Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
247 words
An anastomotic device for joining a graft vessel to a target vessel at a connection opening present therein, comprising: an essentially tubular body having a bottom rim to be directed towards the target vessel; an outer flange that is fitted or can be fitted on the outside of the tubular body and can be brought into contact, around the connection opening, with the outside of the wall of the target vessel; and an inner flange, formed on the tubular body, which in a attachment position projects outwards with respect to the tubular body and, overlapping the outer flange around the connection opening, can come into contact with the inside of the wall of the target vessel and which is bendable from an insertion position into said attachment position, wherein, in the insertion position, the projection of the inner flange on the plane spanned by the bottom rim of the tubular body is located essentially on and/or inside said bottom rim, such that the inner flange can be inserted through the connection opening in the target vessel, characterised in that, the inner flange is reversibly bent against a resilient force from the attachment position into the insertion position, which is a pretensioned position, and that the inner flange is fixed in said pretensioned insertion position in a manner such that the fixing can be released in order to cause the inner flange to bend back in the direction of the attachment position under the influence of the pretension.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
247 words
An anastomotic device for joining a graft vessel to a target vessel at a connection opening present therein, comprising: an essentially tubular body having a bottom rim to be directed towards the target vessel; an outer flange that is fitted or can be fitted on the outside of the tubular body and can be brought into contact, around the connection opening, with the outside of the wall of the target vessel; and an inner flange, formed on the tubular body, which in a attachment position projects outwards with respect to the tubular body and, overlapping the outer flange around the connection opening, can come into contact with the inside of the wall of the target vessel and which is bendable from an insertion position into said attachment position, wherein, in the insertion position, the projection of the inner flange on the plane spanned by the bottom rim of the tubular body is located essentially on and/or inside said bottom rim, such that the inner flange can be inserted through the connection opening in the target vessel, characterised in that, the inner flange is reversibly bent against a resilient force from the attachment position into the insertion position, which is a pretensioned position, and that the inner flange is fixed in said pretensioned insertion position in a manner such that the fixing can be released in order to cause the inner flange to bend back in the direction of the attachment position under the influence of the pretension.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the outer flange is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body and/or in the direction of the inner flange and can be locked with respect to the tubular body and/or the inner flange by means of locking means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 2 , for joining to a target vessel of the type where the connection opening has been made in the wall and wherein the distance from the outer flange to the outward-projecting inner flange is adjustable.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 2 , wherein the locking means comprise a mechanism involving serrations.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the inner flange is made from a superelastic metal alloy or a thermally activated or activatable alloy with shape memory, such as a nickel-titanium alloy (for example Nitinol).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the inner flange has a bending axis which extends tangentially with respect to the bottom rim of the tubular body and is located at the level of the inner periphery of the outer flange.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the inner flange has a number of arms which are separated from one another by notches, cut-outs or folds and are arranged distributed around the periphery of the tubular body, the notches or cut-outs or folds preferably continuing as far as or beyond the outer flange.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein that face of the inner flange which in the free position faces towards the inner wall of the target vessel is provided with roughening or unevenness.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
98 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 8 , further comprising an inner flange which a continuous or discontinuous inner flange contact surface is intended to be brought into contact with the inside of the wall of the blood vessel around the opening, characterised in that the inner flange contact surface is cylindrically curved with a radius of curvature which is equal to or approximately equal to the internal circumferential radius of the target vessel at the location of the connection opening; or is equal to or approximately equal to the radius of curvature of the outer flange contact surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 9 , wherein the radius of curvature of the inner flange contact surface is in the range from 0.5 to 1.25 mm or in the range from 15-25 mm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
Anastomotic device preferably according to claim 1 , wherein the anastomotic device, or at least the bottom rim of the tubular body thereof, has an essentially oval or elliptical shape/contour.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
