Flexible Barb for Anchoring a Prosthesis

• US 20080033534A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Osborne, Thomas, Young, Ronan, Frye, Mark, DeBruyne, Michael, Cook, William, Nickless, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 7,828,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.36
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0437 the barbs being resilient or spring-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8483 Barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes

Abstract

A system for anchoring an endoluminal prosthesis comprises a barb. The barb comprises a base, a retractable body extending distally from the base towards a distal anchor, and a hinge disposed between the base and the anchor and spaced apart from the base. The anchor pivots about the hinge between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. Additional devices, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for anchoring an endoluminal prosthesis comprising:

a barb comprising a base and a retractable body extending distally from the base towards a distal anchor, where the retractable body comprises;

a hinge disposed between the base and the anchor and spaced apart from the base;

a first arm disposed between the base and the hinge; and

a second arm disposed between the anchor and the hinge;

where the anchor pivots about the hinge between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a support structure, where the support structure comprises a strut and the barb base is attached to the strut.

3. The prosthesis of claim 2, where at least a portion of the barb body extends longitudinally along and circumferentially about the strut.

4. The prosthesis of claim 2, where the hinge is spaced apart from the strut by a first distance in the extended configuration and by a second distance that is less than the first distance in the retracted configuration.

5. The prosthesis of claim 2, where the base comprises a cradle having an inner contour corresponding with an outer contour of the strut.

6. The prosthesis of claim 2, where the anchor is disposed radially outwardly from the support structure and the hinge is disposed radially inwardly from the support structure.

7. The system of claim 2, where the first arm has a length corresponding with a predetermined barb anchoring force.

8. The system of claim 1, where in the extended configuration, the first arm is disposed at a generally acute angle with respect to the second arm.

9. The system of claim 1, where the angle between the first arm and the second arm increases from the retracted configuration towards the extended configuration.

10. The system of claim 1, where the angle between the second arm and the base increases from the retracted configuration towards the extended configuration.

11. The system of claim 1, where the first arm extends distally in a first direction with respect to the base and the second arm extends distally in a second direction with respect to the base that is generally opposite the first direction.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a support structure comprising a strut, where the barb base is attached to the strut and where;

at least a portion of the barb body extends longitudinally along and circumferentially about the strut;

the hinge is spaced apart from the strut by a first distance in the extended configuration and by a second distance that is less than the first distance in the retracted configuration;

the base comprises a cradle having an inner contour corresponding with an outer contour of the strut;

the anchor is disposed radially outwardly from the support structure and the hinge is disposed radially inwardly from the support structure; and

the first arm has a length corresponding with a predetermined barb anchoring force;

and where;

in the extended configuration, the first arm is disposed at a generally acute angle with respect to the second arm;

the angle between the first arm and the second arm increases from the retracted configuration towards the extended configuration;

the angle between the second arm and the base increases from the retracted configuration towards the extended configuration; and

the first arm extends distally in a first direction with respect to the base and the second arm extends distally in a second direction with respect to the base that is generally opposite the first direction.

13. A system for anchoring an endoluminal prosthesis comprising:

a support structure; and

a barb comprising a base, an anchor, and a hinge disposed between the base and the anchor and spaced apart from the base;

where the base is attached to the support structure and where the anchor pivots about the hinge between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration.

14. The system according to claim 13, where the support structure comprises a strut and the barb base is attached to the strut.

15. The system according to claim 14, where the hinge is spaced apart from the strut by a first distance in the extended configuration and by a second distance that is less than the first distance in the retracted configuration.

16. The system according to claim 14, where at least a portion of the barb distal of the base extends longitudinally along and circumferentially about the strut.

17. The system according to claim 13, where the barb further comprises an arm disposed between the base and the hinge having a length corresponding with a predetermined barb anchoring force.

18. The system according to claim 17, where the barb further comprises a second arm disposed between the anchor and the hinge and the angle between the first arm and the second arm increases from the retracted configuration towards the extended configuration.

19. The system according to claim 13, where the barb further comprises a first arm disposed between the base and the hinge and having a length corresponding with a predetermined barb anchoring force, and a second arm disposed between the anchor and the hinge, where:

the angle between the first arm and the second arm increases from the retracted configuration towards the extended configuration;

the support structure comprises a strut and the barb base is attached to the strut;

the hinge is spaced apart from the strut by a first distance in the extended configuration and by a second distance that is less than the first distance in the retracted configuration; and

at least a portion of the barb distal of the base extends longitudinally along and circumferentially about the strut.

20. A method of tuning an anchor for an endoluminal prosthesis, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a retractable barb comprising a proximal end and a distal end, where a distal portion of the barb comprises an anchor;

providing a support structure for an endoluminal prosthesis;

determining a free length of the barb that corresponds with a predetermined barb anchoring force; and

selectively attaching the barb to the support structure so that the length of the barb that extends freely from the support structure is generally equal to the free length.