Appliance collapsible for insertion into human organs and capable of resilient restoration

• US 5,290,305 A
• Filed: 07/28/1992
• Issued: 03/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kanji Inoue
• Original Assignee: Kanji Inoue
• Inventors: Inoue, Kanji
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, MARYBETH O
• Application Number:
  US07/920,915
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/12, 600/36, 600/37, 606/108, 606/144, 606/148, 606/191, 606/198, 606/194, 604/8, 604/104, 128/838, 128/840
• US Class Current: 623/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12013 for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9525 using a funnel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/825 having longitudinal struts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable

Abstract

An artificial body vessel to be inserted into a human organ is collapsed and introduced into a catheter, which is brought to a required position in the human organ, where the artificial body vessel is released therefrom. A pair of foldable, elastic wire rings 10 are provided at the opposite ends of the artificial body vessel. A plurality of connecting wire rings bridge the end wire rings 10. A plurality of intermediate wire rings 12 bind and keep the connecting wire rings 11 transformed in a generally elliptical shape. The end wire rings 10, the intermediate wire rings 12 and the connecting wire rings 11 are folded by means of a string passed through loops to collapse the artificial body vessel 7. The collapsed artificial body vessel 7 is inserted into a catheter. At the objective position of the blood vessel the artificial body vessel 7 is released, so that the resiliency of the end wire rings 10, the intermediate wire rings 12 and the connecting wire rings 11 restores the artificial body vessel 7 to its original tubular shape. The artificial body vessel 7 is released by means of a tube, formed with a side window adjacent its front end, containing a wire which extends along the side window.

Claims

1. A collapsible surgical appliance formed of biocompatible material and configured to be inserted in to a human organ and capable of resilient restoration, comprising:

two discrete wire loops comprising a pair of foldable elastic end wire rings, provided at opposite ends of the appliance;

at least two discrete wire loops comprising at least two foldable, elastic connecting wire rings, having a generally circular shape when no external force is applied thereto, fixed to the pair of foldable elastic end wire rings so as to bridge the pair of foldable elastic end wire rings; and

at least two intermediate wire rings provided between the pair of foldable elastic end wire rings, said two intermediate wire rings being connected to said connecting wire rings so as to keep said at least two foldable elastic connecting wire rings resiliently transformed in a generally elliptical shape.

2. The appliance collapsible for insertion into human organs and capable of resilient restoration, as described in claim 1, further comprising loops, for a pull string to be passed through, wherein said loops are provided at points on said foldable elastic end wire rings.

3. The appliance collapsible for insertion into human organs and capable of resilient restoration, as described in claim 1, further comprising a tube made of cloth or a sheet of flexible material, wherein the pair of foldable elastic end wire rings are provided at opposite ends of said tube made of cloth or a sheet of flexible material.

4. The appliance collapsible for insertion into human organs and capable of resilient restoration, as described in claim 3, further comprising loops, for a pull string to be passed through, provided at points on said foldable elastic end wire rings.