SUPPORTS

• US 20090292349A1
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exstent Limited
• Original Assignee: Exstent Limited
• Inventors: GOLESWORTHY, Taliesin John
• Granted Patent: US 8,246,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• 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 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0076 multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0066 stapled
• 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 2240/002 Designing or making customized prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0018 differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

The invention provides a support adapted for location exteriorly of a blood vessel, the support being locatable around the blood vessel and shaped to be in morphological relationship with the blood vessel, wherein the support is formed from a settable material and wherein the support may be formed into a tube; and a method of morphometric analysis of a patient'"'"'s blood vessel using an imaging scanner which method comprises:

• • (i) obtaining a diametral cross-sectional image of the blood vessel;
  • (ii) obtaining a pseudo-transverse cross-section image of the blood vessel; and
  • (iii) processing the images from steps (i) and (ii) to construct a morphometric model of the blood vessel.

Claims

1. A support adapted for location exteriorly of a blood vessel, the support being locatable around the blood vessel and shaped to be in morphological relationship with the blood vessel wherein the support is a single piece dense mesh which may be formed into a tube.

2. A support as defined in claim 1 which is formed from a settable material.

4. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein the support has one or more regions which is more supportive or less supportive.

5. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein the support has a first more supportive region having an increased hoop strength.

6. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein the support has a second more supportive region wherein the thickness of the support is greater, preferably such a region has at least a double thickness of support, more preferably the second more supportive region is a hem, preferably the second more supportive region has an increased hoop strength.

7. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein the support has a less supportive region.

8. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein support has a less supportive region which has a decreased hoop strength.

9. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein the blood vessel is a major blood vessel.

10. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein the blood vessel is an ascending aorta.

11. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein the blood vessel is an ascending aorta and the support has one or more of the following features:

a first more supportive region having an increased hoop strength for use in supporting a tricuspid section of the aorta, preferably in the region of an aortic valve;

a second more supportive region wherein the thickness of the support is greater for use in supporting an aortic annulus; and

/or

a less supportive region at an end of the support distal to the aortic annulus.

12. A support as defined in claim 2 wherein the settable material is in the form of a mesh having a plurality of apertures.

13. A support as defined in claim 12 wherein one or more of the plurality of apertures is diamond shaped.

14. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein the support is provided on a former, preferably the support is releasably mounted on the former.

15. A method of supporting a blood vessel which method comprises the steps of:

(i) applying to the blood vessel of a human or animal patient in need of such treatment a support as defined in claim 1 having longitudinal edges;

(ii) connecting the longitudinal edges such that the support forms a tube surrounding the blood vessel.

16. A method as defined in claim 11 wherein the support is provided on a former and wherein the method comprises an initial step of releasing the support from the former.

17. A method as defined in claim 11 wherein the support has one or more regions which has a characteristic designed to suit a corresponding region of a blood vessel and wherein step (i) comprises applying to the blood vessel of a human or animal patient in need of such treatment a support as defined in any one of claims 1 to 10 having longitudinal edges such that the one or more regions having a characteristic designed to suit a corresponding region of a blood vessel are located proximal to the corresponding region(s) of the blood vessel.

19. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein the blood vessel is the ascending aorta and wherein step (i) comprises obtaining a diametral cross-sectional image of the left ventricular outflow tract, aortic valve and ascending aorta.

20. A method of manufacturing a support which method comprises the steps of the method of morphometric analysis as defined in claim 14 and:

(iv) constructing a former from the morphometric model of the blood vessel obtained from the method of morphometric analysis;

(v) applying a blank support to the former; and

(vi) setting the blank support to form a support as defined in claim 1 which has a morphological relationship with the blood vessel.

3. A support adapted for location exteriorly of a blood vessel, the support being locatable around the blood vessel and shaped to be in morphological relationship with the blood vessel, wherein the support is formed from a settable material and wherein the support may be formed into a tube.

18. A method of morphometric analysis of a patient'"'"'s blood vessel using an imaging scanner which method comprises:

(i) obtaining a diametral cross-sectional image of the blood vessel;

(ii) obtaining a pseudo-transverse cross-section image of the blood vessel; and

(iii) processing the images from steps (i) and (ii) to construct a morphometric model of the blood vessel.