Expansion unit and apparatus for expanding tubular organ lumen
First Claim
1. A tubular-organ expansion unit comprising:
- a mesh-like cylindrical body comprising a plurality of thin-woven wires that are formed of a shape memory alloy which is insertable into a tubular body organ and which is capable of maintaining an inside diameter of a lumen of the tubular body organ, said cylindrical body having a given X-ray contrast; and
X-ray contrast enhancing means on at least a portion of said cylindrical body for improving the X-ray contrast of at least said portion of said cylindrical body relative to said given X-ray contrast.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tubular-organ expansion unit has a cylindrical body made of a shape memory alloy which is capable of maintaining the inside diameter of a tubular body organ. The tubular-organ expansion unit includes an X-ray contrast enhancer for improving the X-ray contrast of the tubular-organ expansion unit relative to the X-ray contrast of the tubular-organ expansion unit before the X-ray enhancer was provided on the expansion unit. In a tubular-organ expansion apparatus and a method for indwelling the tubular-organ expansion unit into a lumen of a tubular body organ, the shape memory alloy of the tubular-organ expansion unit will change its radial dimension in response to changes in temperature. The shape memory alloy may be bidirectional. The tubular-organ expansion apparatus not only includes the tubular-organ expansion unit but also comprises a catheter to which the tubular-body organ expansion unit is attached and a catheter sheath which can sheath the tubular body expansion unit and the portion of the catheter to which said unit is attached.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A tubular-organ expansion unit comprising:
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a mesh-like cylindrical body comprising a plurality of thin-woven wires that are formed of a shape memory alloy which is insertable into a tubular body organ and which is capable of maintaining an inside diameter of a lumen of the tubular body organ, said cylindrical body having a given X-ray contrast; and X-ray contrast enhancing means on at least a portion of said cylindrical body for improving the X-ray contrast of at least said portion of said cylindrical body relative to said given X-ray contrast. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A tubular-organ expansion apparatus for indwelling a tubular-organ expansion unit in a lumen of a tubular body organ, comprising:
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a tubular-organ expansion unit including a mesh-like substantially tubular body comprising a plurality of woven wires, said tubular body having a given radial dimension and an outside diameter when in an unexpanded state, said woven wires of said tubular body comprising a shape memory alloy having a given X-ray contrast, and said tubular body further being capable of changing the given radial dimension thereof in response to changes in temperature; a catheter including; a base portion having an outside diameter; a distal end portion having an outside diameter; an outside portion; a tubular-organ expansion unit attaching portion having a periphery in the vicinity of the distal end portion of said catheter for attaching the tubular-organ expansion unit to the catheter; and a catheter sheath having first and second open end portions for sheathing said tubular-organ expansion unit when said tubular-organ expansion unit is attached to said tubular-organ expansion unit attaching portion of said catheter; and X-ray contrast enhancing means formed on at least a portion of said tubular-organ expansion unit for improving the X-ray contrast of at least a portion of said shape metal alloy relative to said given X-ray contrast. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A tubular-organ expansion apparatus for indwelling a tubular-organ expansion unit in a lumen of a tubular body organ, comprising:
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a tubular-organ expansion unit including a substantially mesh-like tubular body comprising a plurality of woven wires, said tubular body having a given radial dimension, and an outside diameter when in an unexpanded state, said woven wires of said tubular body comprising a bidirectional shape memory alloy which is capable of changing the given radial dimension thereof in response to a change in temperature; a catheter including; a base portion having an outside diameter; a distal end portion having an outside diameter; an outside portion having an outside diameter; a tubular-organ expansion unit attaching portion having an outside diameter and a periphery in the vicinity of the distal end portion of said catheter for attaching the tubular-organ expansion unit to the catheter; and a catheter sheath having first and second open end portions and having an inside diameter which is no larger than the outside diameter of the tubular-organ expansion unit, when said tubular-organ expansion unit is in the expanded state; said catheter sheath sheathing said tubular-organ expansion unit when said tubular-organ expansion unit is attached to said tubular-organ expansion unit attaching portion of said catheter. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of medically treating a lumen of a tubular body organ, comprising:
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indwelling a tubular-organ expansion unit having a given X-ray contrast into the lumen of the tubular body organ, said tubular-organ expansion unit being defined substantially by a shape memory alloy having a cylindrical tubular body, a diameter of said tubular body changing in size in response to a change in temperature; attaching said tubular-organ expansion unit to a periphery of a unit-attaching portion of a catheter having a distal end portion, said unit attaching portion being positioned in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the catheter; sheathing the thus attached tubular-organ expansion unit and catheter unit attaching portion in a catheter sheath having first and second open end portions; then inserting the thus sheathed tubular organ expansion unit attached to the catheter into a desired location of the tubular organ, said catheter and said tubular-organ expansion unit being projectable out of said catheter sheath; and then expanding the tubular-organ expansion unit with heat of the body organ to thereby indwell said tubular-organ expansion unit into said desired location; and enhancing the X-ray contrast of at least a portion of said tubular-organ expansion unit relative for said given X-ray contrast of said tubular-organ expansion unit.
