Implantable device for selectively opening and closing a tubular organ of the body

• US 5,634,878 A
• Filed: 09/19/1994
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ESKA Medical GmbH & Company
• Original Assignee: ESKA Medical GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Ahlers, Olaf, Grundei, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Application Number:
  US08/308,582
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 600/29-32, 128/DIG. 25
• US Class Current: 600/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/004 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

An implantable device for selectively opening and closing a tubular organ of the body such as the urethra has an elongate valve body which can be introduced into the tubular organ. The valve body has a shut-off means which can be selectively closed and opened, for which purpose the valve body has an elastic hose portion in which there is disposed an inflation body which can be inflated by a fluid to then close the lumen of the hose portion. The fluid can be conveyed out of the inflation body into a storage container by actuation of an implantable pump so the inflation body collapses and permits a flow through the valve body. Manual actuation of a non-return valve in the pump causes fluid to flow out of the storage container into the inflation body to inflate same and close the valve body.

Claims

1. An implantable device for selectively opening and closing a lumen of a tubular organ of a body, the lumen being bounded by an inner wall of the organ, said implantable device comprising:

an elongate valve body adapted to be introduced into the organ, said valve body including a substantially cylindrically shaped hose portion lining the inner wall of the organ and an inflatable body portion sealingly secured around its periphery to an upper pan of said hose portion,

a pump means communicating with said elongate valve body by a first hose,

a fluid storage vessel communicating with said pump means by a second hose,

a source of fluid selectively transportable between said storage vessel and said valve body upon actuation of said pump means, said fluid being transportable in a first direction to expand outwardly said inflatable body portion to close a lumen of said hose portion, said fluid being transportable in a second direction to retract said inflatable body to open the lumen,

said inflatable body being formed as an elongate balloon by an inner hose having first and second ends adapted to be closed, said inner hose having an outside surface connected over its length and on a part of its periphery to an inside surface of said upper part of said hose portion of said valve body, and said first hose communicating with said balloon for providing a feed of said fluid thereto,

said ends of said inner hose being closed by pressing flat and gluing to said inside surface of said hose portion, and

a flange connecting portion which passes through said hose portion and said inner hose, and first and second sides of said inner hose being sealingly engaged between projection portions extending from said flange connecting portion and said inside surface of said hose portion.

2. The implantable device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said flattened ends terminate in a wedge configuration so that they blend substantially without a step into said inside surface of said hose portion of said valve body.

3. An implantable device for selectively opening and closing a lumen of a tubular organ of a body, the lumen being bounded by an inner wall of the organ, said implantable device comprising:

an elongate valve body adapted to be introduced into the organ, said valve body including a substantially cylindrically shaped elastic plastic hose portion lining the inner wall of the organ and an inflatable body portion sealingly secured around its periphery to an upper part of said hose portion,

support means on said hose portion restricting an increase in diameter of said hose portion,

a pump means communicating with said elongate valve body by a first hose,

a fluid storage vessel communicating with said pump means by a second hose, and

a source of fluid selectively transportable between said storage vessel and said valve body upon actuation of said pump means, said fluid being transportable in a first direction to expand outwardly said inflatable body portion to close a lumen of said hose portion, said fluid being transportable in a second direction to retract said inflatable body to open the lumen.

4. The implantable device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said elastic plastic hose portion is silicone rubber.

5. The implantable device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said support means is constructed of a fabric.

6. The implantable device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said support means is constructed of a fabric inlay.

7. An implantable device for selectively opening and closing a lumen of a tubular organ of a body, the lumen being bounded by an inner wall of the organ, said implantable device comprising:

an elongate valve body adapted to be introduced into the organ, said valve body including a substantially cylindrically shaped hose portion lining the inner wall of the organ and an inflatable body portion sealingly secured around its periphery to an upper part of said hose portion,

a pump means communicating with said elongate valve body by a first hose,

a liquid storage vessel communicating with said pump means by a second hose,

a source of liquid selectively transportable between said storage vessel and said valve body upon actuation of said pump means, said liquid being transportable in a first direction to expand outwardly said inflatable body portion to close a lumen of said hose portion, and said liquid being transportable in a second direction to retract said inflatable body to open the lumen;

said pump means further comprising a manually operable pump member operable to convey said liquid into said inflatable body and said pump means further includes a non-return valve disposed in said second hose from said pump member to said liquid storage vessel and manually actuable from an exterior portion in such a way that, upon actuation of said pump member, said liquid is sucked out of said inflatable body and conveyed into said liquid storage vessel to collapse said inflatable body thereby open the lumen of said hose portion, and upon actuation of said non-return valve said liquid flows under the influence of pressure in said fluid storage vessel into said inflatable body to shut off the lumen of said hose portion.

8. The implantable device as set forth in claim 7, wherein the amount of said liquid in said system comprising said liquid storage vessel, said inflatable body, said pump means and said first and second hoses is such that a given system pressure which is adequate for securely shutting off a through-flow through said valve body is not exceeded.