Delayed memory device

• US 20030135267A1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JOMED NV
• Original Assignee: JOMED NV
• Inventors: Solem, Jan Otto, Kimblad, Per Ola
• Granted Patent: US 7,192,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.18
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2451 Inserts in the coronary sinus for correcting the valve shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2481 Devices outside the heart wall, e.g. bags, strips or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/26 Penis implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 Bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/826 more than one stent being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/828 Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8483 Barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable

Abstract

A medical device and a method for providing a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism. The device is insertable into the body of the organism and comprises a member having a preferred state of shape and having a tendency to transfer its shape towards said preferred state of shape when being in a non-preferred state of shape. The device further comprises a resorbable means which is arranged to hold the member in the non-preferred state of shape and to delay the transfer when the device is inserted into the body of the organism by counteracting said transfer during resorption of the resorbable means by the surrounding body of the organism.

Claims

1. A medical device for providing a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism, said device comprising

a first set of forces working towards a change of shape of the device, and

a second set of forces working for preserving a present shape of the device and thereby counteracting said first set of forces, wherein said first and said second set of forces each are inherent in a solid material of the device, and wherein forces of said second set of forces are arranged to decrease as a result of said solid material interacting chemically with said part of the body.

2. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said second set of forces is inherent in a decomposable material.

3. A medical device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said forces of said second set of forces are arranged to decrease as a result of said solid material being decomposed by said part of the body.

4. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said second set of forces is inherent in a resorbable material.

5. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said forces of said second set of forces are arranged to decrease as a result of said solid material being resorbed by said part of the body.

6. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said first set of forces is inherent in an elastic material.

7. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said first set of forces is inherent in a material having superelasticity properties.

8. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said first set of forces is inherent in a shape memory material.

9. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said first set of forces is inherent in a shape memory metal.

10. A medical device according to claim 9, wherein said first set of forces is inherent in a metal comprising Nitinol.

11. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said first set of forces is inherent in a shape memory polymer.

12. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein the device is arranged to contract into a new shape as a result of said second set of forces being decreased.

13. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein the device is arranged to expand into a new shape as a result of said second set of forces being decreased.

14. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein the device is arranged to change its shape in one dimension.

15. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein the device is arranged to change its shape in two dimensions.

16. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein the device is arranged to change its shape in three dimensions.

17. A medical device being insertable into the body of an organism, said device comprising

a member having a preferred state of shape towards which the member by means of inherent forces strives when being in a non-preferred state of shape, and

a delay means having a weakenable inherent stiffness to hold the member in the non-preferred state of shape for a period of time after the device is inserted into the body of the organism.

18. A medical device according to claim 17, wherein said delay means holds said member in a non-preferred state of shape by counteracting the inherent forces of the member.

19. A medical device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said delay means holds said member in a non-preferred state of shape while the inherent stiffness of the delay means overcomes the inherent forces of the member.

20. A medical device according to claim 17, wherein said delay means comprises a decomposable material.

21. A medical device according to claim 17, wherein said delay means comprises a resorbable material.

22. A medical device according to claim 17, wherein said member comprises an elastic material.

23. A medical device according to claim 17, wherein said member comprises a material having superelasticity properties.

24. A medical device according to claim 17, wherein said member comprises a shape memory material.

25. A medical device according to claim 17, wherein said member comprises Nitinol.

26. A medical device being insertable into the body of an organism, said device comprising

a member having a preferred state of shape and having a tendency to transfer its shape towards said preferred state of shape when being in a non-preferred state of shape, and

a resorbable means being arranged to hold the member in the non-preferred state of shape and to delay the transfer when the device is inserted into the body of the organism by counteracting said transfer during resorption of the resorbable means by the surrounding body of the organism.

27. A medical device according to claim 26, wherein said member comprises an elastic material.

28. A medical device according to claim 26 or 27, wherein said member comprises a material having superelasticity properties.

29. A medical device according to claim 26, wherein said member comprises a shape memory material.

30. A medical device according to claim 26, wherein said member comprises Nitinol.

31. A device for reshaping a body vessel, said device being elongate and having such dimensions as to be insertable into the vessel and having two states, in a first state of which the device has a shape that is adaptable to the shape of the vessel, and to the second state of which the device is transferable from said first state, said device comprising

a fixing means for fixing the ends of the device within the vessel, when the device is first positioned therein,

a member for transferring the device to the second state by reshaping it, and a resorbable means for delaying said reshaping until the ends of the device are fixed by keeping said device in said first state until the resorbable means is resorbed.

32. The device according to claim 31, wherein said resorbable means comprises a resorbable sheath being arranged to enclose said member.

33. The device according to claim 31 or 32, wherein said fixing means is arranged to expand against the wall of the vessel when first positioned therein.

34. The device according to claim 31, wherein said fixing means is arranged to grow into the wall of the vessel.

35. The device according to claims 31, wherein said fixing means comprises a self-expandable stent at each end of the device.

36. The device according to claim 31, wherein said member comprises a shape memory material providing said reshaping of the device.

37. The device according to claim 36, wherein said member comprises Nitinol providing said reshaping of the device.

38. The device according to claim 31, wherein said reshaping of the device comprises shortening of the device.

39. The device according to claim 31, wherein said device is used for treatment of mitral annulus dilatation.

40. The device according to claim 39, wherein said vessel is the coronary sinus.

41. The device according to claim 40, wherein said reshaping of the device is used for reducing the radius of curvature of the coronary sinus.

42. A method for reshaping a body vessel, comprising the steps of

inserting an elongate device into the vessel,

fixing the ends of the device within the vessel, reshaping the device, and

delaying said reshaping by a resorbable means so that the step of fixing the ends of the device is performed before the step of reshaping the device.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein said step of fixing the ends of the device comprises providing growth of the ends into the wall of the vessel.

44. The method according to claim 42 or 43, wherein a shape memory material is used in the device for said step of reshaping the device.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein Nitinol is used in the device for said step of reshaping the device.

46. The method according to claim 42, wherein said step of reshaping the device comprises the step of shortening the device.

47. The method according to claim 42, wherein the method is used for treatment of mitral annulus dilatation.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein said device is inserted into the coronary sinus in the vicinity of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein said reshaping is used for reducing the curvature of the coronary sinus and thereby reducing the radius of circumference of the mitral valve annulus.

50. A device for restraining growth of a body organ of an organism, said device being implantable into the body of the organism and comprising

an elastic contractable member being arranged to enclose said body organ, and

a resorbable means being arranged to delay contraction of the contractable member when the device is implanted in the body of the organism by counteracting the contraction during resorption of the resorbable means by the surrounding body of the organism.

51. A device according to claim 50, wherein said contractable member comprises a shape memory material.

52. A device according to claim 51, wherein said contractable member comprises Nitinol.

53. A method for restraining growth of a body organ of an organism, comprising the steps of

inserting a restraining device into the body of the organism,

enclosing the body organ with the restraining device,

compressing said restraining device by means of a contractable member of said restraining device, and

delaying said compression by a resorbable means.

54. A method according to claim 53, wherein the method is used for treatment of pathological heart growth.

55. A method according to claim 53, wherein the method is used for treatment of alveolar sac growth.

56. A method according to claim 53, wherein the method is used for treatment of bullous emphysema.