Airway valve for irregular shaped airway

• US 10,653,424 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2017
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spiration, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spiration, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Liljegren, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Gherbi, Suzette J
• Application Number:
  US16/080,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20190059906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 623 9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12036 partial occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12104 in an air passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12172 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12177 comprising additional materials, e.g. thrombogenic, having filaments, having fibers or being coated
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2476 Valves implantable in the body not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 Bronchi

Abstract

A valve comprising: (a) a frame having: (i) a plurality of anchors and (ii) a plurality of struts; (b) a membrane connected to and spanning between each of the plurality of struts; wherein each of the plurality of struts have a free state and a loaded state and in the loaded state the membrane is substantially taut between two or more of the plurality of struts that are in the loaded state and in the free state the membrane is substantially taut between two or more of the plurality of struts that are in the loaded state.

Claims

1. A valve comprising:

a. a frame having;

i. a plurality of anchors and

ii. a plurality of struts;

b. a membrane connected to and spanning between each of the plurality of struts;

wherein the membrane provides a load on each of the plurality of struts and the membrane is sufficiently elastomeric to (1) extend between each of the plurality of struts in a free state without the membrane wrinkling and (2) upon restriction of one or more of the plurality of struts from the free state to a loaded state, the membrane flexes into contact with a passageway so that the membrane substantially seals the passageway; and

wherein the membrane has a modulus of elasticity of 0.1 GPa or less and 0.01 GPa or more,

wherein the membrane is a silicone polyurethane.

2. The valve of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of struts have a free state and in the free state the membrane is taught between each of the plurality of struts.

3. The valve of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of struts provide a sufficient force to overcome the load of the membrane so that each of the plurality of struts expand outward to the free state while the membrane expands with each of the plurality of struts so that the membrane is free of wrinkles.

4. The valve of claim 1, wherein the membrane remains substantially taught when some of the plurality of struts are expanded to a free state in a major cross-sectional direction and some of the plurality of struts are expanded in a minor cross-sectional direction that is less than the major cross-sectional direction.

5. The valve of claim 4, wherein some of the struts expand a distance that is greater than the major cross-sectional direction.

6. A valve comprising:

a. a frame having;

i. a plurality of anchors and

ii. a plurality of struts;

b. a membrane connected to and spanning between each of the plurality of struts;

wherein the membrane provides a load on each of the plurality of struts and the membrane is sufficiently elastomeric to (1) extend between each of the plurality of struts in a free state without the membrane wrinkling and (2) upon restriction of one or more of the plurality of struts from the free state to a loaded state, the membrane flexes into contact with a passageway so that the membrane substantially seals the passageway; and

wherein the membrane has a modulus of elasticity of 0.1 GPa or less and 0.01 GPa or more,

wherein some of the struts expand a distance that is greater than the major cross-sectional direction,

wherein the membrane is a fluoroelastomer, an acrylate polymer or a polyacrylate.

8. The valve of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of struts have a free state and in the free state the membrane is taught between each of the plurality of struts.

9. The valve of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of struts provide a sufficient force to overcome the load of the membrane so that each of the plurality of struts expand outward to the free state while the membrane expands with each of the plurality of struts so that the membrane is free of wrinkles.

10. The valve of claim 6, wherein the membrane remains substantially taught when some of the plurality of struts are expanded to a free state in a major cross-sectional direction and some of the plurality of struts are expanded in a minor cross-sectional direction that is less than the major cross-sectional direction.

11. The valve of claim 10, wherein some of the struts expand a distance that is greater than the major cross-sectional direction.

7. A valve comprising:

a. a frame having;

i. a plurality of anchors and

ii. a plurality of struts;

b. a membrane connected to and spanning between each of the plurality of struts;

wherein the membrane provides a load on each of the plurality of struts and the membrane is sufficiently elastomeric to (1) extend between each of the plurality of struts in a free state without the membrane wrinkling and (2) upon restriction of one or more of the plurality of struts from the free state to a loaded state, the membrane flexes into contact with a passageway so that the membrane substantially seals the passageway; and

wherein the membrane has a modulus of elasticity of 0.1 GPa or less and 0.01 GPa or more, wherein the membrane is an aliphatic polycarbonate-based thermoplastic polyurethane or a polyethylene siloxane.

12. The valve of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of struts have a free state and in the free state the membrane is taught between each of the plurality of struts.

13. The valve of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of struts provide a sufficient force to overcome the load of the membrane so that each of the plurality of struts expand outward to the free state while the membrane expands with each of the plurality of struts so that the membrane is free of wrinkles.

14. The valve of claim 7, wherein the membrane remains substantially taught when some of the plurality of struts are expanded to a free state in a major cross-sectional direction and some of the plurality of struts are expanded in a minor cross-sectional direction that is less than the major cross-sectional direction.

15. The valve of claim 14, wherein some of the struts expand a distance that is greater than the major cross-sectional direction.