Source: http://www.google.fr/patents/US20070244545
Timestamp: 2013-05-25 00:30:12
Document Index: 612280400

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100']

Brevet US20070244545 - Prosthetic Conduit With Radiopaque Symmetry Indicators - Google�BrevetsRecherche Images Maps Play YouTube Actualit�s Gmail Drive Plus » Recherche avanc�e dans les brevets | Historique Web | Connexion Recherche avanc�e dans les brevets BrevetsA system and method for treating a vascular condition includes a conduit having an elongate tubular member with an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defines a conduit lumen. The system further includes at least one symmetry indicator attached to the elongate tubular member and a replacement...http://www.google.fr/patents/US20070244545?utm_source=gb-gplus-shareBrevet US20070244545 - Prosthetic Conduit With Radiopaque Symmetry Indicators Num�ro de publicationUS20070244545 A1Type de publicationDemande Num�ro de demande11/279,776 Date de publication18 oct. 2007 Date de d�p�t14 avr. 2006 Date de priorit�14 avr. 2006 Num�ro de publicationUS 2007/0244545 A1US2007/0244545A1 InventeursMatthew BirdsallMark DolanDarrel Untereker Cessionnaire d'origineMedtronic Vascular, Inc. Classification aux �tats-Unis623/1.26623/1.34 Classification internationaleA61F2/24 Classification coop�rativeA61B19/54A61F2/2418A61F2/2475A61F2250/006A61F2250/0098A61F2/06 Classification europ�enneA61F2/24D6A61F2/24VR�f�rences R�f�renc� par (6)Liens externesUSPTO Cession USPTO EspacenetProsthetic Conduit With Radiopaque Symmetry IndicatorsUS 20070244545 A1 R�sum� A system and method for treating a vascular condition includes a conduit having an elongate tubular member with an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defines a conduit lumen. The system further includes at least one symmetry indicator attached to the elongate tubular member and a replacement valve device. The replacement valve device includes a prosthetic valve connected to an expandable support structure. The replacement valve device is positioned within the conduit lumen adjacent the inner surface. Dessins(9) Revendications
1. A vascular valve replacement system, the system comprising: a conduit comprising an elongate tubular member having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a conduit lumen; at least one symmetry indicator attached to the elongate tubular member; and a replacement valve device, the replacement valve device including a prosthetic valve connected to an expandable support structure, the replacement valve device positioned within the conduit lumen adjacent the inner surface. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one symmetry indicator comprises a framework having a plurality of spaced apart rings and a plurality of spaced apart elongate members attached to the plurality of rings. 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the plurality of rings and the plurality of elongate members comprise radiopaque filaments. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the conduit comprises a woven material and the radiopaque filaments are interwoven into the woven material of the conduit. 5. The system of claim 3 wherein the conduit comprises a bioprosthesis and the radiopaque filaments are threaded through a conduit wall. 6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one symmetry indicator comprises a T-shaped radiopaque member attached to or imbedded within a wall of the conduit. 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the T-shaped radiopaque member comprises a plurality of filaments in a T-shaped configuration attached to the outer surface of the conduit. 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the T-shaped radiopaque member comprises a plurality of filaments in a T-shaped configuration attached to the inner surface of the conduit. 9. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one symmetry indicator comprises a plurality of elongate members spaced apart around the circumference of the conduit, the plurality of elongate members parallel to a central axis of the conduit lumen. 10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a corrective device positioned within the conduit lumen between the inner surface of the conduit and an outer surface of the replacement valve device. 11. A prosthetic conduit device for treating a vascular condition, comprising: a conduit comprising an elongate tubular member having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a conduit lumen; and at least one symmetry indicator attached to the elongate tubular member. 12. The device of claim 11 wherein the at least one symmetry indicator comprises a framework having a plurality of spaced apart rings and a plurality of spaced apart elongate members attached to the plurality of rings. 13. The device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of rings and the plurality of elongate members comprise radiopaque filaments. 14. The device of claim 13 wherein the conduit comprises a woven material and the radiopaque filaments are interwoven into the woven material of the conduit. 15. The device of claim 13 wherein the conduit comprises a bioprosthesis and the radiopaque filaments are threaded through a conduit wall. 16. The device of claim 11 wherein the at least one symmetry indicator comprises a T-shaped radiopaque member attached to or imbedded within a wall of the conduit. 17. The device of claim 16 wherein the T-shaped radiopaque member comprises a plurality of filaments in a T-shaped configuration attached to the outer surface of the conduit. 