Implantable valve for medical purposes

• US 3,926,175 A
• Filed: 06/03/1974
• Issued: 12/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frederic L. Green, James H. Allen
• Original Assignee: Frederic L. Green, James H. Allen
• Inventors: Allen, James H., Green, Frederic L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/475,528
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 128/1R,346,325,DIG.25,274 251/7,9,65,75 3/1
• US Class Current: 600/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0036 implantable A61F2/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

A valve is provided which is intended to be implanted in the body of a human or animal and which is intended to be used to control the flow of body fluid through a conduit. The valve may be used, for example, for bladder control, or for restricting or stopping blood flow through a blood shunt. The valve of the invention has the feature of being capable of being implanted in the body around the particular conduit to be controlled without any necessity of ligating the conduit; and of being capable of remote actuation so that the valve may be opened and closed by a magnetic unit, or the like, positioned externally of the body in which the valve is implanted.

Claims

1. A valve adapted to be implanted in the body of a human or animal to control the flor of a fluid through a conduit, said valve comprising:

a circumscribing structure adapted to at least substantially circumscribe the conduit, said circumscribing structure being separable to permit the circumscribing structure to receive the conduit without requiring ligation of the conduit;

said circumscribing structUre including a body section adapted to at least partially circumscribe the conduit and a movable section;

means for mounting said movable section on said body section;

said movable section being movable relative to said body section along a path having a radial component between first and second positions, said first position being radially outwardly of said section position whereby said circumscribing section can compressively load and restrict the flow of fluid through the conduit in said section position; and

said body section having at least one resilient portion, said resilient portion being cooperable with said movable section to at least partially define an over center device whereby said movable section tends to remain in whichever of said first and second positions it is placed.

2. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein portions of said body section and said movable section are located generally opposite to each other, said circumscribing structure defines an expansion chamber spaced circumferentially from said portions of said body section and said movable section, said portions of said body section and said movable section being adapted to compressively load and restrict flow of fluid through the conduit in said second position and to cause movement of portions of the conduit into said expansion chamber whereby the valve can control flow of fluid through the conduit without applying noose-like forces to the conduit.

3. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve includes magnetizable material drivingly coupled to said movable member to permit magnetic control of the movable section externally of the body.

4. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein the movable section and the body section are separate members which can be assembled around the conduit whereby the circumscribing structure is separable.

5. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said circumscribing structure includes first and second separable portions, said valve including means for interconnecting said first and second portions.

6. A valve as defined in claim 1 including means defining a base section on said circumscribing structure generally opposite said movable section and means on said base section to facilitate attachment of the valve to the body.

7. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient portion includes a first resilient arm, said body section includes a second resilient arm adapted to partially circumscribe said conduit, said mounting means includes a first hinge for hingedly connecting the movable section to said first arm and a second hinge for hingedly connecting said movable section to said second arm, said resilient arms, said movable section, and said hinges cooperating to at least partially define said over center device whereby said movable section is held in whichever of said first or second positions it is placed.

8. A valve adapted to control the flow of a fluid through a deformable conduit, said valve comprising:

a circumscribing structure adapted to at least substantially circumscribe the conduit, said circumscribing structure including a body section adapted to at least partially circumscribe the conduit and a movable section;

said body section including first and second arms adapted to at least partially circumscribe the conduit, at least one of said arms being resilient;

first hinge means for hingedly joining said movable section and said first arm;

second hinge means for hingedly joining said movable section and said second arm to thereby mount said movable section for generally radial movement between a first position and a second position with the second position being radially inwardly of the first position whereby in the second position the valve can restrict the flow of fluid through the conduit; and

said first hinge means, said second hinge means, the resilient arm, and said movable section at least partially defining an over center device whereby said movable section tends to remain in whichever of said first and second positions it is placed.

9. A valve as defined in claim 8 wherein said movable section includes magnetizable material to allow said movable section to be moved magnetically to at least one of said positions thereof.

10. A valve as defined in claim 8 wherein portions of said body section and said movable section are located generally opposite to each other, said circumscribing structure defining an expansion chamber spaced circumferentially from said portions of said body section and said movable section, said portions of said body section and said movable section being adapted to compressively load and restrict flow of fluid to the conduit in said second position and to cause movement of portions of the conduits into said expansion chamber whereby the valve can control flow of fluid through the conduit without applying noose-like forces to the conduit.