PHASE-CHANGE MATERIALS

• US 20150112423A1
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Phase, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: New Phase, Ltd.
• Inventors: PEREVALOV, Valery, HOF, Refael
• Granted Patent: US 10,492,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/04 by heating by applying electromagnetic radiation A61B18/18; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields, radiation or ultrasound A61N
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/02 Prostheses implantable into the body closure means for urethra or rectum or for artificial body openings therefor A61F2/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/94 Stents retaining their form, i.e. not being deformable, after placement in the predetermined place
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0292 using latent heat produced or absorbed during phase change of materials, e.g. of super-cooled solutions
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0061 swellable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0066 shrinkable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/008 Phase change materials [PCM], e.g. for storing latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/086 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] compatible leads
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/406 using implantable thermoseeds or injected particles for localized hyperthermia preparations of seeds and particles A61K41/0052
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0039 using microbubbles

Abstract

A method is provided, including, delivering into a heart of a patient an annuloplasty ring structure including a body portion and an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a size of the body portion of the annuloplasty ring structure, the adjusting mechanism including a housing, and following the delivering, moving the housing with respect to the body portion. Other applications are also described.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. Apparatus, comprising:

an implantable element configured to be implanted within a body of a subject; and

a phase-change material configured;

to be implanted within the subject'"'"'s body in a vicinity of the element, and

to absorb heat from the element by absorbing latent heat of fusion resulting from a phase-change of the phase-change material selected from the group consisting of;

wax to liquid, solid to liquid, solid to gel, and gel to liquid, in response to the element being heated.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein less than all of the phase-change material is configured to undergo the selected phase change, in response to the element being heated.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the phase-change material comprises paraffin.

29. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the phase-change material comprises an organic phase-change material.

30. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the implantable element comprises a stent.

31. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the phase-change material is configured to absorb heat from the element in response to the element being heated by being exposed to an electromagnetic field.

32. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the phase-change material has a phase-change temperature of 4.5 C to 145 C.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the phase-change material has a phase-change temperature of 45 C to 60 C.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the phase-change material has a phase-change temperature of 60 C to 80 C.

35. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the phase-change material is configured to be implanted in a separate implantation step from implantation of the implantable element.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the phase-change material is configured not to be attached to the implantable element when the implantable element and the phase-change material are implanted within the subject'"'"'s body.

37. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the phase-change material and the implantable element are configured to be implanted in a single implantation step.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the phase-change material comprises a coating that coats the implantable element.

39. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the phase-change material is disposed within the implantable element.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the implantable element defines a hollow volume, and the phase-change material is disposed inside the hollow volume.

41-52. -52. (canceled)

53. Apparatus, comprising:

a heating device configured to heat a portion of a body of a subject; and

a phase-change material configured;

to be placed within the subject'"'"'s body in a vicinity of the portion, and

to absorb heat from the vicinity of the portion by absorbing latent heat of fusion resulting from a phase-change of the phase-change material selected from the group consisting of;

wax to liquid, solid to liquid, solid to gel, and gel to liquid, in response to the portion of the subject'"'"'s body being heated.

54. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein less than all of the phase-change material is configured to undergo the selected phase change, in response to the portion being heated.

55. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the phase-change material comprises paraffin.

56. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the phase-change material comprises an organic phase-change material.

57. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the phase-change material comprises a gel configured to be injected into the subject'"'"'s body in the vicinity of the portion.

58. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the phase-change material comprises a solid pellet configured to be injected into the subject'"'"'s body in the vicinity of the portion.

59. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the phase-change material has a phase-change temperature of 4.5 C to 145 C.

60. The apparatus according to claim 59, wherein the phase-change material has a phase-change temperature of 45 C to 60 C.

61. The apparatus according to claim 59, wherein the phase-change material has a phase-change temperature of 60 C to 80 C.

62. The apparatus according to claim 53, further comprising an energy absorbing element configured to be implanted within the portion and to absorb energy from the heating device.

63. The apparatus according to claim 62, wherein the energy absorbing element comprises a carbon cylinder having a diameter that is at least 0.9 mm.

64. The apparatus according to claim 62, wherein the energy absorbing element comprises a biocompatible metal.

65-80. -80. (canceled)