Vascular implant

• US 20020193871A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MedTech Development LLC (IPNav)
• Original Assignee: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg
• Inventors: Lutter, Georg, Beyersdorf, Friedhelm
• Granted Patent: US 6,790,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.26
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped

Abstract

An anchoring element including a replacement heart valve for the purposes of intraluminal anchoring of the heart valve element to mammalian hearts, the anchoring element having a small enough initial volume prior to its placement that it can be brought to its point of use using a catheter through a blood vessel and can be expanded there to its functionally correct dimensions. The anchoring element is shaped differently from a cylindrical shape such that it is connected to the aorta at the point of use at least in areas in a form-locked manner. This facilitates an especially good seating of the anchoring element containing the replacement heart valve.

Claims

1. An anchoring element comprising a replacement heart valve for intraluminal anchoring of the replacement heart valve to mammalian hearts, the anchoring element having a low enough initial volume prior to its placement that it can be placed through a blood vessel to its point of use using a catheter and expanded there to its functionally correct dimensions, wherein the anchoring element is shaped in a deviation from a cylindrical form, such that it is connected in a form-locked manner to the aorta, at least in places, at a point of use.

2. An anchoring element according to claim 1, further comprising a widening section extending in a radial direction at the point of use located at the heart outlet.

3. An anchoring element according to claim 1, wherein it is tailored to an interior shape of the bulbi, and/or that it has a curved contour to fit an interior shape of the aorta and its curved contour.

4. An anchoring element according to claim 2, wherein it is tailored to an interior shape of the bulbi, and/or that it has a curved contour to fit an interior shape of the aorta and its curved contour.

5. An anchoring element according to claim 1, further comprising cutouts for arterial outlets located near the anchoring element.

6. An anchoring element according to claim 1,further comprising a profiled exterior having at least one of small teeth, spines or peaks.

7. An anchoring element according to claim 1, wherein it has dimensions and length corresponding to the aorta from an area of the bulbi up to at least an outlet for the truncus brachiocephalicus.

8. An anchoring element according to claim 3, wherein it has the dimensions and length corresponding to the aorta from an area of the bulbi up to at least the outlet for the truncus brachiocephalicus.

9. An anchoring element according to claim 1, comprising at least one of a latticed, looped, wound thread-like structure, or of closed structural elements having suitable cut-outs, in particular including a number of meandering thread-like structures forming a ring, said thread-like structures being connected among themselves through other thread-like structures.

10. An anchoring element according to claim 3, comprising at least one of a latticed, looped, wound thread-like structure or of closed structural elements having suitable cut-outs, in particular including a number of meandering thread-like structures forming a ring, said thread-like structures being connected among themselves through other thread-like structures.

11. An anchoring element according to claim 1, wherein it has a protrusion permeable to blood near at least one arterial outlet that is adapted to sit against a beginning section of a wall of a respective discharging artery at the point of use.

12. An anchoring element according to claim 3, wherein it has a protrusion permeable to blood near at least one arterial outlet that is adapted to sit against a beginning section of a wall of a respective discharging artery at the point of use.

13. An anchoring element according to claim 1, comprising a shape-memory material, including at least one of a shape-memory polymer or a memory metal.

14. An anchoring element according to claim 13, wherein the anchoring element is made of a memory metal that is a nickel/titanium shape-memory alloy, in particular Nitinol.

15. An anchoring element according to claim 1, wherein it has individual spatial coordinates essentially the same as that of an aortic lumen of the respective patient.

16. An anchoring element according to claim 1, further comprising shaping elements, as well as other components, that are layered with cells or coatings of thin cellular tissues, wherein the cells or coatings are obtained from actual cells of the respective patient'"'"'s body, or are pre-treated cells from other humans or animals, or are layered with other biocompatible materials.

17. An anchoring element according to claim 13, further comprising shaping elements, as well as other components, that are layered with cells or coatings of thin cellular tissues, wherein the cells or coatings are obtained from actual cells of the respective patient'"'"'s body, or are pre-treated cells from other humans or animals, or are layered with other biocompatible materials.

18. An anchoring element according to claim 1, further comprising an assortment of various dimensioned and/or shaped anchoring elements.

20. A process according to claim 19, wherein the spatial coordinates of the aorta are measured using a visual process, including at least one of using computer tomography, spiral computer tomography or 3D computer tomography, including difference methods, or using nuclear spin resonance tomography (NMR tomography).

19. A process to manufacture or pre-form an anchoring element for an aorta, comprising

measuring spatial coordinates to determine dimensions and shape of the aorta, and producing the anchoring element using the dimensions and shape obtained.