Filter apparatus for ostium of left atrial appendage

• US 6,689,150 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2000
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Atritech Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Holmes, David, Schwartz, Robert, Welch, Jeffrey, Sutton, Gregg S., VanTassel, Robert A., Hauser, Robert G., Borillo, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thissell, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US09/614,091
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200, 606/1, 606/151, 604/500, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12122 within the heart for closing a cardiac septal defect A61B17/0057
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12159 Solid plugs; being solid before insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12172 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00597 Implements comprising a membrane
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00619 Locking means for locking the implement in expanded state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00632 Occluding a cavity, i.e. closing a blind opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0103 With centering means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0105 Open ended, i.e. legs gathered only at one side
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0078 hyperboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 : paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 : Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped

Abstract

Apparatus for permanent placement across an ostium of a left atrial appendage in a patient, which includes a filtering membrane configured to extend across the ostium of the left atrial appendage. The filtering membrane has a permeable structure which allows blood to flow through but substantially inhibits thrombus from passing therethrough. The apparatus also includes a support structure attached to the filtering membrane which retains the filtering membrane in position across the ostium of the left atrial appendage by permanently engaging a portion of the interior wall of the left atrial appendage. The support structure may be radially expandable from a first configuration to a second configuration which engages the ostium or the interior wall of the left atrial appendage. The filtering membrane may define an opening therethrough that is configured to expand from a first size which inhibits the passage of thrombus therethrough to a second size which allows an interventional device, e.g., an expansion balloon, to pass therethrough, and wherein the opening is resiliently biased towards the first size.

Claims

1. A method of filtering the flow of blood between an atrium and a left atrial appendage of a patient comprising:

providing a filtering membrane having a permeable structure which allows blood to flow through the filtering membrane but substantially inhibits thrombus from passing therethrough, and a support structure attached to the filtering membrane configured to permanently engage a portion of an ostium and an interior wall of the left atrial appendage;

positioning the filtering membrane across the ostium by permanently engaging the portion of the interior wall of the left atrial appendage with the support structure; and

filtering blood flow through the ostium with the filtering membrane such that blood may flow through the filtering membrane while thrombus is substantially inhibited from passing therethrough,

wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of retaining members, and wherein positioning the filtering membrane further comprises piercing the wall of the left atrial appendage with the retaining members.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the support structure further comprises a centering structure extending from the filtering membrane, and

wherein positioning the filtering membrane further comprises centering the filtering membrane over the ostium by passing the centering structure into the ostium.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the retaining members comprise an expandable structure, and

wherein the positioning the filtering membrane further comprises expanding the expandable structure to engage an interior wall of the left atrial appendage.

4. A method of filtering the flow of blood between an atrium and a left atrial appendage of a patient comprising:

providing a filtering membrane having a permeable structure which allows blood to flow through the filtering membrane but substantially inhibits thrombus from passing therethrough, and a support structure attached to the filtering membrane configured to permanently engage a portion of an ostium and an interior wall of the left atrial appendage;

positioning the filtering membrane across the ostium by permanently engaging the portion of the interior wall of the left atrial appendage with the support structure; and

filtering blood flow through the ostium with the filtering membrane such that blood may flow through the filtering membrane while thrombus is substantially inhibited from passing therethrough,

wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of retaining members, and wherein positioning the filtering membrane further comprises atraumatically engaging the interior wall of the left atrial appendage with the retaining members.