18. The device of claim 11 wherein the at least one symmetry indicator comprises a plurality of elongate members spaced apart around the circumference of the conduit, the plurality of elongate members parallel to a central axis of the conduit lumen. 19. A method for treating a vascular condition, the method comprising: inserting a conduit having a radiopaque conduit symmetry device into a target region of a vascular system, the conduit having an inner wall defining a conduit lumen; visualizing the radiopaque conduit symmetry device; determining conduit symmetry based on the visualization of the radiopaque conduit symmetry device; delivering a stented valve into the conduit lumen, the stented valve including a prosthetic valve connected to an expandable support structure; and expanding the stented valve into contact with the inner wall of the conduit.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention will now be described by reference to the drawings wherein like numbers refer to like structures. Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the interior of human heart 100. Human heart 100 includes four valves that work in synchrony to control the flow of blood through the heart. Tricuspid valve 104, situated between right atrium 118 and right ventricle 116, and mitral valve 106, between left atrium 120 and left ventricle 114 facilitate filling of ventricles 116 and 114 on the right and left sides, respectively, of heart 100. Aortic valve 108 is situated at the junction between aorta 112 and left ventricle 114 and facilitates blood flow from heart 100, through aorta 112 to the peripheral circulation. Pulmonary valve 102 is situated at the junction of right ventricle 116 and pulmonary artery 110 and facilitates blood flow from heart 100 through the pulmonary artery 110 to the lungs for oxygenation. The four valves work by opening and closing in harmony with each other. During diastole, tricuspid valve 104 and mitral valve 106 open and allow blood flow into ventricles 114 and 116, and the pulmonic valve and aortic valve are closed. During systole, shown in FIG. 1, aortic valve 108 and pulmonary valve 102 open and allow blood flow from left ventricle 114, and right ventricle 116 into aorta 112 and pulmonary 110, respectively. The right ventricular outflow tract is the segment of pulmonary artery 110 that includes pulmonary valve 102 and extends to branch point 122, where pulmonary artery 110 forms left and right branches that carry blood to the left and right lungs respectively. A defective pulmonary valve or other abnormalities of the pulmonary artery that impede blood flow from the heart to the lungs sometimes require surgical repair or replacement of the right ventricular outflow tract with prosthetic conduit 202, as shown in FIG. 2A-C. Such conduits comprise tubular structures of biocompatible materials, with a hemocompatible interior surface. Examples of appropriate biocompatible materials include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), woven polyester fibers such as Dacron� fibers (E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., Inc.), and bovine vein crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. One common conduit is a homograft, which is a vessel harvested from a cadaver and treated for implantation into a recipient's body. These conduits may contain a valve at a fixed position within the interior lumen of the conduit that functions as a replacement pulmonary valve. One such conduit 202 comprises a bovine jugular vein with a trileaflet venous valve preserved in buffered glutaraldehyde. Other valves are made of xeno-pericardial tissue and are attached to the wall of the lumen of the conduit. Still other valves may be made at least partially from some synthetic material. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, conduit 202, which houses valve 204 within its inner lumen, is installed within a patient by sewing the distal end of conduit 202 to pulmonary artery 110, and, as shown in FIG. 2C, attaching the proximal end of conduit 202 to heart 100 so that the lumen of conduit 202 connects to right ventricle 1 16. Over time, implanted prosthetic conduits and valves are frequently subject to calcification, causing the affected conduit or valve to lose flexibility, become misshapen, and lose the ability to function effectively. Additional problems are encountered when prosthetic valves are implanted in young children. As the child grows, the valve will ultimately be too small to handle the increased volume of blood flowing from the heart to the lungs. In either case, the valve needs to be replaced. The current invention discloses devices and methods for percutaneous catheter based placement of stented valves for regulating blood flow through a pulmonary artery. In a preferred embodiment, the valves are attached to an expandable support structure and they are placed in a valved conduit that is been attached to the pulmonary artery, and that is in fluid communication with the right ventricle of a heart. The support structure can be expanded such that any pre-existing valve in the conduit is not disturbed, or it can be expanded such that any pre-existing valve is pinned between the support structure and the interior wall of the conduit. The delivery catheter carrying the stented valve is passed through the venous system and into a patient's right ventricle. This may be accomplished by inserting the delivery catheter