FLOW CONTROL METHOD AND DEVICE

• US 20110130702A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allergan Medical SA (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stergiopulos, Nikos
• Application Number:
  US13/018,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130702A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/9
• 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 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3655 Arterio-venous shunts or fistulae

Abstract

An arterio-venous graft (16) is provided with a constriction device (20) near its arterial end. The constriction device (20) is used to reduce the flow through the AV graft under normal conditions and to relieve the constriction when high flow through the AV graft is required, such as for vascular access for hemodialysis.

Claims

1. A system for controlling flow of a fluid through a vessel of a human, the system comprising:

a plurality of constriction applicators configured to apply partial constriction over an elongate portion of the vessel to provide a reduced flow through an AV graft or an AV fistula, the vessel having a diameter “

D”

in an unconstricted state, the elongate portion being constricted having a length “

L”

, the length “

L”

being at least twice the diameter “

D”

; and

an adjuster configured to change the degree of constriction to modify the flow through the AV graft or the AV fistula.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of constriction applicators are disposed in series along the AV graft or the AV fistula.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each constriction applicator applies pressure to the AV graft or the AV fistula by a controlled amount.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of constriction applicators are in a single constriction device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the length “

L”

is between five and ten times greater than the diameter “

D”

.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the length “

L”

is more than ten times greater than the diameter “

D”

.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of constriction applicators are actuators.

8. A device for applying partial constriction to a vessel of a human, the device comprising:

a constriction applicator that applies partial constriction over an elongate portion of the vessel, having a diameter “

D”

in an unconstricted state, the elongate portion being constricted having a length “

L”

; and

an adjuster changing the degree of constriction of the vessel, wherein the length “

L”

is at least twice the diameter “

D”

.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the length “

L”

is between five and ten times greater than the diameter “

D”

.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the length “

L”

is more than ten times greater than the diameter “

D”

.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the constriction applicator applies pressure to the vessel by a controlled amount.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein the constriction applicator is an actuator.

13. A device for controlling flow in an AV graft or an AV fistula used for vascular access for an extracorporeal circuit, the device comprising:

an constriction applicator for applying partial constriction to a vessel, to provide a reduced flow through the AV graft or the AV fistula, when flow through the extracorporeal circuit is not to occur;

an adjuster for changing the degree of constriction, to modify the flow through the AV graft or the AV fistula, when flow through the extracorporeal circuit is to occur; and

a magnetically-driven rotatable member adapted to drive the constriction applicator, wherein the constriction applicator is configured to apply partial constriction over an elongate portion of the vessel, the vessel having a diameter “

D”

in an unconstricted state, the elongate portion being constricted having a length “

L” and

the length “

L”

being at least twice the diameter “

D”

.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the magnetically-driven rotatable member includes:

a threaded shaft; and

a rotor configured to be rotated by an magnetic field, rotation of the rotor causes translational motion between the rotor and the threaded shaft.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the rotor is further configured to be threadably engaged with the threaded shaft.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the rotor is further configured to have a plurality of magnetic poles.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the magnetic field is an externally-applied magnetic field.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the magnetic poles of the rotor are arranged alternating around the threaded shaft.

19. The device of claim 13 wherein the rotor is composed of a magnetic material.

20. The device of claim 13 wherein the rotor is composed of ferrite.

21. The device of claim 13 wherein the length “

L”

is between five and ten times greater than the diameter “

D”

.

22. The device of claim 13 wherein the length “

L”

is more than ten times greater than the diameter “

D”

.

23. The device of claim 13 wherein the constriction applicator is an actuator.

24. A control device for constricting an esophagus of a patient for treating obesity, the device comprising:

a constriction applicator configured to apply partial constriction over an elongate portion of the esophagus to control passage of food into a stomach of the patient and to prevent re-entry of the food from the stomach into the esophagus, the esophagus having a diameter “

D”

in an unconstricted state, the elongate portion being constricted having a length “

L”

, the length “

L”

being at least twice the diameter “

D”

; and

an adjuster configured to control the degree of constriction of the constriction applicator to control the passage of the food into the stomach of the patient.