Visceral pleura ring connector

• US 7,931,641 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Portaero, Inc
• Original Assignee: Portaero, Inc
• Inventors: Chang, Asia, Meretei, Attila, Nedvetsky, Alex, Tanaka, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva; Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Treyger; Ilya Y
• Application Number:
  US12/034,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 604/321, 604/323, 604/324, 604/540
• US Class Current: 604/540
• 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 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00809 Lung operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3425 for internal organs, e.g. heart ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3488 Fixation to inner organ or inner body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0406 implanted flow modifiers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/101 using an oxygen concentrator
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/106 in a path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/03 Gases in liquid phase, e.g. cryogenic liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1039 Lungs

Abstract

A visceral pleura ring connector that may be utilized to anchor and seal the visceral pleura to a conduit or other device entering the lung from a non-native airway. The visceral pleura ring connector may be positioned around the visceral pleura and an insertion device and seal them together without having to make any holes in the pleura. The visceral pleura ring connector may be utilized with a pulmonary pleural stabilizer to hold the visceral pleura of the lung during surgical procedures involving accessing the lung or lungs of a patient directly through the lung and not the native airways.

Claims

1. A device for treating a lung of a patient through an aperture in a visceral membrane of the lung, the device comprising:

a tubular member adapted for insertion into parenchymal tissue of the lung through the visceral membrane of the lung;

a securing device positioned around the tubular member;

an annular gap between the securing device and the tubular member adapted to receive a portion of the visceral membrane surrounding the aperture; and

the securing device configured such that, with a portion of the visceral membrane received in the annular gap, the securing device is adapted to radially compress the visceral membrane between the securing device and the tubular member and thereby secure the visceral membrane between the securing device and the tubular member.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said securing device is adapted to create an airtight seal between the lung and the tubular member.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said securing device is a ring that can be positioned snugly about the tubular member.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said securing device comprises a superelastic material.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said securing device comprises a bioabsorbable material.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said securing device comprises polyglycolic acid.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said securing device is a ring that is manually snugly fit about a portion of the visceral membrane received in the annular gap.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said securing device is a split ring that is manually snugly fit about a portion of the visceral membrane received in the annular gap.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said securing device is self-locking

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said securing device includes a ratchet mechanism that is used to tighten the securing device to compress a portion of the visceral membrane received in the annular gap.

11. The device of claim 1 including an agent provided with the securing device, wherein said agent promotes a pleurodesis reaction.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said agent is one of incorporated into the securing device, provided on the surface of the securing device, and provided in channels of the securing device.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said securing device comprises a shape memory material.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein said securing device comprises a shape memory material, and wherein said securing device is implanted with a first expanded diameter and once implanted contracts to a smaller diameter to compress the visceral membrane between the securing device and the tubular member.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said securing device is implanted by expanding the securing device from a contracted diameter to a larger diameter;

the securing device being adapted such that with a portion of the visceral membrane received in the annular gap, the securing device contracts from the larger diameter to the contracted diameter to compress the visceral membrane between the securing device and the tubular member and thereby secure the visceral membrane between the securing device and the tubular member.

16. A device for treating a lung of a patient through an aperture in a visceral membrane of the lung, the device comprising:

a conduit adapted for insertion into parenchymal tissue of the lung through the visceral membrane of the lung in order to allow the removal of gasses from the lung;

a ring received around the conduit;

said ring having a pre-implantation configuration in which the ring is positioned such that a portion of the visceral membrane surrounding the aperture is received between the ring and the conduit; and

said ring having a post-implantation configuration in which the ring radially compresses the visceral pleura against the conduit to create a seal between the visceral pleura and the conduit.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said ring comprises a super elastic material.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein said ring comprises a shape memory material.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein said ring comprises a bioabsorbable material.

20. The device of claim 16 wherein said ring comprises polyglycolic acid.

21. The device of claim 16 wherein said ring can be manually reconfigured from the pre-implantation configuration to the post-implantation configuration.

22. The device of claim 16 wherein said ring includes a pleurodesis agent.

23. A device for treating a lung of a patient through an aperture in a visceral membrane of the lung, the device comprising:

a tube having a distal end adapted for insertion into parenchymal tissue of the lung through the visceral membrane of the lung;

a connector slidingly received around the tube;

the tube and the connector defining therebetween an annular space adapted to receive a portion of the visceral membrane surrounding the aperture; and

wherein the connector is configured such that, with a portion of the visceral membrane received in the annular space, the connector radially compresses the visceral membrane between the connector and the tube thereby secure the visceral membrane to the tube and creating an airtight seal between the tube and the visceral membrane.