into either the jugular vein or the subclavian vein and passing it through superior vena cava into right atrium. The catheter is then passed through the tricuspid valve, into right ventricle, and out of the ventricle into the conduit. Alternatively, the catheter may be inserted into the femoral vein and passed through the common iliac vein and the inferior vena cava into the right atrium, then through the tricuspid valve, into the right ventricle and out into the conduit. The catheters used for the procedures described herein may include radiopaque markers as are known in the art, and the procedure may be visualized using fluoroscopy, echocardiography, ultrasound, or other suitable means of visualization. FIG. 3 illustrates a cross section of one embodiment of a system 300 for treating a vascular condition within heart 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. System 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 is described herein with reference to a bioprosthetic conduit for replacing a portion of a pulmonary artery. Those with skill in the art will recognize that the invention may be adapted to other vessels of a body that require a replacement valve. System 300 includes a conduit 310 and a stented valve 320. Stented valve 320 comprises a support structure 322 and a prosthetic valve 324 operably connected to support structure 322. Conduit 310 comprises an elongate tubular structure that includes an inner wall 312 that defines a lumen 314. Lumen 314 allows fluid communication between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Conduit 310 includes a first end 316 for attaching to ventricle 110 and a second end 318 for attaching to pulmonary artery 122. In one embodiment of the invention, support structure 322 is an expandable stent made of a flexible, biocompatible material. The support structure 322 may be composed of self-expanding material and manufactured from, for example, a nickel titanium alloy and/or other alloy(s) that exhibit superelastic behavior. Other suitable materials for support structure 322 include, but are not limited to, a nitinol alloy, a stainless steel, and a cobalt-based alloy, such as an MP35N� alloy. Furthermore, the support structure 322 material may include polymeric biocompatible materials recognized in the art for such devices. Support structure 322 retains the stented valve 320 within the vascular conduit 302. In one embodiment, prosthetic valve 324 comprises a bovine jugular vein with a trileaflet venous valve preserved in buffered glutaraldehyde. In other embodiments, prosthetic valve 324 comprises a valve made of synthetic materials and attached to support structure 322. Stented valve 320 is compressed and disposed on an inflatable member 330, which is operably attached to a catheter 340. Catheter 340 delivers stented valve 320 endovascularly to a treatment site within the vascular conduit 302. Stented valve 320 is positioned within the vascular conduit 302 and then expanded with an inflatable member 330 into contact with the inner surface 304 of conduit 302. In one embodiment, catheter 340 is an elongated tubular member manufactured from one or more polymeric materials, sometimes in combination with metallic reinforcement. In some applications (such as smaller, more tortuous arteries), it is desirable to construct the catheter from very flexible materials to facilitate advancement into intricate access locations. Numerous over-the-wire, rapid-exchange, and other catheter designs are known and may be adapted for use with the present invention. Catheter 340 can be secured at its proximal end to a suitable Luer fitting, and includes a distal rounded end 342 to reduce harmful contact with a vessel wall. Catheter 340 is manufactured from a material such as a thermoplastic elastomer, urethane, polymer, polypropylene, plastic, ethelene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP), nylon, Pebax� resin, Vestamid� nylon, Tecoflex� resin, Halar� resin, Hyflon� resin, Pellathane� resin, combinations thereof, and the like. Catheter 340 includes an aperture formed at the distal rounded end 342 allowing advancement over a guidewire 344. In one embodiment, inflatable member 330 is any variety of balloon or other device capable of expanding stented valve 320. Inflatable member 330 is manufactured from any suitable material such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, or the like. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the stented valve 320 may be expanded using a variety of means and that the present invention is not limited to balloon expansion. Vascular conduit 302 is designed to be a long term implant and frequently can become calcified or subject to fibrotic ingrowth of tissue, either of which sometimes causes the vascular conduit 302 to become misshapen, so that its cross section is no longer round and symmetrical. Consequently, a stented valve 320 would not fit well within a misshapen and/or asymmetrical vascular conduit 302, and may be ineffective either because of blood flowing around the outside of stented valve 320, or because stented valve 320 cannot be aligned perpendicularly to the flow of blood through vascular conduit 302. Referring to FIG. 4, illustrated is one embodiment of a vascular conduit 400 having a conduit symmetry indicator device 450. In one embodiment, vascular conduit 402 comprises an elongate tubular member having an outer surface 410 and an inner surface 412, the inner surface defining a conduit lumen 414. In one embodiment, conduit 402 is the same as or similar to conduit 202, described above. