Implantable device for occluding a duct in the body of a living being

• US 5,152,770 A
• Filed: 03/22/1991
• Issued: 10/06/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ab Hepar, Ab Nolato, SURG Develop AB
• Original Assignee: Ab Hepar, Ab Nolato, SURG Develop AB
• Inventors: Persson, Bo, Bengmark, Stig
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US07/673,818
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 606/202, 606/203, 606/157, 606/158, 128/DIG. 25
• US Class Current: 606/157
• 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 2/004 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0053 remotely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0066 Closing devices for gastric bands
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

An implantable device for occluding a body duct, especially a blood vessel. The device includes a flexible, elongate plate to be fixed around the duct, a plurality of communicating bulbs which are arranged on one side of the plate and have a variable volume, and a connection for supplying fluid to the bulbs for occluding the duct and for evacuating fluid from the bulbs to open the duct after the occlusion. The flexible plate has a perforation at one end and a locking member in the form of a thickened portion at the other end. The locking member is passed through the perforation for safely fixing the device around the body duct.

To improve the occlusive function of the device, the bulbs may be made of an elastic material, the thickness of which is smallest at the tops of the bulbs.

Claims

1. An implantable device for occluding a duct in the body of a living being, by circumferentially surrounding and radially inwardly compressing the duct,

said device comprising:

a flexible plate elongated along a longitudinal axis and having two opposite faces, two opposite longitudinal edges, and two opposite transverse ends;

a longitudinally elongated elastic bulb member comprising a succession of serially interconnected bulbs which relatively expand in volume upon inflation and contract in volume upon deflation, said bulb member having two opposite ends;

a port means communicating with one end of said bulb member for inflating said bulbs and for permitting said bulbs to deflate;

said bulb member being mounted on one face of said plate;

means defining at least one opening through said plate from one to the other of said faces, adjacent one said end of said plate, each said opening having a first given width;

said bulb member having an opposite end from said one end thereof disposed adjacent said at least one opening through said plate;

a locking means associated with said bulb member and located adjacent said one end of said bulb member axially beyond where said bulb member is mounted on said one face of said plate, said locking means having a second given width which is broader than said first given width, but being flexible, so that said device can be coiled about an axis which is transverse to said longitudinal axis, so as to juxtapose said ends of said plate with said bulb member surrounding a duct which is to be occluded, and said locking means can be elastically manipulated to force it through said opening, so that said locking means engages against an opposite said face of said plate.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said locking means comprises a winged flexible member provided on said port means axially beyond said opposite end of said plate.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said bulbs decrease in width lengthwise of said bulb member away from said at least one opening, terminating in at least one bulb of smallest width, and said at least one bulb of smallest width constitutes said locking means.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a catheter having one end effectively connected with said port means for inflating said bulbs and permitting said bulbs to deflate.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein:

each said bulb has a wall which arches from said one face of said plate, said wall varying in thickness by being thickest nearest said plate, and being thinnest centrally thereof, furthest from said plate.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said plate, from end to end thereof is broader than said bulb member.