Closed chest coronary bypass

• US 6,123,682 A
• Filed: 04/03/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Horizon Technology Funding Co. LLC (Horizon Technology Finance Management LLC)
• Original Assignee: Heartstent Corp.
• Inventors: Knudson, Mark B., Giese, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koh, Choon P.
• Application Number:
  US09/054,815
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/12, 604/8, 128/898
• US Class Current: 604/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• 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 17/12045 double occlusion, e.g. during anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12131 characterised by the type of occluding device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3415 for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00247 Making holes in the wall of the heart, e.g. laser Myocardial revascularization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1107 for blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1135 End-to-side connections, e.g. T- or Y-connections Y-shaped blood vessel prostheses A61F2002/065
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12127 Double occlusion, e.g. for creating blood-free anastomosis site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00392 Transmyocardial revascularisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2493 Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 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 2002/061 : provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 : Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/068 : Modifying the blood flow model, e.g. by diffuser or deflector
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 : Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/008 : Means for testing implantable prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/903 : Blood vessel

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing coronary artery bypass surgery establishes a channel leading directly from a chamber of a heart into a coronary artery. The coronary artery bypass procedure may be performed with or without cardiopulmonary bypass.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a coronary artery bypass procedure at a coronary vessel disposed lying at an exterior of a heart wall, the apparatus comprising;

a hollow blood flow conduit having a first portion and a separate second portion;

the first portion adapted to be advanced through a patient'"'"'s vasculature system and inserted into and retained within the heart wall of a heart chamber containing oxygenated blood with an opening of the first portion in blood-flow communication with blood contained within the chamber, said first portion dimensioned so as to extend through the heart wall from said coronary vessel into communication with said chamber;

the second portion adapted to be advanced through the patient'"'"'s vasculature system to be inserted into and retained within the coronary vessel with an opening of the second portion in blood flow communication with a lumen of the coronary vessel; and

the first and second portions connectable when so retained to form the conduit defining a blood flow path between the openings of the first and second portions from said heart chamber to said coronary vessel.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the conduit has a portion to block flow out of the conduit in a direction axially opposite the opening of the second portion.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the conduit is a substantially L-shaped, rigid tube with first and second legs of the L-shaped tube being the first and second portions, respectively.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the conduit is a substantially T-shaped, rigid tube with a perpendicular arm of the T-shaped tube being the first portion and with axially aligned arms of the T-shaped tube being the second portion.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein either of said first and second portions is provided with a valve to close once per cycle of the heart.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the conduit formed by the first and second hollow conduits is generally rigid and L-shaped.

6. An apparatus for use in a coronary artery bypass procedure at a coronary vessel disposed lying at an exterior of a heart wall, the apparatus comprising;

a hollow blood flow conduit having a first portion and a separate second portion;

the first portion adapted to be advanced through a patient'"'"'s vasculature system and inserted into and retained within the heart wall of a heart chamber containing oxygenated blood with an opening of the first portion in blood-flow communication with blood contained within the chamber;

the second portion adapted to be advanced through the patient'"'"'s vasculature system to be inserted into and retained within the coronary vessel with an opening of the second portion in blood flow communication with a lumen of the coronary vessel;

the first and second portions connectable when so retained to form the conduit defining a blood flow path between the openings of the first and second portions; and

a reservoir connected to said conduit for accumulating blood from said conduit during periods of high blood pressure and for discharging accumulated blood into said conduit during periods of low blood pressure.

7. A method for performing a coronary bypass procedure at a coronary vessel disposed lying at an exterior of a heart wall, the method comprising:

inserting a first hollow conduit through a patient'"'"'s vasculature system and advancing the first hollow conduit in to the heart and placing the first hollow conduit into the heart wall with an opening of the first hollow conduit in communication with a heart chamber;

inserting a second hollow conduit through a patient'"'"'s vasculature and advancing the second hollow conduit to the vessel and placing the second hollow conduit within the vessel to direct blood to flow from the second hollow conduit into the vessel; and

connecting the first and second hollow conduits to form a conduit with a blood flow path from the chamber into the vessel.

8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising placing an opening of the second hollow conduit facing away from an obstruction which at least partially obstructs blood flow through the vessel.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein the coronary vessel is a coronary artery.

10. A method according to claim 7 comprising closing the blood flow path once per cycle of the heart.