Endovascular fastener and grafting apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Apparatus for inserting a surgical fastener through a plurality of portions of material from within an endovascular pathway, said apparatus comprising:
- a surgical fastener having first and second ends and made from a material which enables said fastener to be transformed from a first stressed elongate shape to a second unstressed shape upon the release of said fastener from a stressed condition, said first stressed elongate shape of said fastener enabling said first end to be extended through a plurality of layers of material, and with said second shape of the fastener being in the form of a spring with a plurality of coils around a spring axis, with said coils being spring biased towards each other along said spring axis with sufficient axial force so as to enable coils on opposite sides of layers to clamp the layers of material together along the spring axis;
a delivery tube having third and fourth ends, first and second tube portions adjacent to said third and fourth ends, respectively, and forming a longitudinal axis between the third and fourth ends, said delivery tube including a material which enables transformation from a third stressed elongate shape to a fourth unstressed shape upon the release from a stressed condition to an unstressed condition, said third stressed elongate shape enabling said third end to be extended through an endovascular pathway, said fourth unstressed shape being formed with said first and second tube portions being configured at an angle to one another;
delivery tube deployment means being configurable between a first position and a second position, said first position of said delivery tube deployment means restraining said delivery tube in said third stressed elongate shape, and said second position of said delivery tube deployment means releasing said delivery tube in the fourth unstressed shape;
penetration means adjacent said third end of said delivery tube, said penetration means being configured to pierce through a vascular structure in the endovascular pathway; and
insertion means adjacent to said first end of said delivery tube, said insertion means being configured to place said surgical fastener through the vascular structure pierced by said penetration means.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A endovascular fastener and grafting apparatus preferably made from a shape memory alloy is provided which can access internal tissue or other synthetic material by catheter delivery through an endovascular pathway. After the fastener is deployed through layers of tissue or other material, it assumes a shape that automatically applies to the layers of tissue or other material an appropriate hemostatic compression which is relatively independent of tissue or material thickness. The fastener is a suitable replacement for conventional nonbio-absorbable sutures and staples in certain clinical applications. The shape, method of deployment and low force requirements make the disclosed apparatus suitable for standard endovascular surgical procedures where access to the deployment site is limited. A method for deploying the endovascular fastener and grafting apparatus is also provided.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for inserting a surgical fastener through a plurality of portions of material from within an endovascular pathway, said apparatus comprising:
-
a surgical fastener having first and second ends and made from a material which enables said fastener to be transformed from a first stressed elongate shape to a second unstressed shape upon the release of said fastener from a stressed condition, said first stressed elongate shape of said fastener enabling said first end to be extended through a plurality of layers of material, and with said second shape of the fastener being in the form of a spring with a plurality of coils around a spring axis, with said coils being spring biased towards each other along said spring axis with sufficient axial force so as to enable coils on opposite sides of layers to clamp the layers of material together along the spring axis;
a delivery tube having third and fourth ends, first and second tube portions adjacent to said third and fourth ends, respectively, and forming a longitudinal axis between the third and fourth ends, said delivery tube including a material which enables transformation from a third stressed elongate shape to a fourth unstressed shape upon the release from a stressed condition to an unstressed condition, said third stressed elongate shape enabling said third end to be extended through an endovascular pathway, said fourth unstressed shape being formed with said first and second tube portions being configured at an angle to one another;
delivery tube deployment means being configurable between a first position and a second position, said first position of said delivery tube deployment means restraining said delivery tube in said third stressed elongate shape, and said second position of said delivery tube deployment means releasing said delivery tube in the fourth unstressed shape;
penetration means adjacent said third end of said delivery tube, said penetration means being configured to pierce through a vascular structure in the endovascular pathway; and
insertion means adjacent to said first end of said delivery tube, said insertion means being configured to place said surgical fastener through the vascular structure pierced by said penetration means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method for inserting a surgical fastener through a plurality of portions of material from within an endovascular pathway, said method comprising:
-
providing apparatus for inserting a surgical fastener through a plurality of portions of material from within an endovascular pathway, said apparatus comprising;
a surgical fastener having first and second ends and made from a material which enables said fastener to be transformed from a first stressed elongate shape to a second unstressed shape upon the release of said fastener from a stressed condition, said first stressed elongate shape of said fastener enabling said first end to be extended through a plurality of layers of material, and with said second shape of the element being in the form of a spring with a plurality of coils around a spring axis, with said coils being spring biased towards each other along said spring axis with sufficient axial force so as to enable coils on opposite sides of layers to clamp the layers of material together along spring axis;
a delivery tube having third and fourth ends, first and second tube portions adjacent to said third and fourth ends, respectively, and forming a longitudinal axis between the third and fourth ends, said delivery tube including a material which enables transformation from a third stressed elongate shape to a fourth unstressed shape upon the release from a stressed condition to an unstressed condition, said third stressed elongate shape enabling said third end to be extended through an endovascular pathway, with said fourth unstressed shape being formed with said first and second tube portions being configured at an angle to one another;
delivery tube deployment means being configurable between a first position and a second position, said first position of said delivery tube deployment means restraining said delivery tube in said third stressed elongate shape, and said second position of said delivery tube deployment means releasing said delivery tube in said fourth unstressed shape;
penetration means adjacent said third end of said delivery tube, said penetration means being configured to pierce through a vascular structure in the endovascular pathway; and
insertion means adjacent to said first end of said delivery tube, said insertion means being configured to place said surgical fastener through the vascular structure pierced by said penetration means;
placing said delivery tube adjacent said vascular structure, with said delivery tube being configured in said third stressed elongate shape;
deploying said delivery tube from said third elongate shape to said forth elongate shape with said delivery tube deployment means, said deployment of said delivery tube placing said third end adjacent to the vascular structure in the endovascular pathway;
penetrating the vascular structure in the endovascular pathway with said penetration means, said penetration of the vascular structure being performed at said third end of said delivery tube; and
inserting said surgical fastener through the plurality of portions of material using said insertion means, said insertion of said surgical fastener being performed from inside of said vascular structure. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification