Implantable flow connector
First Claim
1. An implantable flow connector for fluidically coupling a tissue-enclosed source body space with a destination element, comprising:
- a conduit having a lumen terminating at an orifice at a first end of the conduit implantable in the source body space through an opening formed in a tissue wall of the source body space, and a second end of the conduit implantable in the destination element through an opening in a surface of the destination element; and
a circumferential flexible flange, radially extending from the conduit proximate the conduit first end, configured to be implanted in the source body space adjacent an opening in the tissue wall of the source body space such that the conduit extends through the opening, the flange comprising first and second longitudinal sections extending on first and second opposing sides of the conduit and first and second lateral sections extending on third and fourth opposing sides of the conduit, the longitudinal and lateral sections each having an inner section closer to the conduit and an outer section positioned radially outward of the inner section and further from the conduit than the inner section, wherein adjacent lateral and longitudinal sections are joined at the outer sections to form a continuous flange with a continuous outer edge, the lateral sections configured to extend around a longitudinal axis of the source body space and configured to cooperate with the walls of the body space such that the flange sealingly conforms to an inner surface of the tissue wall adjacent the opening in the body space.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable flow connector for fluidically coupling a source tissue-enclosed body space with a destination element, comprising: a conduit having a lumen terminating at an orifice at a first end of the conduit implantable in the source body space through an opening formed in a tissue wall of the source body space, and a second end of the conduit implantable in the destination element through an opening in a surface of the destination element; and a circumferential flange, radially extending from the conduit proximate the conduit first end, configured to be implanted in the source body space adjacent an opening in the tissue wall of the source body space such that the conduit extends through the opening, the flange comprising one or more circumferentially adjacent sections at least one of which has a rigidity that decreases in a radially-increasing direction.
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Citations
69 Claims
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1. An implantable flow connector for fluidically coupling a tissue-enclosed source body space with a destination element, comprising:
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a conduit having a lumen terminating at an orifice at a first end of the conduit implantable in the source body space through an opening formed in a tissue wall of the source body space, and a second end of the conduit implantable in the destination element through an opening in a surface of the destination element; and a circumferential flexible flange, radially extending from the conduit proximate the conduit first end, configured to be implanted in the source body space adjacent an opening in the tissue wall of the source body space such that the conduit extends through the opening, the flange comprising first and second longitudinal sections extending on first and second opposing sides of the conduit and first and second lateral sections extending on third and fourth opposing sides of the conduit, the longitudinal and lateral sections each having an inner section closer to the conduit and an outer section positioned radially outward of the inner section and further from the conduit than the inner section, wherein adjacent lateral and longitudinal sections are joined at the outer sections to form a continuous flange with a continuous outer edge, the lateral sections configured to extend around a longitudinal axis of the source body space and configured to cooperate with the walls of the body space such that the flange sealingly conforms to an inner surface of the tissue wall adjacent the opening in the body space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An implantable flow connector configured to fluidically couple a tissue-enclosed source body space with a destination element, comprising:
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an elongate body including a fluid channel extending therethrough and implantable in the destination element; and a flexible flange extending from the elongate body proximate an end of the elongate body, the flange being configured to be implanted in the source body space adjacent an opening formed in a tissue wall such that the fluid channel fluidically couples fluid in the source tissue-enclosed body space with the destination element, wherein the flange includes first and second lateral sections and a contact surface configured to interface with an interior of the tissue wall of the source body space, and wherein the flange is configured upon implantation to exert an outward force on the interior of the tissue wall so as to cause the wall of the source body to resist the outward force to thereby provide a compression force to the lateral sections to urge the contact surface of the flange toward the opening so as to provide a seal between the contact surface and the tissue wall without a force applied by an external device against an exterior of the tissue wall such that fluid within the source body space will not leak out the opening formed between the tissue wall of the source body space and an exterior of the implantable flow connector. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A method of fluidically coupling a source tissue-enclosed body space with a destination element, comprising:
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obtaining access to an opening in a tissue wall of the source body space; inserting a flange portion of an implantable flow connector through the opening and into the source body space such that a conduit within the flow connector is implanted in the destination element for fluid communication with an interior of the source body space; establishing a seal between the implantable flow connector and the tissue wall such that fluid within the source body space will not leak out an area between the opening in the tissue wall of the source body space and an exterior of the implantable flow connector by enabling a portion of the implantable flow connector located within the source body space to exert a force against the tissue wall, said force being substantially primarily generated by the portion of the implantable flow connector in the source body space without a reacting force generated on an outside of the tissue wall. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. An implantable flow connector for fluidically coupling a tissue-enclosed source body space with a destination element, comprising:
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a conduit having a lumen terminating at an orifice at a first end of the conduit implantable in the source body space through an opening formed in a tissue wall of the source body space, and a second end of the conduit implantable in the destination element through an opening in a surface of the destination element; and a circumferential flexible flange, radially extending from the conduit proximate the conduit first end, configured to be implanted in the source body space adjacent an opening in the tissue wall of the source body space such that the conduit extends through the opening, the flange comprising first and second lateral sections configured to extend around the longitudinal axis of the source body space and configured to cooperate with the walls of the body space such that the flange sealingly conforms to the inner surface of the tissue wall adjacent the opening in the body space to provide a sealing region, and a reinforcement region adjacent the sealing region to reinforce the flow connector. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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Specification