RECONFIGURING HEART FEATURES

• US 20100121433A1
• Filed: 09/21/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Millipede, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Millipede LLC (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Abbs, Jeremy A., Biancucci, Brian A., Bolling, Steven F.
• Application Number:
  US12/563,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121433A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0647 having one single leg, e.g. tacks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12018 Elastic band ligators
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2466 Delivery devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/001 for adjusting a diameter

Abstract

Among other things, a support for living tissue includes gripping elements to attach to the living tissue and to hold the support securely in place. An annular structure is coupled to the gripping elements. The annular structure adjusts the support between a first configuration for installing the support and a second configuration in which the support is held securely in place after installation. The annular structure is self-supporting in the first and second configurations.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising

a support for living tissue, the support having

gripping elements to attach to the living tissue and to hold the support securely in place, and

an annular structure that

is coupled to the gripping elements,

adjusts the support between a first configuration for installing the support and a second configuration in which the support is held securely in place after installation, and

is self-supporting in the first and second configurations.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the living tissue comprises heart tissue.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the living tissue comprises a heart valve annulus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the gripping elements are configured to penetrate the tissue during installation and to grip the tissue after installation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the annular structure is round.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the annular structure has elements that move annularly relative to one another to adjust the support between the first configuration and the second configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the annular structure is larger when the support is in the first configuration than when the support is in the second configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the annular structure changes its shape to adjust the support.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the annular structure changes its shape during installation without altering locations of the gripping elements relative to the living tissue.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the annular structure includes a first element to which the gripping elements are attached and a second element that can slide relative to the first element when the annular structure adjusts the support between the first configuration and the second configuration.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the first element comprises a resilient annular tube to which the gripping elements are attached and the second element comprises a rigid adjustable piece that can slide within the tube.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the second element comprises a self-supporting coil.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the self-supporting coil comprises a rigid strip material having two free ends that are movable relative to one another to adjust the support between the first configuration and the second configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the annular structure comprises features that define spacings of the gripping elements that are coupled to the annular structure.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the gripping elements are adjustable between a first arrangement for installing the support and a second arrangement in which the support is held securely in place after installation.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which, the annular structure and the gripping elements are configured so that, when the support is adjusted between the first configuration and the second configuration, the gripping elements are automatically adjusted between the first arrangement and the second arrangement.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the annular structure includes a cross-sectional area that increases when the support is adjusted between the first configuration and the second configuration, and the gripping elements are coupled to the annular structure to cause the gripping elements to be adjusted between the first arrangement and the second arrangement when the cross-sectional area of the annular structure decreases.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 in which each of the gripping elements includes a loop and a piercing element attached to the loop, and the orientation of the piercing element changes as a configuration of the loop changes between the first arrangement and the second arrangement.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the adjustment of the support between the first configuration and the second configuration is reversible without the gripping elements damaging the tissue.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the annular structure includes a lock that prevents a change in the configuration of the support.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the lock comprises a pair of mating elements.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 in which one of the mating elements includes a tab and the other includes a slot.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 in which one of the mating elements includes a pin and the other includes a hole for the pin.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the annular structure has a central axis and includes two portions that can be moved relative to one another around the central axis to a position at which the mating elements mate.

25. An apparatus comprising

a gripper including

a point to penetrate living tissue,

a resilient loop to support the point, the resilient loop having a relaxed configuration and a non-relaxed configuration,

the point having different orientations respectively associated with the relaxed configuration and the non-relaxed configuration.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the point has at least one barb.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the gripper includes more than one such point.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 the orientation of the point the resilient support having a configuration that

29. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the gripper comprises wire.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the loop is round.

31. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the gripper comprises a formed strip of a material.

32. The apparatus of claim 25 in which there are two such points that face each other and act as a pincer in at least one of the relaxed configuration and the non-relaxed configuration.

33. A heart valve repair ring comprising

a round self-supporting resilient ring that has a relaxed diameter that corresponds to a healthy heart valve and an enlarged diameter that fits an insertion tool,

grippers attached to the resilient ring and oriented in a direction that changes automatically between an insertion orientation and an installed orientation during installation.

34. A method comprising

forcing pointed grippers on a support to penetrate tissue of a heart valve annulus and to hold the support securely on the annulus to correct a shape of the annulus, and

removing at least a portion of the support from the annulus by withdrawing at least some of the pointed grippers without damaging the heart value annulus.

35. A method comprising

mounting an expanded resilient support on a heart valve annulus,

allowing the support to contract to a diameter of a healthy annulus, and

locking the contracted support in its contracted diameter by causing elements of the support to mate.

36. A method comprising

causing gripping elements that are coupled to a heart annulus support ring to seat in tissue of the annulus by permitting the support ring to contract from an expanded size to a smaller size during installation.