Device for occlusion of a left atrial appendage

• US 8,663,245 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Francischelli, David E., Briscoe, Roderick E., Leuer, Leonard H., Haeg, Daniel C., Daigle, Tom P., Kim, David, Stewart, Mark T., Olson, Andrew L., Cloutier, Patrick J., Smith, Christopher W., Hobday, Michael J., Kanayinkal, Tessy, Gubbin, Douglas H., Rothstein, Paul T., Cardinal, Joseph E., Foley, Jessica L., Plott, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): SZPIRA, JULIE ANN
• Application Number:
  US11/788,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,511 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/142, 606/144, 606/157
• US Class Current: 606/142
• 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 17/12 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 17/12009 Implements for ligaturing other than by clamps or clips, e.g. using a loop with a slip knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12013 for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/128 for applying or removing clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12018 Elastic band ligators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers

Abstract

The invention provides a system for occluding a left atrial appendage of a patient. The system can include a ring occluder that can be positioned around the left atrial appendage and a ring applicator to position the ring occluder with respect to the left atrial appendage. The system can also provide a tissue-grasping tool that is separable from the ring applicator tool.

Claims

1. A system for occluding a left atrial appendage of a patient, the system comprising:

a ring applicator including;

a shaft having a handle on a proximal end and a distal end, and a tool channel extending open and along at least a portion of a surface of the shaft from the handle to the distal end of the shaft,

a ring spreader assembly including a plurality of movable ring-expanding members, each ring-expanding member having a proximal end pivotally coupled to the distal end of the shaft and a distal end capable of releasably coupling to a ring occluder, the ring spreader assembly further including the distal end of the shaft capable of releasably coupling to the ring occluder, and

an actuator coupled to the handle and capable of pivoting the ring-expanding members between a collapsed position in which each of the ring-expanding members are arranged to define a direction of extension from the distal end of the ring-expanding member to the corresponding proximal end of the ring-expanding member that points in a proximal direction toward the handle to allow insertion into the patient and an extended position to allow the ring occluder to be manipulated over tissue to be occluded; and

a tissue-grasping tool that is slidably and releasably positioned within the tool channel of the shaft so as to be separable from the ring applicator along the tool channel of the ring applicator and so that the tissue-grasping tool and the ring applicator can be positioned together and separated from one another while each are positioned within a body cavity, the tissue-grasping tool comprising at least one tissue engaging element that is moveable between a distal position and a proximal position with respect to the expanding members of the ring applicator.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuator controls a position of the plurality of ring expanding members.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the tissue-grasping tool includes at least one of a hook, a barb, a grasper, an adhesive, and a suction device.

4. The system of claim 1 further in combination with a ring occluder, wherein the ring occluder includes a tissue engagement surface.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the ring occluder includes silicone rubber.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the ring occluder includes at least one of micro-sized glass beads, glass fibers, and metallic fibers.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the ring occluder includes a biocompatible, elastomeric material.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the ring occluder includes a drug or pharmacological agent.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the ring occluder includes one or more sensors.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the shaft includes an articulation section.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the shaft includes one or more remotely controllable hinges.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the shaft is bendable.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the shaft is flexible.

14. The system of claim 4 wherein the ring occluder is covered with a fabric material so that the fabric material acts on the ring occluder when stretched and wherein the fabric material comprises a mesh.