Device for handling an appliance to be implanted

• US 6,916,335 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inoue Kanji
• Original Assignee: Inoue Kanji
• Inventors: Kanji, Inoue
• Primary Examiner(s): WEHNER, CARY ELLEN
• Application Number:
  US10/237,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 604/256, 604/167.02, 623/1.11, 623/1.12, 623/1.23, 606/108
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9525 using a funnel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/97 the outer sleeve being splittable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9505 having retaining means other than an outer sleeve, e.g. male-female connector between stent and instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/903 Blood vessel

Abstract

The artificial blood vessel A comprises a front end wire ring 10₁, a rear end wire ring 10₂ arranged facing to the front end wire ring 10₁, a tubular cover 7 which connects the end wire rings 10₁, 10₂, and a plurality of intermediate wire rings 12 arranged spaced apart from each other between the front end wire ring 10₁ and the rear end wire ring 10₂. Each of the front end wire ring 10₁, the rear end wire ring 10₂ and the intermediate wire rings 12 are given flexibly foldable elasticity. The circumference of the front end wire ring 10₁ is equally divided into four by dividing points 41₁, 42₁, 43₁, 44₁. Hooking means 13 are formed for a front pull string to be passed through at the dividing points 41₁, 43₁. The circumference of the intermediate wire ring 12 is fixed to the tubular cover 7 by suturing or with adhesive at the positions 51₃, 52₃, 53₃, 54₃ which correspond to the midpoint 51₁ between the dividing points 41₁, 42₁, the midpoint 52₁ between the dividing points 42₁, 43₁, the midpoint 53₁ between the dividing points 43₁, 44₁, and the midpoint 54₁ between the dividing points 44₁, 41₁.

Claims

1. A device for handling an appliance comprising:

a guide pipe having a front end and a base end and having an elastic valve at the base end, wherein the elastic valve has resisting elasticity; and

a device for transporting an appliance having a length more than twice as long as the guide pipe;

wherein a front end of the device for transporting an appliance is inserted into the guide pipe through the base end of the guide pipe by pushing open the elastic valve and exits out of the guide pipe from the front end of the guide pipe, the front end of the device releasably holding an appliance to be implanted;

wherein a base end side of the device for transporting an appliance is turned down outside of the base end of the guide pipe and inserted into the guide pipe through the base end of the guide pipe by pushing open the elastic valve, the base end of the device exits out of the guide pipe from the front end of the guide pipe;

wherein the base end side of the device for transporting an appliance is caught and then pulled with a catcher, allowing transportation of the device together with the appliance to be implanted toward a pulling direction of the catcher.

2. The device for handling an appliance according to claim 1, wherein the device for transporting an appliance further comprises a tube inserted into the guide pipe and a wire movably inserted into the tube, wherein the tube has a front end side and the appliance to be implanted is releasably held with the wire and the tube at the front end side of the tube.

3. The device for handling an appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a retaining rod attached to the device for transporting an appliance to retain at least a part of the appliance to be implanted in a collapsed condition until the appliance to be implanted reaches a target position, the retaining rod being capable of releasing the appliance to be implanted from the collapsed condition to restore the appliance to be implanted at the target position.

4. The device for handling an appliance according to claim 3, wherein the device for transporting an appliance further comprises a tube inserted into the guide pipe, wherein the retaining rod is attached to the tube, wherein the tube with the attached retaining rod can be pulled along the pulling direction of the catcher, wherein the retaining rod is then movable relative to the tube thereby to restore the appliance to be implanted.

5. The device for handling an appliance according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the device for transporting an appliance protruding out of the base end of the guide pipe comprises a part to be manipulated, the part to be manipulated capable of transmitting a manipulating force to rotate, insert, or pull to the whole length from the part to be manipulated to the base end of the device through manipulation thereof.

6. The device for handling an appliance according to claim 5, wherein at least the length from the part to be manipulated to the base end of the device comprises a flexible guide member.

7. The device for handling an appliance according to claim 6, wherein the base end of the guide member to be caught by the catcher is bent sideward relative to a direction of its length.

8. The device for handling an appliance according to claim 1, wherein the appliance to be implanted comprises a single tubular trunk portion and a plurality of tubular branches, wherein one of the plurality of tubular branches is transportable toward the pulling direction of the catcher by the device for transporting an appliance.

9. The device for handling an appliance according to claim 1, wherein the valve has at least two holes, wherein the front end of the device for transporting an appliance is inserted into the guide pipe through one of the holes, and the base end side of the device for transporting an appliance is inserted into the guide pipe through another of the holes, wherein the two holes of the valve are connected by partially breaking the valve to allow a portion of the device for transporting an appliance protruding out of the base end of the guide pipe to be contained in the guide pipe.