Methods and devices for vascular surgery

• US 7,022,131 B1
• Filed: 05/30/1999
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: By-Pass Incorporated
• Original Assignee: By-Pass Incorporated
• Inventors: Loshakove, Amir, Derowe, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TAN-UYEN THI
• Application Number:
  US09/701,531
• Time in Patent Office: 2,501 Days
• Field of Search: 606151-153, 622/1.11, 623/898
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• 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 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320758 with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002
• 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: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00637 for sealing trocar wounds through abdominal wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00663 the implement being a suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00668 the implement being a tack or a staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0641 having at least three legs as part of one single body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1103 Approximator
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1107 for blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1135 End-to-side connections, e.g. T- or Y-connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22042 Details of the tip of the guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22044 with a pointed tip

Abstract

An anastomotic connector (60) for attaching two blood vessels, comprising a cylinder-like portion having a lumen, two ends, and an array of cells elements, and a tissue engaging portion (60) comprising at least one set of spikes (64) wherein at least one spike arranged adjacent one of the two ends of said cylinder-like portion. The connector (60) may comprise at least a second set of spikes (66) adjacent the other of the two ends.

Claims

1. A method of providing a connector to a blood vessel, comprising:

providing a distal end of a hole puncher adjacent a blood vessel;

punching a hole in the blood vessel, by the hole puncher;

transporting a connector including at least one spike for attaching to the blood vessel through a lumen of the hole puncher, while the distal end of the hole puncher is adjacent the blood vessel; and

engaging the blood vessel punched by the hole puncher, by the at least one spike,

wherein transporting the connector through the lumen comprises transporting the connector from a proximal end of the hole puncher to the distal end of the hole puncher.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the distal end of the hole puncher adjacent the blood vessel comprises pressing the hole puncher against an outer wall of the blood vessel.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising removing a sub-assembly of the hole puncher from a channel of the hole puncher, while the hole puncher is adjacent the blood vessel and transporting the connector through the channel from which the subassembly was removed.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein removing the sub-assembly comprises removing a central cutter and a surrounding sheath.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein removing the sub-assembly comprises removing a central cutter while a surrounding sheath, that participated in the punching of the hole, remains with an end adjacent the blood vessel.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein transporting the connector through the lumen is performed while the hole puncher is in contact with the blood vessel.

7. A method of treating a blood vessel, comprising:

providing a hole puncher, including a tissue engager and a surrounding sheath, adjacent a blood vessel;

punching a hole in the blood vessel by the hole puncher, utilizing the surrounding sheath;

removing the tissue engager from a channel of the hole puncher, while the surrounding sheath, utilized in the punching, remains in the vicinity of the blood vessel; and

transporting a tool other than the tissue engager through the channel, to the vicinity of the blood vessel.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the tool other than the tissue engager comprises a connector.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the connector comprises at least one spike.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein punching the hole is performed utilizing both the tissue engager and the surrounding sheath.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein the tissue engager includes an indent adapted to engage a wall of the blood vessel.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein the tissue engager has a sharp distal end adapted to penetrate a hole in the blood vessel.

13. A method according to claim 7, wherein the tissue engager is rotatable while being adjacent the blood vessel.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the tissue engager is rotatable relative to the outer sheath, while being adjacent the blood vessel.

15. A method according to claim 7, wherein the tissue engager is adapted to be vibrated while being adjacent the blood vessel.

16. A method according to claim 7, wherein punching a hole in the blood vessel comprises rotating the tissue engager adjacent the blood vessel.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein punching a hole in the blood vessel comprises rotating the tissue engager, relative to the outer sheath, adjacent the blood vessel.

18. A method according to claim 7, wherein punching a hole in the blood vessel comprises vibrating the tissue engager adjacent the blood vessel.

19. A method according to claim 7, wherein transporting the tool through the channel comprises transporting the tool through the channel after removing the tissue engager from the channel.