IMPROVED ARTIFICIAL VALVE

• US 20110196476A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kirk Promotion Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Milux Holding SA
• Inventors: Forsell, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 10,219,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2421 with non-pivoting rigid closure members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/009 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants

Abstract

The invention discloses an artificial valve (10, 20, 30, 50) for implantation in a mammal body, in or adjacent to a mammal blood vessel, comprising a casing (12, 37, 61) and a closing mechanism, with at least part of said closing mechanism being a first moving part (11; 21, 22; 31, 32, 33; 51) adapted to make movements relative to said casing (12, 37, 61), said movements being to assume an open and a closed position for opening and closing, respectively, the blood flow through said blood vessel, as well as to positions in between said open and closed positions. In the valve of the invention, the closing mechanism is adapted to be powered in its movements to the closed position, with the powering being at least in part by means of a power mechanism (76, 83) external to the blood vessel.

Claims

1. An artificial valve (30, 50) for implantation in a mammal body, in or adjacent to a mammal blood vessel, the artificial valve comprising a casing (O′

, O″

;

61) and a closing mechanism, with at least part of said closing mechanism being a first moving part (31, 32, 33;

51) adapted to make movements relative to said casing (O′

, O″

;

61), said movements being movements to assume an open and a closed position for opening and closing, respectively, the blood flow through said blood vessel, as well as to positions in between said open and closed positions, characterized in that the first moving part is adapted to receive energy for at least one of its movements at least in part from an energy device (801, 802, 803;

611-619, 611′

-619′

) which is also comprised in the artificial valve and arranged to be placed external to said blood vessel.

2. The valve (30, 50) of claim 1, in which said closing mechanism is arranged to cause the first moving part (31, 32, 33;

51) to move between two desired positiims by means of giving the moving part kinetic energy in a plurality of steps in its movement between said two desired positions.

3. The valve (10, 20, 30, 50) of claim 1, in which said closing mechanism comprises one or more magnets (804, 805, 806, 807;

619, 620, 621′

) adapted to receive energy from the energy device as a first pulse, said one or more magnets further being adapted to receive one or more additional pulses with a time delay in relation to said first pulse to cause said kinetic movement of said first valve member.

4. The valve (30, 50) of claim 1, in which the closing mechanism comprises at least two magnets (804, 805, 806, 807;

619, 620, 621), said closing mechanism being adapted to receive said additional pulses to affect a different magnet or a different group of magnets than said first pulse.

5. The valve (10, 20, 30, 50) of claim 1, in which said closing mechanism comprises a coil (801, 802, 803;

611-619, 611′

-619′

) which is adapted to be energized so as to cause said movement of the closing mechanism.

6. The valve (10, 20, 30, 50) of claim 1, in which said closing mechanism comprises a coil (801, 802, 803;

611-619, 611′

-619′

) (83) which is adapted to be energized stepwise with two or more energy pulses so as to cause said movement of the closing mechanism.

7. The valve (10, 20, 30, 50) of claim 1, in which said closing mechanism comprises a plurality of coils (801, 802, 803;

611-619, 611′

-619′

) (83) which are adapted to be energized stepwise so as to cause said movement of the closing mechanism.

8. The valve of claim 1, in which at least either the magnets (804, 805, 806, 807;

619, 620, 621), or the coils (801, 802, 803;

611-619, 611′

-619′

) are arranged at intervals in the casing (61) along an intended path of movement of the moving part (51).

9. The artificial valve of claim 1, in which valve (50) the first moving part of the closing mechanism is adapted to assume a position at least partly placed outside of the blood vessel when the valve is in a non-closed position in the mammal body.

10. The artificial valve of claim 1, in which the first moving part is adapted to, when the valve is arranged in or adjacent to an opening in said blood vessel (52), move in an opening in the blood vessel to limit or close the blood flow through said vessel, with at least a portion of said first moving part (51) assuming a position external to said blood vessel in a non-closed position.

11. The artificial valve of claim 1, in which the first moving part is arranged to move in said opening in a direction which is essentially perpendicular to the extension of the blood vessel.

12. The artificial valve of claim 1, in which the first moving part comprises an elongated essentially flat plate (51) which is adapted to, when the valve is arranged in or adjacent to an opening in said blood vessel (52), move in a direction essentially perpendicular to said blood vessel to limit or close the blood flow through said vessel, with at least a portion of said first moving part (51) assuming a position external to said blood vessel in a non-closed position.

13. The artificial valve (50) of claim 1, in which the closing mechanism is housed in the casing (61), with the first moving part (51) being adapted to protrude from the housing (61) in its closing movements.

14. The valve (50) of claim 1, also comprising a biasing mechanism (82) for biasing the plate (51) to an open position.

15. The valve (50) of claim 14, in which said biasing mechanism comprises a spring mechanism (82).

16. The valve (50) of claim 1, in which said first moving part (51) is given a curved or semicircular shape at the end (53) of the part which will be the first to enter said opening in the blood vessel during a closing movement of the first moving part (51), whereby the first moving part is adapted to fit against a distal inner wall of the blood vessel in order to close or limit the passage of blood in said blood vessel.

17. The valve (50) of claim 1, in which an outer wall (62) of the casing (61) is concavely curved to essentially coincide with the outer shape of a blood vessel, said curved outer wall (62) also comprising an opening (63) for the first moving part (51), through which opening it can move in its movements, with the tolerance between the dimensions of the opening and the first moving part being such that the movements are enabled, but also such that leakage of blood between the first moving part and the opening is essentially eliminated.

18. The valve (50) of claim 1, in which the casing (61,) also comprises at least a first curved protruding part (64, 65) for surrounding at least , part of the circumference of a blood vessel (52);

for attachment of the valve to said blood vessel.

19. The valve (50) of claim 1, in which the casing (61) also comprises at least first (64) and second (65) curved protruding parts for surrounding at least part of the circumference of a blood vessel, for attachment of the valve to said blood vessel.

20. The valve (50) of claim 18, in which the protruding part or parts, together with said concave outer wall, are adapted to be attached to the blood vessel by means of a vascular graft (82).

21-137. -137. (canceled)