Prosthetic venous valves
First Claim
1. A prosthetic venous valve which comprisesa generally tubular housing including an upstream section made of rigid material and a separate downstream section, said upstream section comprising a rigid tubular body which provides a flow path for blood having an open entrance passageway and enclosing a first central region, said downstream section comprising a rigid tubular body which provides a flow path for blood having an open discharge passageway and enclosing a second central region, a separate occluder proportioned to move between said central regions, said upstream section being formed with a seat in its interior surface in said first central region for sealing contact with said occluder to prevent blood flow upstream therepast and through said entrance region, said occluder reciprocating between an open position adjacent said second central region and a closed position in contact with said seat in said first central region, and said second central region of said downstream section having an inner surface formed to prevent the escape of said occluder downstream therethrough, said occluder and said inner surface being shaped so that when said occluder is in said open position a path remains open to said discharge passageway, whereby this separate construction allows said upstream and downstream sections to be operatively implanted in a patient spaced apart from each other.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic venous valve having a two-piece housing which includes upstream and downstream sections. The upstream section contains a circular seat against which an occluder comes in sealing contact when the valve is in its closed position. The downstream housing section is shaped so as to prevent escape of the occluder downstream and to halt the reciprocating motion of the occluder in the open position where there is an open pathway past the occluder. A plurality of fins on the interior of the downstream housing section or on the surface of the occluder assure there is a blood flow path downstream past the occluder in the open position. The two-piece construction allows the housing sections to be axially spaced apart so that blood comes in contact with the interior surface of the patient'"'"'s vein immediately downstream of the upstream section of the housing. Such arrangement is biologically advantageous and permits momentary deflections of either of the housing sections from its normal coaxial orientation without harm to the valve or disruption of its functioning.
48 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A prosthetic venous valve which comprises
a generally tubular housing including an upstream section made of rigid material and a separate downstream section, said upstream section comprising a rigid tubular body which provides a flow path for blood having an open entrance passageway and enclosing a first central region, said downstream section comprising a rigid tubular body which provides a flow path for blood having an open discharge passageway and enclosing a second central region, a separate occluder proportioned to move between said central regions, said upstream section being formed with a seat in its interior surface in said first central region for sealing contact with said occluder to prevent blood flow upstream therepast and through said entrance region, said occluder reciprocating between an open position adjacent said second central region and a closed position in contact with said seat in said first central region, and said second central region of said downstream section having an inner surface formed to prevent the escape of said occluder downstream therethrough, said occluder and said inner surface being shaped so that when said occluder is in said open position a path remains open to said discharge passageway, whereby this separate construction allows said upstream and downstream sections to be operatively implanted in a patient spaced apart from each other.
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12. A prosthetic venous valve which comprises
a generally tubular housing including an upstream section made of rigid material and a separate downstream section, said upstream section having an open entrance passageway and a central region, said downstream section having a central region which is designed to face said central region of said upstream section and having an open discharge region of reduced diameter, a separate occluder proportioned to move back and forth between said central regions between an open position and a closed position when said valve is implanted within the vein of a patient, said upstream section being formed with a seat in its interior surface in said first central region surrounding said open entrance passageway for sealing contact with said occluder in said closed position to prevent blood flow upstream therepast, said discharge region of reduced diameter being of such size so as to prevent the downstream escape of said occluder therethrough, and said occluder being shaped so that, when it resides in said open position, a downstream blood flow path remains leading to and through said open discharge passageway, whereby said upstream and downstream housing sections can be separately implanted in a patient, spaced from each other in coaxial alignment, so they are capable of slight movement out of coaxial alignment independent of each other.
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18. A prosthetic venous valve which comprises
a two-piece generally tubular housing including an upstream section made of rigid material proportioned for implantation within a patient'"'"'s vein and a separate downstream collar section proportioned for implantation exterior of the patient'"'"'s vein, said upstream section having an open entrance passageway and a first central region, said downstream section having an open discharge passageway and a second central region, and a separate occluder proportioned to move between said central regions, said upstream section being formed with an interior surface having a seat in said first central region for sealing contact with said occluder to prevent blood flow upstream therepast and through said entrance passageway, said occluder being designed to reciprocate between an open position in association with said second central region and a closed position in contact with said seat in said first central region, and said second central region of said downstream section having an inner surface formed to prevent the escape of said occluder downstream therepast, and said occluder and said inner surface being shaped so that when said occluder is in said open position a pathway remains open to said discharge passageway, whereby this two-piece construction allows said upstream and downstream sections to be separately operatively implanted in a patient.
Specification