Systems, devices and methods relating to a shape resilient sling-like support for treating urinary incontinence

• US 20070032695A1
• Filed: 08/03/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Weiser, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,033,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06004 Means for attaching suture to needle tipping A61B17/06195; connecting wire to other metallic objects B21F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30199 Three-dimensional shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0063 Three-dimensional shapes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

The invention, in one embodiment, is directed to systems, devices and methods for supporting an anatomical location using a self-supporting implantable device without a need for an anchor.

Claims

1. An implantable sling-like support comprising,

a semi-rigid body sized and shaped for providing a spring loaded urethral platform for treating urinary incontinence, the elongate body having an initial shape and being formed from a shape-resilient material, and being non-destructively, reversibly deformable in response to mechanical forces associated with implantation of the sling-like device within a body of a patient, the semi-rigid body having a rest length of between about 2 cm and about 15 cm and a rest width of between about 0.5 cm and about 2 cm.

2. The implantable sling-like support of claim 1 having first and second axial peripheral sections and an intermediate section extending therebetween, the first and second axial peripheral sections each having at least a portion located in a common plane, and the intermediate section being elevated above the common plane.

3. The implantable sling-like support of claim 2, where in the intermediate section includes an apex extending between about 1 cm and about 5 cm above the common plane.

4. The implantable sling-like support of claim 2, wherein the intermediate section includes an apex extending more than about 5 cm above the common plane.

5. The implantable sling-like support of claim 2 including first and second end sections extending from the first and second axially peripheral sections, respectively, in a direction away from the intermediate section, the first and second end sections turning upward from the common plane.

6. The implantable sling-like support of claim 2, wherein the axially peripheral sections have ends extending upwards out of the common plane.

7. The implantable sling-like support of claim 2, wherein the intermediate section includes a mid location elevated in relation to a remainder of the intermediate section.

8. The implantable sling-like support of claim 2, wherein the mid location extends substantially an entire width of the sling like support.

9. The implantable sling-like support of claim 2, wherein the intermediate section includes a depression extending downward back toward the common plane.

10. The implantable sling-like support of claim 9, wherein the depression has a depth of between about 0.1 cm and about 1 cm relative to an apex where the intermediate section extends a maximum distance above the common plane.

11. The implantable sling-like support of claim 9, wherein the depression extends downward through the common plane.

12. The implantable sling-like support of claim 1, wherein the body the width varies at different locations along a length of the body.

13. The implantable sling-like support of claim 12, wherein the width varies by about 10% and about 50% along the length of the body.

14. The implantable sling-like support of claim 12, wherein the width at a first terminal end of the body is about equal to the length at a second terminal end of the body.

15. The implantable sling-like support of claim 12, wherein the width at a first terminal end of the body is greater than the width at another location along the length of the body.

16. The implantable sling-like support of claim 12 including, first and second axial peripheral sections and an intermediate section extending therebetween, the first and second axial peripheral sections each having at least a part located in a common plane, and the intermediate section being elevated above the common plane, and

first and second end sections extending from the first and second axially peripheral sections, respectively, in a direction away from the intermediate section, the first and second end sections turning upward from the common plane.

17. The implantable sling-like support of claim 12 including,

first and second axial peripheral sections and an intermediate section extending therebetween, the first and second axial peripheral sections each having at least a part located in a common plane, and the intermediate section being elevated above the common plane, and

wherein the axially peripheral sections have ends extending upwards out of the common plane.

18. The implantable sling-like support of claim 12 including,

first and second axial peripheral sections and an intermediate section extending therebetween, the first and second axial peripheral sections each having at least a part located in a common plane, and the intermediate section being elevated above the common plane, and

first and second end sections extending from the first and second axially peripheral sections, respectively, in a direction away from the intermediate section, the first and second end sections turning downward through the common plane.

19. The implantable sling-like support of claim 12 including,

first and second axial peripheral sections and an intermediate section extending therebetween, the first and second axial peripheral sections each having at least a part located in a common plane, and the intermediate section being elevated above the common plane, and

wherein the axially peripheral sections have ends extending downward through the common plane.

20. The implantable sling-like support of claim 1 having first and second axial peripheral sections and an intermediate section extending therebetween, the first and second axial peripheral sections each having at least a part located in a common plane, and the intermediate section being lowered below the common plane.

21. The implantable sling-like support of claim 1 having first and second terminal ends, the first and second terminal ends each being notched across the width of the body.

22. The implantable sling-like support of claim 1 including one or more laterally extending projections located at each end of the semi-rigid body, and sized, shaped and oriented so as not to impede travel of the sling-like support into patient tissues and to impede travel of the sling-like support in a direction of removal from patient tissues.

23. The implantable sling-like device of claim 1 including one or more finger-engaging features located at terminal ends of the semi-rigid body for interfitting at least one of a finger of a medical operator and a shaft of a delivery device for assisting a medical operator in implanting the sling-like device.

24. The implantable sling-like device of claim 1 including first and second arms extending from first and second hinge locations, respectively, at first and second terminal ends, respectively, of the semi-rigid body, the arms being lockable in place relative to the hinge locations.

25. A method for treating urinary incontinence comprising,

making an incision in a vaginal wall of a patient, and

inserting a semi-rigid sling-like support sized and shaped for providing a spring loaded urethral platform for treating urinary incontinence into a position under a urethra of a patient via the vaginal incision,

wherein the elongate body has an initial shape and is formed from a shape-resilient material, and is non-destructively, reversibly deformable in response to a mechanical forces associated with implantation of the sling-like device within a body of a patient, and

wherein the semi-rigid body has a rest length of between about 2 cm and about 15 cm and a rest width of between about 0.5 cm and about 2 cm.