Method for promoting blood vessel healing

• US 5,348,553 A
• Filed: 12/18/1991
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Douglass G. Whitney
• Original Assignee: Douglass G. Whitney
• Inventors: Whitney, Douglass G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parker, Marianne
• Application Number:
  US07/809,334
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 606/34, 606/198, 606/191, 606/192, 606/195, 606/194, 606/198, 606/41, 604/20, 604/21, 604/266, 128/784, 623/1
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22001 Angioplasty, e.g. PCTA
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22038 with a guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8486 provided on at least one of the ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems

Abstract

A method of repairing a blood vessel having a narrowed portion therein comprising the steps of expanding the narrowed portion of the blood vessel so that the diameter of the blood vessel after expansion is enlarged; and then maintaining an electronegative potential on the interior surface of the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel to at least as great as any electropositive potential generated by the blood vessel as a result of the injury to the blood vessel caused by the expansion thereof.

Claims

1. A method of repairing a blood vessel having a narrowed portion therein comprising the steps of:

(a) expanding the narrowed portion of the blood vessel so that the diameter of the blood vessel after expansion is enlarged;

(b) maintaining an electronegative potential on the interior surface of the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel to at least as great as any electropositive potential generated by the blood vessel as a result of an injury to the blood vessel caused by the expansion thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises the substeps of:

(a1) inserting a balloon catheter into the narrowed portion of the blood vessel until a collapsed balloon on the catheter is in alignment with the narrowed portion of the blood vessel; and

(a2) inflating the balloon to forcibly enlarge the narrowed portion of the blood vessel.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(c) locating a stent in the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel with the stent in contact with the interior surface of the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel; and

maintaining the electronegative potential on the stent to at least offset said electropositive potential.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(c) locating intimal cells on the interior of the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel to promote the formation of surface lining of intimal cells on the interior surface while the electronegative potential is maintained thereon.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(c) locating an electrically conductive stent in the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel with the stent in contact with the interior surface of the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel; and

maintaining the electronegative potential on the stent to at least offset said electropositive potential; and

(d) locating intimal cells on the interior of the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel to promote the formation of surface lining of intimal cells on the interior surface while the electronegative potential is maintained thereon.

6. The method of claim 1

wherein step (a) comprises the substeps of:

(a1) locating a stent over a collapsed balloon of a balloon catheter where the stent has an initial diameter smaller than the narrowed portion of the blood vessel;

(a2) inserting the balloon catheter into the narrowed portion of the blood vessel until the collapsed balloon on the catheter is in registration with the narrowed portion of the blood vessel while holding the stent in position over the collapsed balloon of the catheter; and

(a2) inflating the balloon to forcibly enlarge the narrowed portion of the blood vessel and enlarge the stent into contact with the interior of the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel to help maintain the blood vessel enlarged; and

wherein step (b) further includes the substep of

(b1) maintaining the electronegative potential on the stent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises maintaining a current density of about 50 milliamps per square centimeter on the interior surface of the blood vessel.

8. A method of repairing a blood vessel having a narrowed portion therein comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting an electrical potential on the interior surface of the narrowed portion of the blood vessel;

(a) expanding the narrowed portion of the blood vessel so that the diameter of the blood vessel after expansion is enlarged; and

(c) applying an electronegative potential to the interior surface of the expanded narrowed portion of the blood vessel until the electrical potential on the interior surface is about equal to the detected electrical potential on the interior of the narrowed portion of the blood vessel to at least as great as any electropositive potential generated by the blood vessel as a result of an injury to the blood vessel caused by the expansion thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein step (c) further comprises maintaining a current density of about 50 milliamps per square centimeter on the interior surface of the blood vessel.