Device for implanting occlusion coils

• US 20040078050A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dendron GmbH (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dendron GmbH (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Monstadt, Hermann, Henkes, Hans, Denk, Marion
• Granted Patent: US 7,323,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/191
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12113 within an aneurysm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1214 Coils or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12163 having a string of elements connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12063 electrolytically detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00416 Treatment of aneurisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1437 whereby the windings of the spiral touch each other such as to create a continuous surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1495 Electrodes being detachable from a support structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure

Abstract

A device for the implantation of electrolytically severable occluding spirals in body cavities or blood vessels comprising a source of electrical power, a cathode, a catheter and an occluding spiral adapted to serve as an anode and able to slide in the catheter in the longitudinal direction, wherein the occluding spiral (3) is designed to be electrolytically corrodible at several spaced apart points so that when in contact with a body fluid one or more variably dimensioned lengths of the occluding spiral (3) may be severed by electrolysis.

Claims

1. A device for the implantation of occluding spirals able to be severed by electrolysis in body cavities or blood vessels comprising a source of electrical power, a cathode, a catheter and an occluding spiral adapted to serve as an anode and able to slide in the catheter in the longitudinal direction, characterized in that the occluding spiral (3) is designed to be electrolytically corrodible at a plurality of spaced apart points so that when in contact with a body fluid one or more variably dimensioned lengths of the occluding spiral (3) may be severed by electrolysis.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that an insertion means, in the form of a guide wire (2), proximally adjoins the occluding spiral (3).

3. The device as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the guide wire (2) and the occluding spiral (3) are joined together by soldering, brazing and/or bonding and/or welding operations and/or by mechanical connections.

4. The device as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the guide wire (2) and the occluding spiral (3) are manufactured in the form of parts of the same wire.

5. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the occluding spiral (3) or a part thereof is in the form of a micro-spiral.

6. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the occluding spiral (3) or a part thereof is subject to a biasing stress and after release from the catheter (1) forms coils (4).

7. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrolytically non-corrodible sections (10) of the occluding spiral (3) comprise one or more of the following materials:

noble metals or noble metal alloys, corrosion-resistant ceramic materials, corrosion-resistant plastics, and preferably platinum metal alloys.

8. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrolytically corrodible points (10) of the occluding spiral (3) comprise one or more of the following materials:

corrosion-resistant ceramic materials, corrosion-resistant plastics, base metals or alloys thereof and preferably stainless steel.

9. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that stainless steel of the types AISI 301, 304 or 316 or, respectively, subgroups of these types, are employed for the formation of the electrolytically corrodible points (11).

10. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for forming the electrolytically non-corrodible sections (10) adjacent to transitions to the electrolytically corrodible points (11) combinations of materials are selected which are suitable for forming local elements.

11. The device as set forth in claim 10, characterized in that the following combinations of materials are utilized:

a) stainless steels, preferably of the type AISI 301, 304, 316 or subgroups for the formation of the electrolytically corrodible points (11) with noble metals, preferably Pt or Pt metals, Pt alloys, Au alloys or Sn alloys for the formation of the electrolytically non-corrodible sections (10);

b) Ti or TiNi alloys for the formation of the electrolytically corrodible points (11) with nobel metals or noble metal alloys, preferably Pt, Pt metals, Pt alloys, Au alloys or Sn alloys for the formation of the electrolytically non-corrodible sections (10);

c) Co based alloys for the formation of the electrolytically corrodible point (11) with noble metal or noble metal alloys, preferably Pt, Pt metals, Pt alloys, Au alloys or Sn alloys for the formation of the electrolytically non-corrodible sections (10).

12. The device as set forth in any one of the claims 5 through 11, characterized in that the shape of the electrolytically corrodible points (11) is adapted to the micro-coils of the micro-spiral (3).

13. The device as set forth in any one of the claims 1 through 11, characterized in that the electrolytically corrodible points (11) are adapted to the micro-coils of the micro-spiral (3).

14. The device as set forth in any one of the claims 1 through 11 or claim 13, characterized in that the electrolytically corrodible points are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the occluding spiral.

15. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrolytically corrodible points (11) are constituted by fittings (17) which are fitted between the electrolytically noncorrodible sections (10) of the occluding spiral (3).

16. The device as set forth in claim 15, characterized in that the fittings (17) constituting the electrolytically corrodible points (11) are joined to the electrolytically non-corrodible sections (10) by soldering and/or brazing and/or bonding and/or welding operations and/or by mechanical methods.

17. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrolytically corrodible points (11) are precorroded.

18. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims 1 through 16, characterized in that the fittings (17) constituting the electrolytically corrodible points (11) are pre-corroded.

19. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims 15 through 18, characterized in that the fittings are partly coated with a material, which is higher up in the electrochemical series than the material forming the fittings.

20. The device as set forth in claim 19, characterized in that the fittings consist of stainless steel and the coating consists of Zn, Zn alloys, Sn or Sn alloys.

21. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims 15 or 20, characterized in that the fittings (17) constituting the electrolytically corrodible points (11) are micro-system components (16).

22. The device as set forth in claim 21, characterized in that the micro-system components contain micro-severance points (24) as electrolytically corrodible points (11).

23. The device as set forth in any one of the claims 1 through 14, characterized in that the occluding spiral (3) or a part thereof contains a continuous wire core of electrolytically corrodible material, which is surrounded by a casing repeatedly interrupted at intervals along the longitudinal axis and made of electrolytically corrosion resistant material (13).

24. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the diameter of the electrolytically corrodible points (11) is between 0.01 and 0.05 mm, preferably 0.02 and 0.04 and more particularly 0.03 mm.

25. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end of the guide wire (2) is provided with a coating (25) preventing corrosion of the guide wire.

26. The device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims for methods used in veterinary or human medicine and preferably for thrombozation.