Aneurysm embolization material and device

• US 6,312,421 B1
• Filed: 07/23/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NeuroVasx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NeuroVasx, Inc.
• Inventors: Boock, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Seidel, Richard K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayes, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US09/360,027
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 604/500, 604/502, 604/509, 604/510, 604/508, 606/167, 606/170, 606/191, 606/192, 606/194, 623/1.12, 623/1.1, 623/1.2, 623/1.42, 623/11.11, 128/898
• US Class Current: 604/509
• 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 17/12113 within an aneurysm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1215 comprising additional materials, e.g. thrombogenic, having filaments, having fibers, being coated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12168 having a mesh structure A61B17/1214 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1219 expandable in contact with liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12068 detachable by heat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12072 the heat created by laser light

Abstract

The present invention includes a method for treating an aneurysm. The method includes providing a biocompatible polymeric string and transporting the string to an aneurysm. The aneurysm is filled with the string. The string is cut when the aneurysm is substantially filled.

Claims

1. A method for treating an aneurysm, comprising:

providing a biocompatible, swellable, polymeric material;

shaping the biocompatible, swellable, polymeric material to form a long, continuous cylinder free of a predesignated cutting region;

transporting the shaped, biocompatible, swellable, polymeric material to an aneurysm;

filling the aneurysm with the shaped, biocompatable, swellable, polymeric material; and

cutting said long, continuous cylinder.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising forming a sleeve that overlays the biocompatable, swellable, polymeric material, the sleeve comprising a swellable hydrogel.

3. The method of claim 2 and further comprising coating the swellable, hydrogel with an encapsulation layer.

4. The method of claim 1 and further comprising adding cell growth factors to the biocompatible polymeric material.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible polymeric material comprises a hydrogel.

6. The method of claim 1 and further comprising providing an aneurysm filler.

7. The method of claim 5 and further comprising shaping the filler to form a seal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the long, continuous cylinder is cut anywhere along the length of the long cylinder with a loop cutter.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the long, continuous cylinder is cut anywhere along the length of the long cylinder with a laser cutter.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the long, continuous cylinder is cut with heat.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material comprises a hydrogel.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material comprises one or more of cellulose acetate, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylacetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, nitrocellulose, copolymers of urethane/carbonate, copolymers of styrene/maleic acid, and mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the long, continuous cylinder has a string shape.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the string is fabricated from a soft, biocompatible material.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the string is fabricated from a biodegradable material.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the long, continuous cylinder has a sleeve shape.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the long, continuous cylinder has a coil shape.