102 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , for joining a graft vessel to a target vessel at an opening present therein, optionally, an opening present in the wall thereof, comprising an outer flange of which an outer flange contact surface is intended to be brought into contact with the outside of the wall of the target vessel around the opening, characterised in that the outer flange contact surface is of cylindrically curved construction, preferably with a radius or curvature which is equal to or approximately equal to the external circumferential radius of the target vessel at the location of the connection opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 12 wherein the outer flange contact surface has the shape of, essentially, a cylinder sector which extends over at most 180°.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 12 , the radius of curvature of the outer flange contact surface being in the range from 0.5 to 1.25 mm or in the range from 15 to 25 mm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 12 , wherein the longitudinal edges ( 64 ) of the outer flange are constructed as support edges or are provided with outward-facing support ribs ( 65 ).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 12 wherein the outer flange contact surface has the shape of, essentially, a cylinder sector which extends over from 150° to 180°.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
Anastomotic device preferably according to claim 1 , further comprising coupling means, optionally formed in one piece with the tubular body or the outer flange, for attaching the free end of the graft vessel to the tubular body or for attaching the anastomotic device to a further anastomotic device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 17 , wherein the coupling means comprise an accessory, which can be at least partially inserted in the tubular body, having a passage for the graft vessel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 18 , wherein the tubular body and/or the accessory preferably are/is provided with a stop which is arranged such that it prevents the accessory from being able to protrude beyond the bottom rim of the tubular body.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 19 , wherein the stop is arranged such that when the accessory is in the inserted position its bottom end reaches as far as the bottom rim.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
57 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 17 , wherein the coupling means have a series of passages for suture which are arranged around the periphery of the tubular body or the separate accessory and pass in the radial direction through the tubular body or the accessory, the passages preferably having a diameter of approximately 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
89 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 17 , wherein the coupling means comprise a flexible and/or resilient ring which is sized such that the connection end of the graft vessel can be inserted through it and wrapped back over it, and wherein a peripheral groove, which opens inwards and in which the ring, together with part of the folded-back connection end of the graft vessel can be accommodated, preferably in a tight-fitting manner, is provided in an internal peripheral surface of the anastomotic device, preferably of the tubular body thereof.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 22 , wherein the peripheral groove opens obliquely downwards into the target vessel.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
46 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 22 , wherein two or more rod-shaped parts are fixed to the ring, which rod-shaped parts are essentially at right angles to the ring, extend in the axial direction thereof and are fixed at their other ends to a flexible sleeve.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
74 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 17 , wherein the coupling means comprise an outwardly tapering tube, which is sized such that the connection end of the graft vessel can be inserted through it and folded back over it, and a clamping ring which can be slid over the tube from the narrow end, with the folded-back part of the graft vessel lying between the ring and the tube, until the ring is firmly clamped.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the graft vessel is joined at an angle which is not equal to 90°.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
28 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is made from or coated with material which is inert with respect to the human or animal body.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
41 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the inner flange and/or arms of the anastomotic device and/or those parts of the anastomotic device which come into contact with blood are made from and/or coated with materials which counteract blood clotting.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
90 words
Anastomotic device for joining together two vessels at connection openings present therein, preferably according to claim 1 , comprising a first anastomotic fitting for attachment to the one vessel of the vessels to be joined and a second anastomotic fitting for attachment to the other vessel of the vessels to be joined, wherein the anastomotic fittings are of essentially circular shape at the connection openings and can be joined to one another in a manner such that they are rotatable about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the connection openings.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
80 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 29 , wherein the one anastomotic fitting is provided on that side thereof which faces towards the other anastomotic fitting with a, preferably undercut, circular slit running around the connection opening and wherein the other anastomotic fitting is provided on that side thereof which faces the slit with a continuous or discontinuous circular rib running around the connection opening, which rib can be accommodated or is accommodated in the slit, preferably in a tight-fitting manner.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
27 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 30 , wherein the rib is a discontinuous rib which is made up of rib segments arranged distributed around the connection opening.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
Anastomotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the graft vessel is joined at an angle less than 70°.