US5827265A — Intraluminal tissue welding for anastomosis

Claim 1

Independent Claim 160 words

A method for intraluminal tissue welding in the anastomosis of a hollow organ, comprising: providing a retractable catheter assembly including a catheter with at least one inflatable balloon and an optical fiber connected to the catheter, and a deployable biocompatible patch mounted on the balloon; positioning the catheter assembly in a hollow organ adjacent to sections of the hollow organ to be joined; positioning at least one balloon between the sections to be joined, inflating the balloon, thereby holding the sections together on the inflated balloon and deploying the patch against the inner wall of the hollow organ where the sections join; and forming a continuous hollow organ by delivering laser radiation through the optical fiber to the patch to bond the patch to the hollow organ, wherein the laser radiation has a pulse length that is within a factor of two of the time for laser energy to diffuse across a region over which the laser energy is deposited.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 160 words

A method for intraluminal tissue welding in the anastomosis of a hollow organ, comprising: providing a retractable catheter assembly including a catheter with at least one inflatable balloon and an optical fiber connected to the catheter, and a deployable biocompatible patch mounted on the balloon; positioning the catheter assembly in a hollow organ adjacent to sections of the hollow organ to be joined; positioning at least one balloon between the sections to be joined, inflating the balloon, thereby holding the sections together on the inflated balloon and deploying the patch against the inner wall of the hollow organ where the sections join; and forming a continuous hollow organ by delivering laser radiation through the optical fiber to the patch to bond the patch to the hollow organ, wherein the laser radiation has a pulse length that is within a factor of two of the time for laser energy to diffuse across a region over which the laser energy is deposited.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the catheter assembly with the patch circumferentially positioned around the balloon so that the patch is deployed upon inflation of the balloon.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the patch with a layer of light-absorbing dye on the side of the patch being bonded to the inner wall of the organ.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the patch with a bonding agent that strengthens the bond to the inner wall of the organ.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the patch with a material that polymerizes upon exposure to the laser radiation to form a mechanical bond to the inner wall of the hollow organ.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting a pulse structure for the laser radiation having a delay time between pulses that is within a factor of two of the time needed for a heated region over which the laser energy is deposited to cool.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 57 words

The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting a pulse structure for the laser radiation having a pulse length that minimizes the total treatment time needed to weld the patch to the organ wall and limits the thickness of a heated region over which the laser energy is deposited to less than about 100 μm.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting a deployable biocompatible patch having a thickness that is about the thickness of a heated region over which the laser energy is deposited.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 144 words

A method for intraluminal tissue welding in the anastomosis of a hollow organ, comprising: providing a retractable catheter assembly including a catheter with at least one inflatable balloon and an optical fiber connected to the catheter; positioning the catheter assembly in a hollow organ adjacent to sections of the hollow organ to be joined; positioning at least one balloon between the sections to be joined and inflating the balloon, thereby holding the sections together on the inflated balloon; and forming a continuous hollow organ using a light-absorbing material applied to the sections that are to be joined together by applying laser radiation through the optical fiber to the light absorbing material, wherein the laser radiation has a pulse length that is within a factor of two of the time for laser energy to diffuse across a region over which the laser energy is deposited.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 144 words

A method for intraluminal tissue welding in the anastomosis of a hollow organ, comprising: providing a retractable catheter assembly including a catheter with at least one inflatable balloon and an optical fiber connected to the catheter; positioning the catheter assembly in a hollow organ adjacent to sections of the hollow organ to be joined; positioning at least one balloon between the sections to be joined and inflating the balloon, thereby holding the sections together on the inflated balloon; and forming a continuous hollow organ using a light-absorbing material applied to the sections that are to be joined together by applying laser radiation through the optical fiber to the light absorbing material, wherein the laser radiation has a pulse length that is within a factor of two of the time for laser energy to diffuse across a region over which the laser energy is deposited.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the laser radiation has a delay time between pulses that is within a factor of two of the time needed for the heated region over which the laser energy is deposited to cool.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the pulse length minimizes the total treatment time needed to weld the patch to the organ wall and limits the thickness of a heated region over which the laser energy is deposited to less than about 100 μm.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising a deployable biocompatible patch mounted on at least one balloon that is deployed upon inflation of the balloon against the inner wall of the hollow organ.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising providing the patch with a layer of light-absorbing dye on the side of the patch being bonded to the inner wall of the organ.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising selecting the patch to have a thickness that is about the thickness of a heated region over which the laser energy is deposited.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 180 words

A method for intraluminal tissue welding for anastomosis of a hollow organ, comprising: providing a retractable catheter assembly including a catheter with at least two inflatable balloons and an optical fiber connected to the catheter, and at least two deployable biocompatible patches mounted on the balloons; positioning the catheter assembly in a hollow organ adjacent to severed free ends of the hollow organ; positioning a graft between the free ends; positioning the balloons between the free ends and the graft and inflating the balloons, thereby holding the free ends and the graft together on the inflated balloons and deploying the patches against the inner walls of the hollow organ and the graft where the ends join; and forming a continuous passageway through the hollow organ by bonding the patches to the hollow organ and the graft by delivering laser radiation through the optical fiber to the patches, wherein the laser radiation has a pulse length that is within a factor of two of the time for laser energy to diffuse across a region over which the laser energy is deposited.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 180 words

A method for intraluminal tissue welding for anastomosis of a hollow organ, comprising: providing a retractable catheter assembly including a catheter with at least two inflatable balloons and an optical fiber connected to the catheter, and at least two deployable biocompatible patches mounted on the balloons; positioning the catheter assembly in a hollow organ adjacent to severed free ends of the hollow organ; positioning a graft between the free ends; positioning the balloons between the free ends and the graft and inflating the balloons, thereby holding the free ends and the graft together on the inflated balloons and deploying the patches against the inner walls of the hollow organ and the graft where the ends join; and forming a continuous passageway through the hollow organ by bonding the patches to the hollow organ and the graft by delivering laser radiation through the optical fiber to the patches, wherein the laser radiation has a pulse length that is within a factor of two of the time for laser energy to diffuse across a region over which the laser energy is deposited.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-10-26	2002-04-27	2002-10-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-10-26	2006-04-27	2006-10-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-10-26	2010-04-27	2010-10-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Intraluminal tissue welding for anastomosis

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