DEVICE FOR SHRINKING OR REINFORCING THE VALVULAR ORIFICES OF THE HEART

• US 20080288062A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Afksendiyos Kalangos, Bioring SA
• Original Assignee: Afksendiyos Kalangos, Bioring SA
• Inventors: Kalangos, Afksendiyos, Andrieu, Raymond, Le Goff, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US11/934,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288062A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.36
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable or resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06057 Double-armed sutures, i.e. sutures having a needle attached to each end
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30062 (bio)absorbable, biodegradable, bioerodable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/148 Materials at least partially resorbable by the body

Abstract

A device for shrinking and/or reinforcing the heart valve orifices includes a thick link (1) made of a bioresorbable, soft and curved material. It is secured at one of its ends to at least a thin yarn (3) whereof the end is fixed to a curved needle.

Claims

1. Device for contracting and/or reinforcing valvular orifices of a heart, comprising:

a thick connection (1) having two distal ends separated from each other,

the thick connection being flexible and curved between the two distal ends,

the thick connection have a longitudinal axis, a thick connection (1) being of a first resorbable material;

a thin filament (3) having a first end extending from a first of said two distal ends,

the thin filament extending out of the first distal end along a direction coaxial with the thick

connection,

the thin filament being of the first resorbable material,

the thin filament and the thick connection being realized in one piece of fabrication; and

a curved needle (4) fixed to a second end of the thin filament, wherein, the filament (3) permits exerting a longitudinal traction on the thick connection (1) in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the thick connection, the longitudinal traction is adapted to allow the thick connection to be introduced inside the tissue of a valvular orifice to be treated.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein,

the curvature of the needle (4) is substantially equal to the curvature of the connection (1), and

the curvature of the needle and the curvature of the connection is substantially equal to a curvature that the valvular orifice to be treated to allow the thick connection (1) to be introduced inside the tissue of the valvular orifice to be treated.

3. Device according to claim 1, further comprising:

another thin filament (3) having a first end extending from a second of said two distal ends,

the another thin filament extending out of the first distal end along a direction coaxial with the thick connection,

the another thin filament being of the first resorbable material, and

the another thin filament and the thick connection being realized in one piece of fabrication; and

another curved needle (4) fixed to a second end of the another thin filament.

4. Device according to claim 2, further comprising:

another thin filament (3) having a first end extending from a second of said two distal ends,

the another thin filament extending out of the first distal end along a direction coaxial with the thick connection,

the another thin filament being of the first resorbable material, and

the another thin filament and the thick connection being realized in one piece of fabrication; and

another curved needle (4) fixed to a second end of the another thin filament.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the length of the needle (4) is substantially equal to the length of the connection (1), corresponding substantially to the portion of the periphery of the valvular orifice into which it is to be implanted.

6. Device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a securement member (2) located at a second of the two distal ends.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the connection (1) is circular or polygonal.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the connection (1) comprises a core made of a polymer that can be described by the general formula -[—

X—

C(O)—

R1-Y—

R2-]—

in which C(O) designates a >

C═

O group;

X designates an oxygen atom, Y designates an oxygen atom or a chemical bond connecting R1 to R2;

R1 and R2 designating linear or branched carbon chains and containing 0 to 5 carbon atoms and preferably 0 to 3 carbon atoms.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the polymer used is of the polylactide or polyglycolide or polylactone or polyalkylenecarbonate type or else preferably of the polydioxanone type or any other type of polymer, provided that this latter is obtained from a cyclic compound having the general formula C₄H₆O₃ and having a >

C═

O group.

10. Device according to claim 1 wherein the connection (1) comprises a core of a slowly resorbable material and a layer of a more rapidly resorbable material.

