Process for partially or totally flattening a vein

• US 5,792,155 A
• Filed: 12/19/1995
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jean-Francois Van Cleef
• Original Assignee: Jean-Francois Van Cleef
• Inventors: Van Cleef, Jean-Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US08/574,861
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 606/158, 606/200, 606/198, 606/157, 606/151, 128/831, 128/843
• US Class Current: 606/158
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12109 in a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12172 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2475 Venous valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/016 made from wire-like elements

Abstract

The intravenous device of the invention enables a vein to be partially or totally flattened. The device comprises at least two presser rods (1, 2) which are interconnected by means of at least one spreader element (3) having a spring effect, and each of said rods being suitable for bearing against a respective one of two opposite borders of a vein. Said device (4) is substantially planar when in position in a vein.

Claims

1. A process for partially or totally flattening a vein comprising:

inserting into said vein at a predetermined situs a vein flattening device which comprises at least two presser rods interconnected by at least one spring-forming spreader element, said rods being substantially parallel, and said device being substantially planar when it is positioned in said vein;

releasing the two presser rods of the flattening device which is so positioned in the vein such that each of said presser rods bears against a respective one of the two opposite borders of the vein, thereby moving said borders apart.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the flattening device comprises adjustment means for adjusting the spacing between the presser rods, and the process further comprises, prior to the insertion in the vein, adjusting the distance between the presser rods, firstly to adapt the flattening device to the inside diameter of the vein, and secondly to determine the desired degree of flattening of the vein.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the spreader element is in the form of a lozenge, and the adjustment means consist in a worm screw or rack system extending along the longitudinal axis.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the vein flattening device is in the form of an elongated ellipse, and in that the two presser rods are constituted by the facing portions of the ellipse that are substantially parallel to the major axis.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the vein flattening device is substantially V-shaped and contains two blades secured one against the other at the apex of the V, each blade acting as a presser rod.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein all or a portion of the presser rods of the vein flattening device are fitted with anchor elements.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein each presser rod includes corrugations.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the vein flattening device includes an adjustment means for adjusting the spacing between the presser rods.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the spreader element is in the form of a lozenge, the adjustment means consisting in a worm screw or rack system extending along the longitudinal axis of the lozenge.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the vein flattening device is H-shaped, having one or two crossbars and in that the bar(s) of said H-shape constituting the spreader element are curved and do not lie in the plane of the presser rods.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the vein flattening device is designed for placement at a valve, the crossbar(s) being concave and suitable for fitting closely to the shape of one or both valvular thickenings.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein at least one of the rods or the spreader elements is made of a material suitable for containing and diffusing medicinal substances.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the vein flattening device is at least partially resorbable.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the vein flattening device is made up of two distinct assemblies, each assembly comprising at least two rods and a spreader element, said assemblies having their spreader elements connected together by means of a resorbable link wherein four rods are provided with respective anchoring means in that the resorbable link is impregnated with a substance suitable for chemically sclerosing or sectioning the wall of a vein.