Embolism deflector

• US 9,414,752 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Leuthardt, Eric C., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS, RICHARD G
• Application Number:
  US13/673,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200, 600/439
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12036 partial occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1204 temporary occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12109 in a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12118 for positioning in conjunction with a stent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22 Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on the inside of inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; Calculus removers; Calculus smashing apparatus; Apparatus for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00345 Micromachines, nanomachines, microsystems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0061 Implements located only on one side of the opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• 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: A61F 2/01 Filters implantable into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/013 Distal protection devices, i.e. devices placed distally in combination with another endovascular procedure, e.g. angioplasty or stenting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/016 : made from wire-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 : made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0091 : connected by a hinged linkage mechanism, e.g. of the single-bar or multi-bar linkage type
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0008 : elliptical or oval
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0026 : trapezoidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 : V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0095 : Saddle-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0043 : intra-cavitary

Abstract

Devices, methods, and systems provide an embolism deflecting device, methods for deflecting or diverting emboli away from critical locations in the body, and systems therefor. Embodiments of the embolism deflecting device comprise an embolism detector, a diverter controller operable for determining the presence of emboli from a target input from the embolism detector, and an embolism diverter operable by the diverter controller to deflect, divert, redirect, etc., emboli away from the critical body location on the detection thereof.

Claims

1. An embolism deflecting device, securable to a patient, the embolism deflecting device comprising:

a support stent including a substantially tubular frame at least partially defining a lumen, the substantially tubular frame having a first end in fluid communication with a second end through the lumen, the first end having an inlet to receive blood from a blood vessel, the second end having an outlet through which the blood exits the support stent, the substantially tubular frame of the support stent having an anchor for removably securing at least a portion of the support stent in the blood vessel;

an embolism detector securable to a patient with a detection field including a detection area in the blood vessel, the embolism detector operable for transmitting information indicating the presence of an embolism in the detection area;

an implantable container disposed within the lumen defined by the support stent, to be in fluid communication with the blood vessel at least part of the time;

a diverter controller operatively coupled to the embolism detector, the diverter controller operable for receiving data from the embolism detector indicating the presence of the embolism in the detection area; and

an ultrasound emitter securable to the patient, the ultrasound emitter coupled to the diverter controller and operable thereby to activate the ultrasound emitter to direct ultrasound toward a target area in response to the presence of the embolism in the detection field, the ultrasound sufficient to steer a substantial fraction of emboli into the implantable container, wherein the implantable container includes a fill level detector configured to indicate a fill level of the implantable container.

2. The embolism deflecting device of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound is aimable by phase conjugation.

3. The embolism deflecting device of claim 1, wherein the diverter controller is operable to activate the ultrasound emitter based on the at least one parameter associated with the number of emboli, the embolism size, the embolism type, the embolism location, the embolism path, or the embolism arrival time.

4. The embolism deflecting device of claim 1, wherein the embolism detector is operable to determine at least one parameter associated with a number of emboli, an embolism size, an embolism type, an embolism location, an embolism path, or an embolism arrival time.

5. The embolism deflecting device of claim 1, wherein the embolism detector is a first embolism detector, and the embolism deflecting device further comprises a second embolism detector operatively coupled to the diverter controller, the second embolism detector implantable with a detection field downstream of the first embolism detector.

6. The embolism deflecting device of claim 1, wherein the embolism deflecting device is powered by a power source including at least one of a thermoelectric generator, a piezoelectric generator, a microelectromechanical systems generator, or a biomechanical-energy harvesting generator.

7. A system for deflecting emboli, comprising:

an embolism deflecting device including;

a support stent including a substantially tubular frame at least partially defining a lumen, the substantially tubular frame having a first end in fluid communication with a second end through the lumen, the first end having an inlet to receive blood from a blood vessel, the second end having an outlet through which the blood exits the support stent, the substantially tubular frame of the support stent having an anchor for removably securing at least a portion of the support stent in the blood vessel;

an embolism detector securable to a patient with a detection field including a detection area in the blood vessel, the embolism detector operable for transmitting data indicating the presence of an embolism in the detection area;

an implantable container disposed within the lumen defined by the support stent, to be in fluid communication with the blood vessel at least part of the time;

a diverter controller operatively coupled to the embolism detector, the diverter controller operable for receiving data from the embolism detector indicating the presence of the embolism in the detection area; and

an ultrasound emitter securable to the patient, the ultrasound emitter coupled to the diverter controller and operable thereby to activate the ultrasound emitter to direct ultrasound toward a target area in response to the presence of the embolism in the detection field, the ultrasound sufficient to steer a substantial fraction of emboli into the implantable container, wherein the implantable container includes a fill level detector configured to indicate a fill level of the implantable container; and

machine readable instructions that when executed on the diverter controller, activate the ultrasound emitter based on a target input receivable by the diverter controller.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the diverter controller includes an external input, and wherein the target input is an external command received at the external input.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the diverter controller is operable to activate or to deactivate the ultrasound emitter according to at least one of type, location, size, presence, absence, time of passage, or route of an embolism, which is determined from the output of the embolism detector.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the diverter controller is operable to control the ultrasound emitter according to at least one of type, location, size, presence, absence, time of passage, or route of an embolism, which is determined from the output of the embolism detector.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed on the diverter controller, activate at least one of a Spectral Clustering protocol or a Spectral Learning protocol operable to compare one or more parameters associated with the output of the embolism detector with one or more information subsets associated with reference spectral signature data.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the diverter controller is programmable.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the embolism detector is a first embolism detector, and the system further includes a second embolism detector operatively coupled to the diverter controller, a detection field of the second embolism detector downfield of the target area;

and the target signal includes an output of the second embolism detector.