Anti-stenotic method and product for occluded and partially occluded arteries

• US 5,824,057 A
• Filed: 05/16/1997
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1993
• 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: Endo Vascular Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Plaia, Mark, Nordgren, Gregory N., Reger, Vincent A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Clarke, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/857,224
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 604/8, 605/194, 605/195, 605/198
• 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 17/320725 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 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: Y10S 623/903 Blood vessel

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. An uninterrupted method of treating a vessel, comprising the following steps in succession without appreciable delay between steps:

creating an entry site into the vessel;

inserting a treating instrument into the vessel through the entry site;

treating plaque from within a segment of the vessel using the treating instrument;

removing the treating instrument through the entry site;

placing a vascular graft through the entry site and at a location within and as a contiguous internal lining for the vessel at least co-extensive with and predominantly concealing the segment using an insertion and placement instrument;

removing the insertion and placement instrument through the entry site;

securing the vascular graft within said vessel at said location.

2. A combined unitary method of treating an artery, comprising the steps of:

parting plaque from within a segment of an artery;

removing plaque from the segment of the artery;

immediately following the removing step, placing a vascular graft at a location within and as an internal lining for the artery co-extensive and predominantly concealing at least part of the segment;

securing the vascular graft within said artery at said location for long term retention.

3. A method of treating an artery, comprising the steps of:

removing plaque and the like from within a segment of an artery;

placing a vascular graft at a location within and as an internal lining substantially covering the artery at least co-extensive with the segment;

securing the vascular graft for long term retention within said artery at said location.

4. A largely non-invasive method of treating a vessel, comprising the steps of:

enlarging the flow path size of a segment of a vessel, the enlarging step comprising removing plaque;

without delay using a control to introduce and place a vascular lining into the vessel at the plaque removal segment;

promptly thereafter uniting the vascular lining at and so as to substantially cover an inside surface within the vessel at least partially co-extensive with said location for long term retention without the control.

5. A method of treating an artery, comprising the steps of:

reducing the quantity of plaque from within a segment of an artery;

placing a vascular graft, not previously in the artery, at a location within the artery which comprises the segment by displacing the vascular graft through a surgical access site using a control;

securing the vascular graft so that the graft is generally contiguously within and generally covers and conceals said artery at said location.

6. A method of treating a vessel comprising the steps of:

anti-stenotically treating a segment of the vessel so as to reduce the quantity of interior plaque at the segment;

introducing a constricted vascular graft into the vessel;

placing the constricted vascular graft at the treated segment of the vessel;

causing the vascular graft to be unconstricted, contiguous with and a covering over an inside surface of the vessel and secured within the vessel at the treated segment.

7. A continuous method of treating an artery, comprising the steps of:

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

removing plaque from within a segment of an artery 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;

causing the vascular graft to be permanently generally contiguous within said artery as a concealing covering at said location.

8. A continuous method of restoring reduced or absent blood flow treating an artery, comprising the steps of:

separating material comprising plaque from other material within a segment of an artery;

placing a vascular graft at a location within the artery comprising the separating site;

securing the vascular graft as a lining within and which substantially covers and conceals said artery at the placing site.