Patent Publication Number: US-2013238002-A1

Title: Vein disruption device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This filing claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/485,186, filed May 12, 2012, and also relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/766,165, attorney docket 4495, entitled Vein Removal Device, filed Apr. 23, 2010, and co-owned and sharing at least one inventor. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The use of needle like devices to intercept and destroy vein is well known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,618 to Gordon among others. Although this therapy is well accepted there is a continuing need to make improved devices, which can quickly accurately and safely disrupt veins below the surface of the skin of a patient. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention include a disruption element that is deployed from a central shaft after the shaft is plunged into the skin of a patient with a trocar like element separating the elastic layers of the skin. Once placed in the vascular bed the disruptor is navigated to the vessel for treatment. The disruptor once proximate the vessel is activated by rotation and the vessel is destroyed. Several disruption geometries are disclosed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the figures like reference numerals indicate identical structure wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a handheld surgical tool device; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of the device treating a vein in the skin of a patient; 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration of a step in a method; 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of a step in a method; 
         FIG. 5  is a phantom perspective view of the distal end of the device; 
         FIG. 6  is a phantom perspective view of the distal end of the device; 
         FIG. 7  is a phantom perspective view of the distal end of the device; 
         FIG. 8  is a phantom perspective view of the distal end of the device; 
         FIG. 9  is a phantom perspective view of the distal end of the device; and, 
         FIG. 10  is a phantom perspective view of the distal end of the device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a handheld surgical tool device  10  in the hand of a physician  12 . The distal tip  14  includes a hypodermic needle  16  that is fixed with reference to the device  10 . Actuation of the finger paddles  18  and  20  by the physician advances a tissue disrupting element  24  out of the hypodermic needle  16  tip and causes it to rotate in an arc  26  around an axis  28 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the device  10  treating a vein  30  in the skin  32  of the patient. The physician has plunged the hypodermic needle into the skin of the patient near the vein  18  to be treated. With the distal tip proximate the vein the physician actuates the device causing the element to sweep around intercepting and destroying the vein. 
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , considered together, illustrate steps in the disruption process.  FIG. 3  shows the hypodermic needle  16  tip entering the skin and passing through the very elastic tissues  40  near the surface of the skin into the deeper dermis  42 .  FIG. 4  shows that needle has “missed” the vein  18  but lies proximate the vein. The physician has activated the device and a disruption loop  24  has emerged from the needle  16 . Continued activation and deployed near the vein. Continued rotation of this element  24  will create a significant local destruction of the vein and nearby structures. It has been discovered by the inventors that merely cutting a vein will not obliterate it. Minor injury to the vessel is repaired. Focused localized injury is the objective. The disruption loop  24  seen in  FIGS. 1-4  achieves this via blunt dissection of the tissues proximate the vein. 
     The remaining figures show alternative embodiments of the disruptor element. 
       FIG. 5  shows a disruptor  44  located within the needle  16 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the disruptor  44  deployed illustrating the pair of tines  48  and  46  which may be rotated to perform blunt dissection of local tissue. 
       FIG. 7  shows an alternative tine disruptor structure  50  in the distal tip of the device. 
       FIG. 8  shows the disruptor  50  located in a needle  16 .  FIG. 8  shows the disruptors deployed illustrating the pair of tines  52  and  54  which may be rotated to perform blunt dissection of local tissue. 
       FIG. 9  shows an integrated disruptor  62  in the un-deployed state where the needle tip  58  rotates and a disruption loop  60  emerges from a lateral cut in the needle  58  which may be rotated to perform blunt dissection of local tissue. 
       FIG. 10  shows an integrated disruptor  62  in the deployed state where the needle tip  58  rotates and a disruption loop  60  emerges from a lateral cut in the needle  58  which may be rotated to perform blunt dissection of local tissue.