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26. A method for medically treating a lumen of a tubular body organ, comprising:
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indwelling a tubular-organ expansion unit into the lumen of the tubular-body organ, said tubular-organ expansion unit being defined substantially by a bidirectional shape memory alloy having a cylindrical tubular body, a diameter of said tubular body changing diametrically in size in response to a change in temperature; attaching said tubular-organ expansion unit to a periphery of a unit-attaching portion of a catheter having a distal end portion, said unit attaching portion being positioned in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the catheter; forming a sheath of the catheter to have an inside diameter which is no longer than an outside diameter of the tubular-organ expansion unit when said tubular-organ expansions unit is in an expanded state, said catheter sheath having first and second open end portions; sheathing the thus attached tubular-organ expansion unit and the unit attaching portion in the catheter sheath; then inserting the thus sheathed tubular-organ expansion unit attached to the catheter through a lumen of a guiding catheter previously indwelt in the tubular organ into a desired location of the tubular organ; projecting said catheter and said tubular-organ expansion unit out of said catheter sheath; and then expanding the tubular-organ expansion unit with heat of the body organ to thereby indwell said tubular-organ expansion unit into said desired location. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of medically treating a lumen of a tubular body organ comprising:
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indwelling a tubular-organ expansion unit having a given X-ray contrast into the lumen of the tubular-body organ, said tubular organ expansion unit being defined substantially by a shape memory alloy having a cylindrical tubular body, a diameter of said tubular body changing in size in response to a change in temperature; attaching said tubular-organ expansion unit to a periphery of a unit-attaching portion of a catheter having a distal end portion, said unit attaching portion being positioned in the vicinity of the distal end portion of said catheter; sheathing the thus attached tubular-organ expansion unit and catheter unit attaching portion in a catheter sheath having first and second open end portions; then inserting the thus sheathed tubular-organ expansion unit attached to the catheter through a lumen of a guiding catheter previously indwelt in the tubular organ into a desired location of the tubular organ, said catheter and said tubular-organ expansion unit being projectable out of said catheter sheath; expanding the tubular-organ expansion unit with heat of the body organ to thereby indwell said tubular-organ expansion unit into said desired location; and enhancing the X-ray contrast of at least a portion of said tubular-organ expansion unit relative to said given X-ray contrast of said tubular-organ expansion unit.
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29. A method of medically treating a lumen of a tubular body organ comprising:
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indwelling a tubular-organ expansion unit into the lumen of the tubular-body organ, said tubular-organ expansion unit being defined substantially by a bidirectional shape memory alloy having a cylindrical tubular body, a diameter of said tubular body changing in size in response to a change in temperature; attaching said tubular-organ expansion unit to a periphery of a unit-attaching portion of a catheter having a distal end portion, said unit attaching portion being positioned in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the catheter; forming a sheath for the catheter to have an inside diameter which is no larger than an outside diameter of the tubular-organ expansion unit when said tubular-organ expansion unit is in an expanded state; said catheter sheath having first and second open end portions; sheathing the thus attached tubular-organ expansion unit and catheter unit attaching portion in the catheter sheath; then inserting the thus sheathed tubular organ expansion unit attached to the catheter into a desired location of the tubular organ, said catheter and said tubular-organ expansion unit being projectable out of said catheter sheath; and then expanding the tubular-organ expansion unit with heat of the body organ to thereby indwell said tubular-organ expansion unit into said desired location. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification