Balloon with rigid tube for occluding the uterine artery

• US 8,403,953 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fibro Control, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fibro Control, Inc.
• Inventors: Gross, Yossi, Eliachar, Eliahu, Sade Hochstadter, Dan, Cohen, Jacob, Lilach, Nir, Weiss, Hernam
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BACHMAN, LINDSEY MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US12/509,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 606/119, 606/193, 606/191
• US Class Current: 606/193
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12 for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels, umbilical cord specially adapted for vas deferens or fallopian tubes A61F6/20; materials for ligaturing blood vessels A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1355 Automated control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/42 Gynaecological or obstetrical instruments or methods ligaturing clamps or clips for the umbilical cord A61B17/122; curettage A61B17/320708; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22067 Blocking; Occlusion A61B2017/22054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22069 Immobilising; Stabilising
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4318 Evaluation of the lower reproductive system A61B5/4343 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1047 having centering means, e.g. balloons having an appropriate shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for use with a subject'"'"'s body, vagina, vaginal fornix, uterus, and uterine artery. A fornix-engaging structure is inserted into the vagina and engages the vaginal fornix. A rod is inserted into the subject'"'"'s body via the fornix-engaging structure, such that a distal end of the rod passes through vaginal tissue at a first vaginal site until the distal end of the rod is at a first extrauterine site outside of the uterine artery, but in a vicinity of a portion of the uterine artery that supplies a uterine fibroid. A rod-guide is coupled to the fornix-engaging structure, and guides the distal end of the rod to the first extrauterine site. A uterine artery compression device is disposed on the distal end of the rod. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method, for use with a subject'"'"'s body, vagina, vaginal formix, uterus, and uterine artery, the method comprising:

engaging the vaginal formix with a formix-engaging structure, by inserting the structure into the vagina;

inserting a rod into the subject'"'"'s body;

guiding the rod such that a distal end of the rod passes through vaginal tissue at a first vaginal site until the distal end of the rod is at a first extrauterine site outside of the uterine artery, but in a vicinity of a portion of the uterine artery that supplies a uterine fibroid;

maintaining the distal end of the rod at the extrauterina site, by supporting the rod with the fornix-engaging structure; and

while maintaining the distal end of the rod at the extrauterina site, compressing the uterine artery using a uterine artery compression device disposed on the distal end of the rod to occlude blood flow to a uterine fibroid.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the uterine artery compression device includes a balloon, and wherein compressing the uterine artery using the uterine artery compression device comprises inflating the balloon.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein inserting the rod into the subject'"'"'s body comprises inserting a rigid rod into the subject'"'"'s body, and wherein compressing the uterine artery using the uterine artery compression device disposed on the distal end of the rod, comprises maintaining the position of the distal end of the rod at the extrauterina site, using the rigidity of the rod.

4. The method according to claim 1,

further comprising inserting a rigid structure into the subject'"'"'s body, and guiding the rigid structure such that a distal end of the rigid structure passes through vaginal tissue at a second vaginal site, until the distal end of the rigid structure is at a second extrauterine site outside of the uterine artery,

wherein compressing the uterine artery using the uterine artery compression device comprises compressing the uterine artery by squeezing tissue of the subject against the rigid structure, using the uterine artery compression device.

5. The method according to claim 4,

wherein guiding the rod such that the distal end of the rod is at the first extrauterine site comprises guiding the rod such that the distal end of the rod is at an extrauterine site that is posterior to a broad ligament of the subject, and

wherein guiding the rigid structure such that the distal end of the rigid structure is at the second extrauterine site comprises guiding the distal end of the rigid structure to a second extrauterine site that is anterior to the broad ligament of the subject.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein inserting the rod comprises inserting a solid rod.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein inserting the rod comprises inserting a hollow rod.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting a change in blood flow through the uterine artery.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising positioning and anchoring the uterine artery compression device while the uterine artery compression device is at the site, by placing a positioning-anchoring balloon inside the uterus and inflating the positioning-anchoring balloon while the positioning-anchoring balloon is inside the uterus.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein compressing the uterine artery comprises squeezing tissue of the subject against a medical tool in the subject'"'"'s body, using the uterine artery compression device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the rod includes left and right rods, and the uterine artery compression device includes left and right uterine artery compression devices disposed, respectively, on distal ends of the left and right rods,

guiding the rod comprises guiding the left and right rods, via left and right first vaginal sites, such that distal ends of the rods are at left and right first extrauterine sites outside of but in a vicinity of left and right uterine arteries of the subject, respectively, and

compressing the uterine artery comprises compressing the left and right uterine arteries, using, respectively, the left and right uterine artery compression devices.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein guiding the left and right rods comprises guiding the rods to the left and right first extrauterine sites via vaginal tissue at approximately a six o'"'"'clock position with respect to the subject'"'"'s uterus.

13. The method according to claim 11,

wherein guiding the left rod comprises guiding the left rod to the left first extrauterine site via vaginal tissue at approximately a three o'"'"'clock position with respect to the subject'"'"'s uterus, and

wherein guiding the right rod comprises guiding the right rod to the right first extrauterine site via vaginal tissue at approximately a nine o'"'"'clock position with respect to the subject'"'"'s uterus.