CLOSURE DEVICES, RELATED DELIVERY METHODS AND TOOLS, AND RELATED METHODS OF USE

• US 20100234882A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ressemann, Thomas V., Blaeser, David J., Keith, Peter T., Wahr, Dennis W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,078,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/213
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00592 Elastic or resilient implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00597 Implements comprising a membrane
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00606 Implements H-shaped in cross-section, i.e. with occluders on both sides of the opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00619 Locking means for locking the implement in expanded state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00623 Introducing or retrieving devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00273 Anchoring means for temporary attachment of a device to tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart

Abstract

A device for sealing a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in the heart is provided. The device includes a left atrial anchor adapted to be placed in a left atrium of the heart, a right atrial anchor adapted to be placed in a right atrium of the heart, and an elongate member adapted to extend through the passageway and connect the left and right atrial anchors. The right atrial anchor preferably includes a plurality of arms and a cover attached to the arms. The left atrial anchor also includes a plurality of arms and preferably does not include a cover. Preferably, the elongate member has a first end of fixedly connected to the left atrial anchor and a portion, proximal to the first end, releasably connected to the right atrial anchor. Preferably, the elongate member is flexible.

Claims

1-102. -102. (canceled)

103. A device for sealing a passageway in a human heart, the device comprising:

a first anchor adapted to be placed proximate a first end of the passageway;

a second anchor adapted to be placed proximate a second end of the passageway;

an elongate member adapted to extend through the passageway and connect the first and second anchors; and

a securing element positioned on and movable relative to the elongate member to permanently secure the location of the second anchor on the elongate member, wherein the securing element is movable in only one direction along the elongate member.

104. The device of claim 103, wherein the passageway is a patent foramen ovale.

105. The device of claim 103, wherein the first anchor includes a plurality of arms radiating from a central hub of the first anchor.

106. The device of claim 105, wherein the plurality of arms of the first anchor can assume a collapsed state and a deployed state.

107. The device of claim 103, wherein the second anchor includes a plurality of arms radiating from a central hub of the second anchor.

108. The device of claim 107, wherein the plurality of arms of the second anchor can assume a collapsed state and a deployed state.

109. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member is flexible.

110. The device of claim 103, wherein the first anchor pivots relative to the elongate member.

111. The device of claim 103, wherein the second anchor pivots relative to the elongate member.

112. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member is capable of moving through the second anchor to vary a length of the elongate member between the first and second anchors.

113. The device of claim 103, wherein the second anchor is movable with respect to the elongate member.

114. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member includes an operative portion configured to receive the securing element to secure the position of the second anchor relative to the elongate member, and wherein the securing element may be positioned at any point along a length of the operative portion of the elongate member.

115. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member is configured to move through the second anchor to vary a tension of the elongate member.

116. The device of claim 103, wherein the second anchor includes a plurality of arms and a cover spanning between its plurality of arms.

117. The device of claim 116, wherein the first anchor includes a plurality of arms, and wherein the first anchor does not include structure spanning between its plurality of arms.

118. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member has sufficient flexibility to conform to a shape of the passageway.

119. The device of claim 103, wherein the first anchor includes a plurality of arms made of a first material, and wherein the elongate member is made of a second material different from the first material.

120. The device of claim 119, wherein the second anchor includes a plurality of arms made from the first material.

121. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member is a braided structure.

122. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member is a multifilar structure.

123. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member is configured to permanently connect the first and second anchors implanted in the heart.

124. The device of claim 103, wherein at least a portion of the elongate member is configured to remain implanted in the heart with the device.

125. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member includes a portion having a substantially uniform diameter.

126. The device of claim 103, wherein the elongate member has a first end fixedly connected to the first anchor.

127. The device of claim 103, wherein the securing element is movable towards the first anchor but resists movement away from the first anchor.

128. The device of claim 103, wherein the securing element is tubular.

129. The device of claim 103, wherein the securing element includes at least one grip adapted to engage the elongate member.

130. The device of claim 129, wherein the engagement between the at least one grip and the elongate member is a ratchet-like engagement, whereby the securing element can be advanced in a distal direction along the elongate member but resists movement is a proximal direction along the elongate member.

131. A method of sealing a passageway in a heart, comprising:

positioning a first anchor proximate a first end of the passageway;

positioning a second anchor proximate a second end of the passageway; and

moving a securing element relative to the first and second anchors along an elongate member extending through the passageway and connecting the first and second anchors, the securing element being configured to resist movement of the second anchor away from the first anchor along the flexible elongate member, wherein the securing element is movable in only one direction along the elongate member.

132. A method of sealing a passageway in a heart, comprising:

positioning a first anchor proximate a first end of the passageway, the first anchor being connected to an elongate member extending through the passageway;

positioning a second anchor along the elongate member proximate a second end of the passageway; and

actuating a securing element positioned on and movable relative to the elongate member to secure the location of the second anchor on the elongate member, wherein the securing element is actuatable when the second anchor is in any desired position along the elongate member, such that movement of the second anchor in at least one direction along the elongate member from the desired position is prevented when the securing element is actuated.