HAND-HELD VEIN REMOVAL DEVICE

• US 20120226297A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teleflex Life Sciences Limited (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Vascular Device Partners LLC
• Inventors: Mustapha, Jihad, Almeida, Jose I., Mackay, Edward II, Javier, Julian J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,834,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00008 Vein tendon strippers tube strippers A61M1/83

Abstract

A vein removal device includes a housing, a blade element disposed at least partially within the housing, and a hook element disposed at least partially within the housing. A cutting edge of the blade element is selectively exposed for making an incision in a patient. The blade element is disposed at one end of the housing and the hook element may be disposed at an opposite end of the housing. The blade element may be selectively exposed via actuation of a first user input that imparts a movement of the blade element relative to the housing and towards an extended position where the cutting edge of the blade element is exposed. The blade element may be biased toward the extended position via a biasing element, which may urge the blade element toward the extended position responsive to actuation of the first user input.

Claims

1. A vein removal device comprising:

a housing;

a blade element disposed at least partially within said housing, wherein a cutting edge of said blade element is selectively exposed for making an incision in a patient; and

a hook element disposed at least partially within said housing.

2. The vein removal device of claim 1, wherein said blade element and said hook element are disposed at an end of said housing and are selectively exposed at said end of said housing responsive to actuation of at least one user input.

3. The vein removal device of claim 1, wherein said blade element and said hook element are generally fixed relative to said housing and are selectively exposed via removal of at least one cover element at said housing.

4. The vein removal device of claim 1, wherein said blade element is disposed at one end of said housing and said hook element is disposed at an opposite end of said housing.

5. The vein removal device of claim 1, wherein said blade element is selectively exposed via actuation of a first user input that imparts a movement of said blade element relative to said housing and towards an extended position where said cutting edge of said blade element is exposed.

6. The vein removal device of claim 5, wherein said hook element is selectively exposed via actuation of a second user input that imparts a movement of said hook element relative to said housing and towards an extended position where said hook element is exposed.

7. The vein removal device of claim 5, wherein said blade element is biased toward said extended position via a biasing element and wherein said biasing element urges said blade element toward said extended position responsive to actuation of said first user input.

8. The vein removal device of claim 7, wherein said blade element is extended to said extended position and then automatically retracted from said extended position in response to actuation of said first user input.

9. The vein removal device of claim 5, wherein said blade element is biased towards said retracted position via a biasing element.

10. The vein removal device of claim 9, wherein said biasing element urges said blade element toward said retracted position responsive to a further actuation of said first user input.

11. The vein removal device of claim 5, wherein a portion of said housing at said blade element is substantially transparent so said blade element is viewable by a user of said varicose vein removal device before said blade element is moved toward said extended position.

12. The vein removal device of claim 5, wherein said first user input operates to adjust a degree of extension of said blade element responsive to a user adjusting said first user input.

13. The vein removal device of claim 1, wherein said hook element is selectively exposed for hooking a vein at the incision in the patient and retracting the vein.

14. The vein removal device of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a polymeric housing.

15. The vein removal device of claim 1, wherein said vein removal device comprises a disposable single-use vein removal device.

16. The vein removal device of claim 1, wherein said hook element comprises a generally J-shaped hook portion.

17. The vein removal device of claim 16, wherein said generally J-shaped hook portion has a narrowed recess along an inner curved portion of said J-shaped hook portion for receiving a portion of a vein therein.

18. The vein removal device of claim 16, wherein said generally J-shaped hook portion has a plurality of spikes or teeth or protrusions extending generally radially from an inner surface of said generally J-shaped hook portion of said hook element.

19. A vein removal device comprising:

a housing;

a blade element disposed at least partially within said housing, wherein a cutting edge of said blade element is selectively exposed for making an incision in a patient;

a hook element disposed at least partially within said housing;

wherein said blade element is disposed at one end of said housing and said hook element is disposed at an opposite end of said housing;

wherein said blade element is selectively exposed via actuation of a first user input that imparts a movement of said blade element relative to said housing and towards an extended position where said cutting edge of said blade element is exposed; and

wherein said blade element is biased toward said extended position via a biasing element and wherein said biasing element urges said blade element toward said extended position responsive to actuation of said first user input.

20. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said hook element is generally fixed relative to said housing and is selectively exposed via removal of at least one cover element at said housing.

21. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said hook element is selectively exposed via actuation of a second user input that imparts a movement of said hook element relative to said housing and towards an extended position where said hook element is exposed.

22. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said blade element is extended to said extended position and then automatically retracted from said extended position in response to actuation of said first user input.

23. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said blade element is biased towards said retracted position via a biasing element.

24. The vein removal device of claim 23, wherein said biasing element urges said blade element toward said retracted position responsive to a further actuation of said first user input.

25. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein a portion of said housing at said blade element is substantially transparent so said blade element is viewable by a user of said varicose vein removal device before said blade element is moved toward said extended position.

26. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said first user input operates to adjust a degree of extension of said blade element responsive to a user adjusting said first user input.

27. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said hook element is selectively exposed for hooking a vein at the incision in the patient and retracting the vein.

28. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said hook element comprises a generally J-shaped hook portion having a narrowed recess along an inner curved portion of said J-shaped hook portion for receiving a portion of a vein therein.

29. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said hook element comprises a generally J-shaped hook portion having a plurality of spikes or teeth or protrusions extending generally radially from an inner surface of said generally J-shaped hook portion of said hook element.

30. The vein removal device of claim 19, wherein said hook element comprises a generally J-shaped hook portion and wherein said generally J-shaped hook portion comprises an inner curved portion having a narrowed recess for receiving a portion of a vein therein, and wherein said generally J-shaped hook portion comprises a plurality of spikes or teeth or protrusions extending generally radially from said inner surface of said generally J-shaped hook portion of said hook element.