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5A, conduit symmetry indicator device 450 comprises a plurality of radiopaque rings 452 connected by a plurality of radiopaque elongate members 454. Conduit symmetry indicator device 450 comprises metallic or polymeric radiopaque material having a high X-ray attenuation coefficient. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, barium sulfate and bismuth sub-carbonate for plastics. Suitable materials for metals include, but are not limited to, gold, platinum, and alloys thereof. In one embodiment, rings 452 and elongate members 454 are disposed within the wall of vascular conduit 402. In one embodiment, rings 452 and elongate members 454 comprise filaments of radiopaque material woven into the material that comprises vascular conduit 402. The filaments may comprise an individual wire or a plurality of wires braided into a filament. The elongate members 454 are woven into the conduit material such that they are substantially parallel to the central axis of the conduit. The radiopaque filaments are woven into the material in such a manner as to provide a conduit symmetry indicator device 450 having a plurality of spaced apart rings 452 and a plurality of spaced apart elongate members 454 positioned around the circumference of the plurality of rings 452. In another embodiment, rings 452 and elongate members 454 are threaded through the tissue comprising the vascular conduit 402 and secured to the conduit wall by, for example, sutures. For example, in a vascular conduit composed of bovine tissue, a filament of radiopaque material is threaded through and around the wall of the conduit to form a ring. This is repeated until the desired number of rings 452 are placed within the conduit wall. Next, a plurality of elongate members are threaded within the tissue of the conduit wall such that the elongate members are substantially parallel to the central axis of the conduit. In one embodiment, the elongate members 454 are secured to the plurality of rings 452, by for example, suturing. FIG. 5A illustrates conduit symmetry indicator device 450 in a symmetrical non-misshapen state, as it would appear prior to implantation. FIG. 5B illustrates conduit symmetry indicator device 450 in an asymmetrical misshapen state. The distance between any two rings 452 or any two elongate members 454 may be set at a predetermined distance that is maintained in a symmetrical conduit. Based on this set distance, any deviation from that set distance determined during visualization of the conduit provides an indication that the vascular conduit is misshapen and/or asymmetrical. Additionally, the asymmetrical nature of an implanted conduit may be determined by visualization of the rings 452. A ring 452A (FIG. 5B) in a collapsed conduit will no longer be substantially circular but, instead, will be flattened to form a more oval shape. Visualization of an oval shape, then, determines that the conduit is no longer symmetrical and may need to be corrected before implantation of a stented valve. Conduit symmetry indicator device 450 may be visualized using fluoroscopy, echocardiography, ultrasound, or other suitable means of visualization. FIG. 6A illustrates another embodiment of a vascular conduit 602 having a plurality of conduit symmetry indicator devices 650. Vascular conduit 602 comprises an elongate tubular member having an outer surface 610 and an inner surface 612, the inner surface defining a conduit lumen 614. In one embodiment, conduit 602 is the same as or similar to conduit 202, described above. Conduit symmetry indicator device 650 comprises a T-shaped radiopaque member attached to or embedded within the wall of vascular conduit 602. Conduit symmetry indicator device 650 comprises metallic or polymeric radiopaque material having a high X-ray attenuation coefficient. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, barium sulfate and bismuth sub-carbonate for plastics, and gold and platinum for metals. In one preferred embodiment conduit symmetry indicator device 650 comprises a filament of radiopaque material. The filament may be a wire or a plurality of wires braided into a filament. The filament is formed into a T-shaped configuration and attached to the vascular conduit 602. In another embodiment, conduit symmetry indicator device 650 comprises a plurality of radiopaque members attached to the vascular conduit in a T-shaped configuration. In an example, conduit symmetry indicator device 650 comprises a plurality of round radiopaque members attached to the outer surface of the vascular conduit in a T-shape configuration. Conduit symmetry indicators 650 may be attached to the vascular conduit by, for example, suturing, adhesive, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, conduit symmetry indicators 650 are attached to the inner wall of the vascular conduit 602. In another embodiment, conduit symmetry indicators 650 are attached to the outer wall of the vascular conduit 602. In other embodiments, conduit symmetry indicators 650 are woven into the material of vascular conduit 602. FIG. 6A illustrates vascular conduit 602 with conduit symmetry indicator device 650 in a symmetrical non-misshapen state, as it would appear prior to implantation. FIGS. 6B and 6C illustrate examples of the use of a conduit symmetry indicator device 650 to determine a misshapen conduit. FIGS. 6B and 6C illustrate vascular conduits 602B and 602C in an asymmetrical state. In FIG. 6B, misshapen conduit 602B causes conduit symmetry indicator devices 650B to become misshapen. As illustrated, during visualization of vascular conduit 602B, conduit symmetry indicator devices 650B appear as a slanted �T� thereby indicating to the practitioner that the conduit is not symmetrical. In FIG. 6C, misshapen conduit 602C causes conduit symmetry indicator devices 650C to become misshapen. As illustrated, during visualization of vascular conduit 602C, conduit symmetry indicator device 650C appears as a �T� having an arched portion thereby indicating to the practitioner that at least a portion of the conduit is not symmetrical. