Adjustable annuloplasty devices and adjustment mechanisms therefor
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising an implant structure configured to be implanted in a body of a subject, the implant structure having first and second portions thereof, the implant structure defining an annuloplasty ring structure, and the implant structure comprising:
- a housing;
a rotatable structure disposed within the housing, the housing being coupled to the implant structure in a vicinity of the first portion thereof; and
a flexible member having first and second end portions at opposite first and second ends thereof, (1) the first end portion being disposed in contact with the rotatable structure, and (2) the second end being coupled to the second portion of the implant structure, which second portion of the implant structure does not contact the rotatable structure, wherein the second end of the flexible member is coupled to the second portion of the implant structure such that, in response to rotation of the rotatable structure in a first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, the coupling of the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure facilitates application of a pulling force along the implant structure and toward the first portion of the implant structure, from the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure, in order to facilitate compression of at least a portion of the implant structure that is between the first and second portions of the implant structure,wherein, in response to rotation of the rotatable structure in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, successive portions of the flexible member advance in a first advancement direction along the implant structure toward the rotatable structure and contact the rotatable structure to apply the pulling force along the implant structure and toward the first portion of the implant structure, from the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure, and responsively, to compress the portion of the implant structure that is between the first and second portions of the implant structure, andwherein during the rotation of the rotatable structure in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, the rotatable structure is configured to come in contact with the successive portions of the flexible member from only the first advancement direction.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus is provided including an implant structure (22, 122, 1122), a rotatable structure (2900) coupled to the implant structure (22, 122, 1122) in a vicinity of a first portion thereof, and a flexible member (30). At least a first portion of the 5 flexible member (30) is disposed in contact with the rotatable structure (2900), and at least one end portion of the flexible member (30) is not disposed in contact with the rotatable structure (30). In response to rotation of the rotatable structure (2900) in a first direction thereof, successive portions of the flexible member (30) contact the rotatable structure (2900) to pull the at least one end portion of the flexible member 0 (30) toward the first portion of the implant structure (22, 122, 1122), and responsively to draw the first and second portions of the implant structure (22, 122, 1122) toward each other. Other applications are also described.
439 Citations
22 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising an implant structure configured to be implanted in a body of a subject, the implant structure having first and second portions thereof, the implant structure defining an annuloplasty ring structure, and the implant structure comprising:
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a housing; a rotatable structure disposed within the housing, the housing being coupled to the implant structure in a vicinity of the first portion thereof; and a flexible member having first and second end portions at opposite first and second ends thereof, (1) the first end portion being disposed in contact with the rotatable structure, and (2) the second end being coupled to the second portion of the implant structure, which second portion of the implant structure does not contact the rotatable structure, wherein the second end of the flexible member is coupled to the second portion of the implant structure such that, in response to rotation of the rotatable structure in a first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, the coupling of the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure facilitates application of a pulling force along the implant structure and toward the first portion of the implant structure, from the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure, in order to facilitate compression of at least a portion of the implant structure that is between the first and second portions of the implant structure, wherein, in response to rotation of the rotatable structure in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, successive portions of the flexible member advance in a first advancement direction along the implant structure toward the rotatable structure and contact the rotatable structure to apply the pulling force along the implant structure and toward the first portion of the implant structure, from the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure, and responsively, to compress the portion of the implant structure that is between the first and second portions of the implant structure, and wherein during the rotation of the rotatable structure in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, the rotatable structure is configured to come in contact with the successive portions of the flexible member from only the first advancement direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for adjusting a dimension of an implant structure defining an annuloplasty ring structure, the implant structure having first and second portions, the implant structure including:
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a housing; a rotatable structure disposed within the housing, the housing being coupled to the implant structure in a vicinity of the first portion thereof; and a flexible member having first and second end portions at opposite first and second ends thereof, (1) the first end portion being disposed in contact with the rotatable structure, and (2) the second end being coupled to the second portion of the implant structure, which second portion of the implant structure does not contact the rotatable structure, wherein the second end of the flexible member is coupled to the second portion of the implant structure such that, in response to rotation of the rotatable structure in a first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, the coupling of the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure facilitates application of a pulling force along the implant structure and toward the first portion of the implant structure, from the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure, in order to facilitate compression of at least a portion of the implant structure that is between the first and second portions of the implant structure, wherein, in response to rotation of the rotatable structure in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, successive portions of the flexible member advance in a first advancement direction along the implant structure toward the rotatable structure and contact the rotatable structure to apply the pulling force along the implant structure and toward the first portion of the implant structure, from the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure, and responsively, to compress the portion of the implant structure that is between the first and second portions of the implant structure, and wherein during the rotation of the rotatable structure in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, the rotatable structure is configured to come in contact with the successive portions of the flexible member from only the first advancement direction, the method comprising; rotating in the first rotational direction the rotatable structure; by the rotating in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, advancing along the implant structure toward the rotatable structure, in the first advancement direction, the successive portions of the flexible member, and contacting with the rotatable structure the successive portions of the flexible member; by the rotating in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure, applying the pulling force along the implant structure and toward the first portion of the implant structure, from the second end of the flexible member to the second portion of the implant structure; and responsively to the pulling, facilitating compressing the portion of the implant structure that is between the first and second portions of the implant structure, wherein the contacting with the rotatable structure comprises contacting with the rotatable structure the successive portions of the flexible member from only the first advancement direction along the implant structure and toward the rotatable structure during the rotating of the rotatable structure in the first rotational direction to contract the implant structure. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification