Venous valve, system, and method with sinus pocket

• US 20070067021A1
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hill, Jason, Shoemaker, Susan, Haverkost, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,569,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.240
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2436 Deployment by retracting a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2475 Venous valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0066 stapled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49405 Valve or choke making

Abstract

A venous valve with a frame and valve leaflets that provide a sinus pocket. The venous valve provides for unidirectional flow of a liquid through the valve.

Claims

1. A venous valve frame, comprising:

a first structural member that defines an elongate base portion that includes a first perimeter value;

a second structural member that defines a bulbous portion that extends radially and longitudinally from an area defined by the first structural member, the bulbous portion including a second perimeter value that is greater than the first perimeter value; and

a valve leaflet connection location along the first structural member of the venous valve frame.

2. The valve frame of claim 1, where the first structural member and the second structural member define a perimeter of the bulbous portion having an elliptical shape.

3. The valve frame of claim 2, where the first structural member defines a first axis of the elliptical shape and the second structural member defines a second axis of the elliptical shape that is twenty percent (20%) to fifty percent (50%) greater than the first axis.

4. The valve frame of claim 2, where the first structural member defines a first axis of the elliptical shape and the second structural member defines a second axis of the elliptical shape that is one (1) to four (4) millimeters greater than the length of the first axis.

5. The valve frame of claim 1, where the first structural member and the second structural member define a perimeter of the bulbous portion having a round shape.

6. The valve frame of claim 1, where the base portion includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first structural member at each of the first end and the second end including a first curve and a second curve opposite the first curve.

7. The valve frame of claim 6, where the first curve and the second curve of the first end are positioned radially orthogonal to the first curve and the second curve of the second end of the base portion.

8. The valve frame of claim 6, where the first curve and the second curve flare away from a center longitudinal axis.

9. A valve frame of claim 1, where the first structural member includes surfaces defining a first opening and a second opening for the valve leaflet connection location, where the first and second openings are adjacent a region of the bulbous portion of the valve frame and positioned opposite each other along a common axis.

10. A venous valve frame, comprising:

a structural member that include an elongate base portion and a bulbous portion, the elongate base portion having a first perimeter value and the bulbous portion extending radially and longitudinally to provide a second perimeter value that is greater than the first perimeter value; and

a valve leaflet connection location along the structural member of the venous valve frame.

11. The venous valve frame of claim 10, where the bulbous portion provides a surface that defines a sinus pocket.

12. The venous valve frame of claim 11, where the sinus pocket provides a dilated channel as compared to the elongate base portion of the venous valve frame.

13. A method, comprising:

forming a bulbous portion in a venous valve frame; and

coupling valve leaflets to the venous valve frame, where a free edge of the valve leaflets are located adjacent the bulbous portion to form a sinus pocket between the bulbous portion in the venous valve frame and the valve leaflets.

14. The method of claim 13, where forming the bulbous portion includes:

forming a first structural member into an elongate base portion; and

forming a second structural member into the bulbous portion that radially and longitudinally extends from the first structural member.

15. The method of claim 14, where forming the bulbous portion includes shaping the first structural member and the second structural member into an elliptical shape.

16. The method of claim 14, where forming the bulbous portion includes shaping the first structural member and the second structural member into a round shape.

17. The method of claim 13, including configuring an opening defined by the valve leaflets to create a Bernoulli effect across the valve leaflets.

18. The method of claim 13, where coupling valve leaflets to the venous valve frame includes providing a gap of at least a predetermined distance between the free edge of the valve leaflet and the bulbous portion in the venous valve frame.

19. The method of claim 18, where coupling valve leaflets to the venous valve frame includes maintaining at least the gap between the free edge of the valve leaflets and the bulbous portion in the venous valve frame as the valve leaflets cycles between open and close.

20. The method of claim 18, where providing the gap includes providing one-half (0.5) to two (2) millimeters between the free edge of the valve leaflet and the bulbous portion in the venous valve frame.