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate another embodiment of a vascular conduit 702 having a plurality of conduit symmetry indicator devices 750. Vascular conduit 702 comprises an elongate tubular member having an outer surface 710 and an inner surface 712, the inner surface defining a conduit lumen 714. In one embodiment, conduit 702 is the same as or similar to conduit 202, described above. FIG. 7B is a cross section of vascular conduit 702 taken along line 7B-7B illustrated in FIG. 7A. Conduit symmetry indicator device 750 comprises a plurality of elongate members 752 attached to or embedded within the wall of vascular conduit 702. Elongate members 752 comprise metallic or polymeric radiopaque material having a high X-ray attenuation coefficient. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, barium sulfate and bismuth sub-carbonate for plastics, and gold and platinum for metals. Elongate members 752 comprise a filament of radiopaque material. The filament may be a wire or a plurality of wires braided into a filament. In another embodiment, elongate members 752 comprise a plurality of rigid radiopaque members disposed within the wall of vascular conduit 702. Those with skill in the art will appreciate that the number and arrangement of the conduit symmetry indicator devices may vary depending on a particular application. It is contemplated that any arrangement of conduit symmetry indicator devices that provide a practitioner the ability to determine by visualization whether or not a conduit is misshapen is contemplated by the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating method 800 for treating right ventricular outflow tract abnormalities by replacing a pulmonary valve, in accordance with the present invention. Method 800 begins at step 801. At step 810 a bioprosthetic conduit having at least one conduit symmetry indicator device is implanted into a target region of a vessel. At step 820, conduit symmetry is determined. Conduit symmetry is determined by visualization of the at least one conduit symmetry indicator device. The conduit symmetry indicator device may be visualized using fluoroscopy, echocardiography, ultrasound, or other suitable means of visualization. Next, a stented valve is delivered into a target site within a lumen of the bioprosthetic conduit, at step 830. In one embodiment, the stented valve is delivered percutaneously via a delivery catheter as are known in the art. In one embodiment, the target site within the conduit lumen comprises that portion of the lumen containing a pulmonary valve. Optionally, prior to delivery of the stented valve to the target site at step 830, a symmetry corrective device is delivered to the target site. The corrective device is implanted to provide a symmetrical lumen prior to implantation of the stented valve. In one embodiment, symmetry corrective device is an expandable support structure. Corrective device may be balloon expandable or self-expanding. In one embodiment, the corrective device comprises a self-expanding framework composed of a biocompatible metal. At step 840, the stented valve is expanded to position the stented valve within the conduit lumen. In one embodiment, the stented valve is expanded into position using a balloon. In another embodiment, the stented valve comprises a self-expanding stent that expands radially when released from the delivery catheter. In one embodiment, the stented valve expands radially when released from a restraining sheath of the delivery catheter. In those embodiments where a symmetry corrective device is used, the stented valve is expanded into contact with the corrective device. Method 800 ends at 850. While the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. R�f�renc� par Brevet citant Date de d�p�t Date de publication D�posant TitreUS787506921 sept. 200625 janv. 2011Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.Stent with support elementUS830364929 janv. 20086 nov. 2012Cook Medical Technologies LlcArtificial venous valve with discrete shaping membersUS83721407 janv. 201012 f�vr. 2013Cook Medical Technologies LlcImplantable valve prosthesis with independent frame elementsUS2011003499112 oct. 201010 f�vr. 2011Biotronik Vi Patent AgEndoprosthesis and method for producing sameWO2010031060A115 sept. 200918 mars 2010Medtronic Ventor Technologies Ltd.Prosthetic heart valve having identifiers for aiding in radiographic positioningWO2012066322A215 nov. 201124 mai 2012Vascutek LimitedProsthetic aortic conduit with replacement valve locating meansFaire pivoterImage d'origineAccueil Google - Plan du site - T�l�chargements par lot sur l'USPTO - R�gles de confidentialit� - Conditions d'utilisation - � propos de Google�Brevets - Envoyer des commentairesDonn�es fournies par IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google