Methods for removing embolic material in blood flowing through a patient's ascending aorta

• US 6,338,735 B1
• Filed: 03/15/1996
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John H. Stevens
• Original Assignee: John H. Stevens
• Inventors: Stevens, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/615,481
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 604/96, 604/98, 604/99, 604/104, 604/101, 604/191, 604/198, 623/2, 606/191, 606/195, 606/200, 606/170, 606/159
• US Class Current: 606/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320725 with radially expandable cutting or abrading elements A61B17/32075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320758 with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22097 Valve removal in veins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00232 having an irregular shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00261 arranged in a line
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2433 using balloon catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2436 Deployment by retracting a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3653 Interfaces between patient blood circulation and extra-corporal blood circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3659 Cannulae pertaining to extracorporeal circulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0078 for fluid inflow from the body into the catheter lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/028 having a mainly rigid support structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1047 having centering means, e.g. balloons having an appropriate shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1077 having a system for expelling the air out of the balloon before inflation and use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/125 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0041 pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels urethral catheters A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0125 Catheters carried by the bloodstream, e.g. with parachutes; Balloon catheters specially designed for this purpose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/904 : Heart

Abstract

The subject invention relates to a valve replacement system together with methods of preparation and use, are provided for endovascular replacement of a heart valve in a host. The valve replacement system includes up to five components: (1) a prosthetic valve device, (2) a valve introducer device, (3) an intraluminal procedure device, (4) a procedure device capsule, and (5) a tissue cutter. The system provides for endovascular removal of a malfunctioning valve and subsequent replacement with a permanent prosthetic heart valve.

Claims

1. A method of deploying a permeable element in a patient'"'"'s vasculature to trap and remove embolic material contained in blood passing through the vasculature, comprising the steps of:

providing a permeable element which is movable from a collapsed position to an expanded position, the permeable element having a cavity when in the expanded position;

introducing the permeable element into the patient with the permeable element being contained in a capsule in the collapsed position;

expanding the permeable element to the expanded position within the patient'"'"'s vasculature, the permeable element being oriented so that embolic material is trapped in the cavity when blood flows through its permeable element;

flowing blood through the permeable element after the expanding step so that the embolic material is trapped in the cavity of the permeable element;

collapsing the permeable element after the flowing step so that the embolic material trapped by the cavity of the permeable element can be removed; and

removing the permeable element thereby removing the embolic material trapped by the permeable element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the providing step is carried out with the permeable element having a conical shape.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the expanding step is carried out with the conical shape of the permeable element pointing downstream.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

performing a procedure on the patient'"'"'s heart.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the performing step is carried out with the procedure being a procedure on the aortic valve.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

introducing the permeable element into the patient with the permeable element being contained in a capsule in the collapsed position.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the collapsing step is carried out by withdrawing the permeable element into the capsule.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the providing step is carried out with the permeable element having a selective permeability such that only certain size particles may pass through it.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the providing step is carried out with the permeable element being naturally biased toward the expanded position.

10. A method of deploying a permeable element in a patient'"'"'s vasculature to trap and remove embolic material contained in blood passing through the vasculature, comprising the steps of:

providing a permeable element which is movable from a collapsed position to an expanded position, the permeable element having a cavity when in the expanded position;

introducing the permeable element into the patient with the permeable element contained within a capsule, the permeable element being in the collapsed position while in the capsule;

expanding the permeable element to the expanded position within the patient'"'"'s vasculature, the permeable element being oriented so that embolic material is trapped in the cavity when blood flows through the permeable element;

flowing blood through the permeable element after the expanding step so that the embolic material is trapped in the cavity of the permeable element;

withdrawing the permeable element into the capsule after the flowing step so that the permeable element is in the collapsed position and the embolic material is trapped in the collapsed permeable element; and

removing the permeable element thereby removing the embolic material trapped by the permeable element.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the providing step is carried out with the permeable element being a conical shape.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the expanding step is carried out with the conical shape of the permeable element pointing downstream.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

performing a procedure on the patient'"'"'s heart.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the performing step is carried out with the procedure being a procedure on the aortic valve.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the withdrawing step is carried out by pulling the permeable element into the capsule so that the capsule engages and collapses the permeable element.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein

the providing step is carried out with the permeable element having a selective permeability such that only certain size particles may pass through it.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the providing step is carried out with the permeable element being naturally biased toward the expanded position when in the collapsed position.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the expanding step is carried out by pushing the permeable element out of the capsule.

19. A method of deploying a permeable element in a patient'"'"'s vasculature to trap and remove embolic material contained in blood passing through the vasculature, comprising the steps of:

performing a procedure on the aortic valve of the patients heart;

providing a permeable element which is movable from a collapsed position to an expanded position, the permeable element having a cavity when in the expanded position;

expanding the permeable element to the expanded position within the patient'"'"'s vasculature, the permeable element being oriented so that embolic material is trapped in the cavity when blood flows through the permeable element;

flowing blood through the permeable element after the expanding step so that the embolic material is trapped in the cavity of the permeable element;

collapsing the permeable element after the flowing step so that the embolic material trapped by the cavity of the permeable element can be removed; and

removing the permeable element thereby removing the embolic material trapped by the permeable element.

20. A method of deploying a permeable element in a patient'"'"'s vasculature to trap and remove embolic material contained in blood passing through the vasculature, comprising the steps of:

performing a procedure on the aortic valve of the patients heart;

providing a permeable element which is movable from a collapsed position to an expanded position, the permeable element having a cavity when in the expanded position;

introducing the permeable element into the patient with the permeable element contained within a capsule, the permeable element being in the collapsed position while in the capsule;

expanding the permeable element to the expanded position within the patient'"'"'s vasculature, the permeable element being oriented so that embolic material is trapped in the cavity when blood flows through the permeable element;

flowing blood through the permeable element after the expanding step so that the embolic material is trapped in the cavity of the permeable element;

withdrawing the permeable element into the capsule after the flowing step so that the permeable element is in the collapsed position and the embolic material is trapped in the collapsed permeable element; and

removing the permeable element thereby removing the embolic material trapped by the permeable element.