11. Device according to claim 10, wherein the polymer used to constitute the core of the connection (1) is a copolymer obtained by combination of different monomers leading to a polymer that can be described by the general formula -[—

X—

C(O)—

R1-Y—

R2-]- in which C(O) designates a >

C═

O group;

X designates an oxygen atom, Y designates an oxygen atom or a chemical bond connecting R1 to R2;

R1 and R2 designating linear or branched carbon chains and containing 0 to 5 carbon atoms and preferably 0 to 3 carbon atoms.

12. Device according to claim 10, wherein the slowly resorbable material is a polymer that can be described by the general formula -[—

X—

C(O)—

R1-Y—

R2-]- in which C(O) designates a >

C═

O group;

X designates an oxygen atom, Y designates an oxygen atom or a chemical bond connecting R1 to R2;

R1 and R2 designating linear or branched carbon chains and containing 0 to 5 carbon atoms and preferably 0 to 3 carbon atoms, and that the more rapidly reabsorbable material is a polymer that can be described by the general formula -[X—

C(O)—

R1-Y—

R2-]- in which C(O) designates a >

C═

O group;

X designates an oxygen atom, Y designates an oxygen atom or a chemical bond connecting R1 to R2; and

R1 and R2 designates linear or branched carbon chains containing 0 to 5 carbon atoms and preferably 0 to 3 carbon atoms, to which are added collagen and catgut.

13. Device according to claim 12, wherein the slowly resorbable material is a polymer of the polydioxanone type or of any other type provided that the polymer is obtained from a cyclic compound responding to the general formula C₄H₆O₃ and having a >

C=o group and that the more rapidly resorbable material is a polymer that can be described by the general formula -[—

X—

C(O)—

R1-Y—

R2-]-in which C(O) designates a >

C═

O group;

X designates an oxygen atom, Y designates an oxygen atom or a chemical bond connecting R1 to R2;

R1 and R2 designating linear or branched carbon chains and containing 0 to 5 carbon atoms and preferably 0 to 3 carbon atoms, to which are added collagen and catgut.

14. Device according to claim 1, wherein the connection comprises a series of enlargements (5) and thinned portions (6).

15. Device according to claim 14, wherein the enlargements (5) of the connection comprise the first resorbable material covered with a second resorbable material whilst the thinned regions (6) of the connection are constituted by the first resorbable material.

16. Device for contracting and/or reinforcing valvular orifices of a heart, comprising:

a thick connection (1) made of a first resorbable material;

a thin filament (3) extending from a first end of the connection along a direction coaxial with the connection,

the thin filament being of the first resorbable material,

the thin filament and the connection being made of one piece during manufacture; and

a needle (4) fixed to an end of the thin filament, the needle permitting emplanting the connection,

a curve and a length of the needle respectively corresponding to the curve of the ring of a valvular orifice to be treated and to the length of a portion of a perimeter of the valvular orifice,

the connection having a length and a curve corresponding to the length and the curve of the needle, wherein,

the filament permits exerting a longitudinal traction on the connection in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the thick connection, the longitudinal traction is adapted to allow the thick connection to be introduced inside the tissue of the valvular orifice to be treated.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein,

the connection comprises a series of enlargements (5) and thinned portions (6),

the enlargements are covered with a second resorbable material,

the second resorbable material being more rapidly resorbable than the first resorbable material.

18. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

another thick connection (1) made of the first resorbable material and connected to a second end of the thick connection;

another thin filament (3) having a first end extending from an end of the another thick connection,

the another thin filament extending out of the end along a direction coaxial with the another thick connection,

the another thin filament being of the first resorbable material, and

the another thin filament and the another thick connection being realized in one piece of fabrication; and

another curved needle (4) fixed to a second end of the another thin filament.

19. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

another thin filament (3) having a first end extending from a second end of the thick connection,

the another thin filament extending out of the first end along a direction coaxial with the thick connection,

the another thin filament being of the first resorbable material, and

the another thin filament and the thick connection being realized in one piece of fabrication; and

another curved needle (4) fixed to a second end of the another thin filament.