PROTECTING AGAINST CEREBRAL EMBOLISM

• US 20140207174A1
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St Jude Medical LLC (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St Jude Medical Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Hackett, Steven S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,285,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00358 Snares for grasping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12054 Details concerning the detachment of the occluding device from the introduction device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12086 magnetically detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/01 Filters implantable into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

A permeable plug may be temporarily deployed in a patient to protect blood vessels from blockage by various debris. The plug includes a body formed from a filtering material. The body is collapsible for delivery to a location in a blood vessel and expandable to a filtering configuration in which the body occupies a cross-section of the blood vessel and is held in place by its own expansive force. At least one stud is connected to the body for use in deployment of the plug within the blood vessel and retrieval of the plug from the blood vessel.

Claims

1. A permeable plug for a blood vessel, comprising:

a body formed from a filtering material having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the body in the expanded configuration being sized and shaped to occupy substantially an entire cross-section of the blood vessel; and

at least one stud having a first end connected to the body and a free end, the first end having a first cross-section and the free end having a second cross-section that is larger than the first cross-section.

2. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtering material is a woven material.

3. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtering material is a braided material.

4. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtering material is a knitted material.

5. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the body is treated with an anti-coagulant.

6. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the body is formed from a shape-memory material.

7. The plug as recited in claim 6, wherein the shape-memory material is a nickel titanium alloy.

8. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the body comprises an outer layer surrounding a filler material.

9. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the body has openings that are between about 100 microns and about 1000 microns in their largest dimension when the body is in the expanded configuration.

10. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one stud is radiopaque.

11. The plug as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one stud is magnetized.

12. A permeable blood vessel plug system, comprising:

a permeable plug having a body formed from a filtering material having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the body in the expanded configuration being sized and shaped to occupy substantially an entire cross-section of the blood vessel, and at least one stud having a first end connected to the body and a free end, the first end having a first cross-section and the free end having a second cross-section that is larger than the first cross-section; and

a snare for engaging the plug during removal of the plug from the blood vessel.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the snare comprises a loop for engaging the at least one stud.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a sheath used for at least one of deployment of the plug and recapture of the plug.

15. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one stud is magnetized, and the system further comprises a magnetically-tipped wire operable to magnetically couple with the magnetized stud.

16. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the body has openings that are between about 100 microns and about 1000 microns in their largest dimension when the body is in the expanded configuration.

17. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one stud is radiopaque.

18. A method for protecting blood vessels during a medical procedure, comprising:

inserting a permeable blood vessel plug system into a patient'"'"'s body, the plug system including a permeable plug and a snare operable to engage the plug, the plug having a body formed from a filtering material having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, and at least one stud having a first end connected to the body and a free end, the first end having a first cross-section and the free end having a second cross-section that is larger than the first cross-section;

positioning the plug within at least one blood vessel while the plug is in the collapsed configuration; and

deploying the plug by allowing the body to expand from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration, the body in the expanded configuration being sized and shaped to occupy substantially an entire cross-section of the blood vessel.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising recapturing the plug by collapsing the body to its collapsed configuration.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the deploying step comprises removing the plug from a sheath.