for ensnaring a valve cusp within the vein, including at least one springy wire retractably disposed within the guide tube for axial motion of such hooking means into first and second positions, such wire being configured at its distal end into a hook formation so as to have a main stem portion and a hooked portion including a vertex, a tip and a gap between the tip and the main stem portion, the gap of each hook being sufficiently small as to preclude entry therein of any venous structure substantially thicker than a valve cusp, the hooking means in the first position being retracted substantially entirely within the guide tube, with the hooked portion of the each wire resting just outside, and against, the distal end of the guide tube, and the tip of each hook being pressed against the guide tube so as to seal off the gap of the hook, such that the hooked portion of the hooking means assumes a configuration about the distal end of the guide tube which is sufficiently compact as to be contained entirely with the lumen of the vein along a substantial length of the vein without contacting the vein wall; the hooking means in the second position being retracted up the guide tube so as to expose a desired length of each wire beyond the distal end of the guide tube, and wherein such exposed length flares outwardly so as to bring a lateralmost surface of the hooked portion thereof into contact with the vein wall; and (iii) control means, attached to the guide tube and the hooking means, for controllably moving the hooking means axially within the guide tube.