Method of restoring reduced or absent blood flow capacity in an artery

• US 5,622,188 A
• Filed: 03/13/1995
• Issued: 04/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synectic Ventures III LLC (Synectic Asset Management, Inc.), Synectic Ventures II LLC (Synectic Asset Management, Inc.), Synectic Ventures I LLC (Synectic Asset Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Endovascular Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Plaia, Mark, Nordgren, Gregory N., Reger, Vincent A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Clarke, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/402,795
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 606/192-199, 606/164-166, 606/159, 604/22, 604/95, 623/1, 623/11, 623/2, 128/898
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00008 Vein tendon strippers tube strippers A61M1/83
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320725 with radially expandable cutting or abrading elements A61B17/32075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32075 Pullback cutting; combined forward and pullback cutting, e.g. with cutters at both sides of the plaque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320758 with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/245 for removing obstructions in blood vessels or calculi
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22002 preventing restenosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22051 with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320741 for stripping the intima or the internal plaque from a blood vessel, e.g. for endarterectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• 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 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09183 having tools at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 : used for angioplasty
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/902 : Method of implanting

Abstract

Methods of artificially lining a vessel, especially an artery, of a medical patient to address the existence of a flow-inhibiting atheroma and to significantly alleviate the probability of restenosis, and the resulting products.

Claims

1. A method of restoring reduced or absent blood flow capacity to an artery in a patient, comprising the steps of:

accessing to the artery through a small man-made passageway;

initially loosening plaque from the artery by engaging the plaque with a dynamic disrupter;

removing plaque from within a segment of an artery at which the loosening step took place through the small man-made passageway;

placing a vascular graft into the artery through the small man-made passageway;

placing the graft at a location within and as an internal lining for the artery co-extensive at least in part with the segment, using another instrument;

causing the vascular graft to be contiguously adhered within said artery at said, location.

2. A method of restoring reduced or absent blood flow capacity to an artery in a patient, comprising the steps of:

accessing to the artery through a small man-made passageway;

initially loosening plaque from the artery using a dynamic wire guide;

removing plaque from within a segment of an artery at which the loosening step took place through the small man-made passageway;

placing a vascular graft into the artery through the small man-made passageway;

placing the graft location within and as an internal lining for the artery co-extensive at least in part with the segment, using another instrument;

causing the vascular graft to by contiguously adhered within said artery at said location.

3. A method of restoring reduced or absent blood flow capacity to an artery in a patient, comprising the steps of:

accessing to the artery through a small man-made passageway;

initially loosening plaque from the artery by engaging the plaque with a bladeless instrument;

withdrawing the bladeless instrument;

removing plaque from within a segment of an artery at which the loosening step took place through the small man-made passageway;

placing a vascular graft into the artery through the small man-made passageway;

placing the graft at a location within and as an internal lining for the artery co-extensive at least in part with the segment, using another instrument;

causing the vascular graft to be contiguously adhered within said artery at said location.

4. A method of restoring reduced or absent blood flow capacity to an artery in a patient, comprising the steps of:

accessing to the artery through a small man-made passageway;

initially loosening plaque from the artery using a first instrument;

after performance of the initially loosening step, removing plaque first from adherence to the arterial wall within a segment of an artery at which the loosening step took place and second from the artery through the small man-made passageway using a second instrument;

placing a vascular graft into the artery through the small man-made passageway;

placing the graft at a location within and as an internal lining for the artery co-extensive at least in part with the segment, using another instrument;

causing the vascular graft to be contiguously adhered within said artery at said location.

5. A continuous method of restoring reduced or absent blood flow capacity to an artery in a patient, comprising the steps of:

accessing to the artery through a small man-made passageway;

initially loosening plaque from the artery using a dynamic bladeless instrument;

removing plaque from within a segment of an artery at which the loosening step took place through the small man-made passageway;

placing a vascular graft into the artery through the small man-made passageway;

placing the graft at a location within and as an internal lining for the artery co-extensive at least in part with the segment, using another instrument;

causing the vascular graft to be contiguously adhered within said artery at said location.