Medical devices using electrosensitive gels

• US 6,090,139 A
• Filed: 03/16/1998
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEWART, ALVIN J
• Application Number:
  US09/039,667
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 623/2, 623/2.36, 623/2.37, 623/2.38, 623/2.42, 623/2.1
• US Class Current: 623/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/01 Introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters A61M25/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0116 self-propelled, e.g. autonomous robots A61M25/0122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

An intelligent material unit formed of an intelligent gel encapsulated within an enclosure. When the gel is actuated by a change in temperature thereof, such as heat and/or by an externally applied field such as an electrical current, electric field, magnetic field, ultrasonic energy (or sonic), microwave energy, a laser beam or a combination thereof, at least a portion of the wall of the container or enclosure is deformed to perform a mechanical function or operation; such as to valve a fluid or cause movement of the container and gel through a fluid or in a passageway. The container may be a thin-skinned flexible plastic, such as an elastomer and may be elongated or sausage-like in shape, or strip-like. It may be free travelling, cantilever-supported or otherwise mounted or attached to a device, machine or element. It may also carry a drug for delivery therefrom at a select location and time.

A system apparatus and method is also disclosed for delivering a quantity of a drug, tissue, cells, genetic material, sensor, implant or implant material, repair material, diagnostic material, protein, hormone or the like or a combination thereof to a select location in the body, such as in an artery, vein, or a portion of the digestive tract. In one form, a select amount of such a (medical) material is disposed within a so-called intelligent gel per se or in one or more small capsules or the like in or attached to such intelligent gel or a container therefor, such as a thin skinned flexible elongated balloon-like enclosure. Such elongated, narrow container or strip of electrical energy or magnetic or radio-frequency energy force responsive gel attached to or containing medical material, is inserted into a body duct such as a vein or artery and is caused to "swim" or wiggle therealong to a select location therein by passing electrical energy through the blood (and vessel wall) and/or by means of an alternating magnetic or radio-frequency field controllably applied thereto with a hand-held instrument which is moved by hand to induce such movement and/or controllably may move such field in a manner to induce the gel to move or swim to the select location. In a particular form, the drug and gel are small enough in size to pass into the bloodstream through the wall of the small intestine after being swallowed, as a drug unit along with other such drug units--when so located at the select location in the body duct, the drug carried by the intelligent gel or (sausage-like) membrane or thin skin contained unit is released therefrom by biodegradation or other means, such as by radio-frequency, ultrasonic or magnetic field energy applied from outside the body or a catheter, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. An artificial heart valve to be attached to a human heart to aid in the expansion and contraction of the heart muscle, comprising:

a flexible, toroidal container having an inner periphery and an outer periphery and attachable to a human heart;

a first membrane encircling and attached to said outer periphery;

an expandable copolymer gel filling said first membrane;

first electrode means operably attached to said expandable copolymer gel inside said first membrane;

a second membrane encircling and attached to said inner periphery;

an expandable copolymer gel filling said second membrane;

second electrode means operably attached to said expandable copolymer gel inside said second membrane; and

enabling said flexible toroidal container to alternate between an open position in which the outer perphery is expanded by applying a voltage to said first membrane which causes said outer periphery to expand and a voltage to said second membrane which causes said second membrane to contract; and

a closed position in which the inner periphery is expanded by applying a voltage to said second membrane which causes said membrane to expand and a voltage to said first membrane which causes said membrane to contract in response to alternating voltages applied to said first and second electrode means whereby said opening and closing of said valve may be coordinated with the expansion and contraction of the muscles of the heart.

2. The artificial heart valve of claim 1, further comprising computer control means for sequencing the operation of said heart valve.