Flow control method and device

• US 20070055296A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apollo Endosurgery US, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EndoArt SA (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stergiopulos, Nikos
• Granted Patent: US 8,079,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/158
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12 for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels, umbilical cord specially adapted for vas deferens or fallopian tubes A61F6/20; materials for ligaturing blood vessels A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3655 Arterio-venous shunts or fistulae

Abstract

An arterio-venous graft 16 is provided with a constriction device 20 near its arterial end. The constriction device 20 is used to reduce the flow through the AV graft under normal conditions and to relieve the constriction when high flow through the AV graft is required, such as for vascular access for hemodialysis.

Claims

1. A device for controlling flow in an AV graft or AV fistula used for vascular access for an extracorporeal circuit, said device comprising:

a) an actuator for applying partial constriction to a vessel, to provide a reduced flow through said AV graft or AV fistula, when flow through said extracorporeal circuit is to occur; and

b) an adjuster for changing the degree of construction, to modify the flow through the AV graft or AV fistula, when flow through said extracorporeal circuit is to occur.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said vessel is said AV graft.

3. A device, for controlling flow in a bodily vessel, said devie comprising:

an actuator for adjustably constricting said bodily vessel;

and a rotatable member for driving said actuator.

4. A device according to claim 3, further comprising a motor, said rotatable member being a drive shaft of said motor.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said motor is an electrical micromotor.

6. A device according to claim 4, wherein said rotatable member comprises a rotor having a plurality of magnetic poles, such that rotation of said rotor can be induced by an externally applied varying magnetic field.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said rotor is threadedly engaged with a shaft such that rotation of said rotor causes translational motion between said rotor and shaft.

8. A device, for controlling flow in a bodily vessel, said device comprising:

a deformable member which is reversibly deformable by a change in temperature or magnetic field; and

an actuator acted on by said deformable member for adjustably constricting said bodily vessel,

wherein said deformable member is deformable between a first state in which said actuator applies constriction to said bodily vessel, and a second state in which said actuator reduces said constriction of said bodily vessel.

9. A device, according to claim 8, wherein said deformable member comprises a shape-memory material.

10. A device, according to claim 8, wherein said deformable member comprises a capsule containing a substance, wherein said substance is substantially in a liquid phase when said member is in said first state, and said substance is at least partially vaporizable to deform said member to said second state.

11-83. -83. (canceled)