Composite heart valve apparatus manufactured using techniques involving laser machining of tissue

• US 20070073392A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Heyninck-Jantz, Christine, Taitague, Debra, McNatt, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,682,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.140
• 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 2/2475 Venous valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/30 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/38 Fabrics, fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0823 Devices involving rotation of the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/364 for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove

Abstract

Methodology for using laser machining techniques to modify a tissue for use in a medical device. In a representative mode of practice, relatively low energy laser machining is used to thin down at least a portion of a valved jugular vein. The thinned down vein may then be sutured to, or otherwise integrated with, a corresponding stent to make a percutaneous heart valve.

Claims

1. A method of making a composite medical device, comprising the steps of:

a) using laser energy to ablate at least a portion of a tissue, whereby the physical dimensions of the tissue portion are modified to correspond to a nontissue component; and

b) integrating components comprising the ablated tissue and the nontissue component together to form the composite medical device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises using an excimer laser as a source of the laser energy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the laser energy has a wavelength of about 248 nm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue is a valved vein segment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue is a bovine, valved vein segment.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein step (a) comprises using the laser energy to thin down at least a portion of a wall of the vein segment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the nontissue component is a stent, the tissue is a valved vein segment, and the valved vein segment is attached to the stent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises supporting the tissue on a rotatable support.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the support comprises glass.

12. A percutaneous heart valve made according to the method of claim 1.

13. A method of treating a mammalian patient, comprising the steps of providing a percutaneous heart valve made according to claim 1 and percutaneously implanting the heart valve in the patient.

10. A method of making a percutaneous heart valve, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a tissue comprising a valve;

b) using laser energy to thin down at least a portion of a wall of the tissue; and

c) after step (b), attaching the tissue to a stent.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the laser energy is provided by an excimer laser.