Medical graft connector or plug structures, and methods of making and installing same

• US 7,575,586 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: St Jude Medical ATG Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St Jude Medical ATG Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Wahlberg, Mark D, Peterson, Alex A, St. Germain, Jon P, Berg, Todd A
• Primary Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US10/683,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 623/23.2, 623/23.48, 623/23.64, 623/1.24, 623/1.26, 623/2.14, 623/2.17, 606/213, 606/215, 606/218, 606/220, 606/200
• US Class Current: 606/215
• 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 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3415 for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00659 located only on one side of the opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0641 having at least three legs as part of one single body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11

Abstract

A medical graft connector or plug is made, for example, by cutting end portions of a tube of highly elastic material axially at numerous locations spaced circumferentially around the tube to produce a plurality of fingers which extend axially from each end of an uncut medial portion of the tube. The fingers are deflected radially outwardly from the medial portion and set in that condition. For a graft connector, the medial portion is coaxially connected to an end portion of a tubular graft. The connector is then installed through an aperture in the side wall of a patient'"'"'s tubular body conduit, for example, by using a delivery tube in which the fingers are elastically deflected back to approximately their initial positions. When the delivery conduit is withdrawn from the connector, the fingers spring out to engage the inner and outer surfaces of the body conduit wall. For a plug, the medial portion is occluded and then the structure is installed through the aperture to be plugged in a manner similar to installation of the connector.

Claims

1. A device for use in closing septal defects comprising:

a medial portion having a longitudinal axis, wherein the device is formed from a hollow tube; and

first and second sets of fingers, wherein;

at least one of the first and second sets of fingers are formed from cuts spaced circumferentially around the hollow tube;

each set of fingers is capable of extending substantially radially outward from the axis;

the first set of fingers is unconnected to the second set of fingers at the radially outward ends;

the first set of fingers is spaced an axial distance apart from the second set of fingers on the axis; and

only one set of fingers is covered by a web of material between adjacent ones of the fingers.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the uncovered set of fingers has free ends.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the fingers are resiliently biased to extend substantially radially outward from the axis.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the fingers comprise nitinol.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the web of material is elastic.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the web comprises silicone.

7. An installation assembly for installing the device of claim 1 comprising a delivery structure disposed around the device substantially coaxial to the axis of the medial portion, whereby the fingers are elastically deflected inwardly toward parallelism with the axis.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein each finger has different thickness along its length.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein each finger has different width along its length.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein each finger has different flexural stiffness radially of the medial portion along its length.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the fingers are configured to elastically deflect toward parallelism with the axis.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the sets of fingers are configured to deflect in opposite directions and away from each other.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the cuts are substantially axial in the hollow tube.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises nickel titanium alloy.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises stainless steel.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a thermoplastic.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is elastic.