Transmyocardial implant with flow reduction

• US 6,916,304 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Horizon Technology Funding Co. LLC (Horizon Technology Finance Management LLC)
• Original Assignee: Percardia, Inc.
• Inventors: Eno, Robert A., Vanney, Guy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bianco, Patricia
• Application Number:
  US10/155,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 604 8- 10, 604/264, 604/523, 128/898, 623/11.11, 623/1.1, 623/1.23, 623/1.44, 623 13- 131, 623 136- 137, 623/1.46, 623/1.49, 623/66.1, 623902-903, 606/153, 606/194
• US Class Current: 604/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2493 Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/94 Stents retaining their form, i.e. not being deformable, after placement in the predetermined place
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable

Abstract

A transmyocardial implant establishes a blood flow path through a heart wall between a heart chamber and a lumen of a coronary vessel on the heart wall. The implant includes a hollow conduit having an open first end and an open second end. The conduit is dimensioned so as to extend at least from the vessel through said heart wall and into said chamber. The conduit has a conduit wall defining a blood flow pathway within an interior of said conduit between the first and second ends. The first and second ends are mutually positioned for the first end to reside within the vessel and opposing a wall of the vessel when the conduit is placed within the heart wall with the second end protruding into the chamber. The conduit wall is formed of a material sufficiently rigid to resist deformation and closure of the pathway in response to contraction of the heart wall. A flow restriction is formed in the pathway for reducing a discharge velocity of blood flow discharged from the first end.

Claims

1. A transmyocardial implant for establishing a blood flow path through a heart wall between a heart chamber and a lumen of a coronary vessel comprising:

a hollow conduit having an open first end and an open second end, said conduit sized to extend at least from said vessel through said heart wall and into said chamber, said conduit having a conduit wall defining a blood flow pathway within an interior of said conduit between said first and second ends;

said first and second ends mutually positioned for said first end to reside within said vessel and opposing a wall of said vessel when said conduit is placed within said heart wall with said second end protruding into said chamber;

said conduit wall formed of a material sufficiently rigid to resist deformation and closure of said pathway in response to contraction of said heart wall;

a flow restriction formed in said pathway configured to reduce a discharge velocity of blood flow discharged from said first end, the flow restriction defined by a variation in a cross-sectional area of the blood flow defined by the conduit wall.

2. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 1 further comprising a tissue growth inducing material surrounding said conduit wall.

3. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 2 wherein said tissue growth inducing material includes a plurality of fibers defining a plurality of interstitial spaces for receiving tissue growth and said tissue growth inducing material is biocompatible.

4. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 3 wherein said tissue growth inducing material is a polyester fabric.

5. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 2 wherein said tissue growth inducing material include a porous layer on said exterior of said conduit.

6. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 5 wherein said tissue growth inducing material includes a sintered layer.

7. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 2 wherein an external area of said conduit surrounded by said tissue growth inducing material is abraded.

8. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 1 wherein said flow restriction is a narrowing in said pathway positioned between enlarge cross-sectional sectional areas of said pathway.

9. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 8 wherein said pathway has a substantially straight longitudinal axis between said first and second ends.

10. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 1, wherein the conduit wall defines a first inner diameter transition extending from a region of maximum flow restriction towards said first end and a second inner diameter transition extending from said region of maximum flow restriction towards said second end.

11. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 10, wherein said first diameter transition defines a smaller angle of transition relative to a central reference axis that said second inner diameter transition.

12. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 1, wherein said flow restriction is configured to reduce a blood flow velocity such that said blood flow velocity is less than an occluding trauma including velocity.

13. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 1, wherein said heart chamber is a left ventricle.

14. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 1, wherein said coronary vessel is a coronary vein.

15. A transmyocardial implant according to claim 1 wherein said conduit is sized for said first end to extend into said chamber beyond said heart wall.

16. A method for establishing a blood flow path through a heart wall between a heart chamber and a lumen of a coronary vessel on said heart wall, said method comprising:

forming a blood flow path from said vessel through said heart wall and into said chamber;

maintaining said blood flow path open during both systole and diastole; and

restricting blood flow through said pathway to reduce a discharge velocity of blood flow discharged into said vessel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the conduit wall defines a first inner diameter transition extending from a region of maximum flow restriction towards said first end and a second inner diameter transition extending from region of maximum flow restriction towards said second end.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first diameter transition defines a smaller angle of transition relative to a central reference axis that said second inner diameter transition.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising maintaining the blood flow path open during both systole and diastole.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising restricting the blood flow through the pathway, via flow restriction, so as to reduce the blood flow velocity to below an occluding trauma inducing velocity.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising placing a tissue growth inducing material on the conduit wall.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the coronary vessel is a coronary vein.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the heart chamber is a left ventricle.