| Delayed memory device -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Delayed memory deviceUSPTO Application #: 20060184230Title: Delayed memory device Abstract: A delivery system for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to a native valve site within the human vasculature. The prosthetic valve is disposed on a balloon at the end of a balloon catheter. The balloon catheter passes through a delivery sleeve assembly and handle. A pull wire travels from the handle to a distal end of the delivery sleeve assembly. Actuation of the handle pulls on the pull wire, which causes openings in a slotted tube of the delivery sleeve assembly to close, thus causing the delivery sleeve assembly to bend. A stretchable cover is placed over the slotted tube for biasing the steerable catheter toward a straight position. Once advanced to the native valve site, the prosthetic valve is deployed by inflating the balloon. (end of abstract) Agent: Edwards Lifesciences LLC Legal Department - Irvine, CA, US Inventors: Jan Otto Solem, Per Ola Kimblad USPTO Applicaton #: 20060184230 - Class: 623001150 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Prosthesis (i.e., Artificial Body Members), Parts Thereof, Or Aids And Accessories Therefor, Arterial Prosthesis (i.e., Blood Vessel), Stent Structure The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060184230. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] The present application is a divisional of co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/141,348, filed on May 9, 2002, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a medical device for providing a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism. The invention further relates to a device and a method for reshaping a body vessel, and a device and a method for restraining growth of a body organ of an organism. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] At present the treatment of mitral annulus dilatation and other mitral insufficiencies consists of either repair or mitral valve replacements. Both methods require open-heart surgery, by the use of total cardiopulmonary by-pass, aortic cross-clamping and cardioplegic arrest. To certain groups of patients, open-heart surgery is particularly hazardous and therefore a less invasive method for repair of mitral insufficiency is desired. [0004] Such a less invasive method is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,432, which describes a method for treatment of mitral insufficiency without the need for cardiopulmonary by-pass and opening of the chest and heart. The method uses a device comprising an elongate body having such dimensions as to be insertable into the coronary sinus, which is a vein that substantially encircles the mitral orifice and annulus and drains blood from the myocardium to the right atrium. The elongate body has two states, in a first of which the elongate body has a shape that is adaptable to the shape of the coronary sinus, and to the second of which the elongate body is transferable from said first state assuming a reduced radius of curvature. Consequently, the radius of curvature of the coronary sinus is reduced. Due to the coronary sinus encircling the mitral annulus, the radius of curvature as well as the circumference of the mitral annulus are reduced. Thus, the described method takes advantage of the position of the coronary sinus being close to the mitral annulus, which makes repair possible by the use of current catheter-guided techniques. [0005] According to one method described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,432, a device comprising an elongate stent is used. The elongate stent includes hooks which are arranged to dig into the walls of the coronary sinus, by means of the surgeon retracting a cover sheet from the stent, in order to fix the position of the stent in the coronary sinus. A stabilizing instrument is used for keeping the elongate stent in its first state and then, after the hooks have dug into the walls, releasing it to its second state assuming a reduced radius of curvature. However, the position fixation of the elongate stent in the coronary sinus by means of the hooks might be insufficient, so that the sudden release of the contraction of the elongate stent dislocates it. This dislocation of the device might result in unsatisfactory reduction of the circumference of the mitral annulus. [0006] According to an alternative method described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,432 the device comprises three stent sections that are positioned in the coronary sinus and connected by wires. The wires may be maneuvered from outside the vein system such that the distances between the adjacent stent sections are reduced. Also with this method there is a risk of dislocation of the device, since the surgeon might accidentally move insufficiently fixed stent sections out of their proper position while manipulating them from outside the vein system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a more secure fixation of a medical device for providing a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism. [0008] A particular object of the invention is to provide a more secure fixation of a device for reshaping a body vessel, as described above. [0009] These and other objects are achieved by a device and method as defined in the claims. [0010] More particularly, according to one aspect of the present invention, a medical device being insertable into the body of an organism comprises a member having a preferred state of shape, towards which the member by means of inherent forces strives when being in a non-preferred state of shape, and a delay means having a weakenable inherent stiffness to hold the member in the non-preferred state of shape for a period of time after the device is inserted into the body of the organism. The member is by means of said inherent forces arranged to provide a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism, whereas the delay means is arranged to delay the change of shape for a period of time. The time period is determined by how fast the weakening of said inherent stiffness proceeds. By delaying the change of shape this way, the device is allowed to heal on to body tissue of the organism before a change of shape of the device occurs. Which parts of the device that become fixed by the healing process can be determined by means of the design of the device. The normal healing process that occurs in every living organism is thus allowed to provide a well-established fixation of the device. Hence, the present invention provides a more secure fixation of a medical device for providing a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism. [0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said delay means holds said member in a non-preferred state of shape by counteracting the inherent forces of the member. Thus, the delay means is arranged to apply force to the member by means of the inherent stiffness, in order to counteract the inherent shape-changing forces of the member and thereby restrain the member from changing its shape. [0012] Preferably, said delay means holds said member in a non-preferred state of shape while the inherent stiffness of the delay means overcomes the inherent forces of the member. That is, there is an equilibrium between the inherent forces of the member and the inherent stiffness of the delay means, and when the stiffness of the delay means no longer is strong enough to balance the inherent forces of the member, the change of shape will occur. [0013] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, said delay means comprises a decomposable material. In this way, the inherent stiffness of the delay means is allowed to weaken simply as a result of the decomposable material of the delay means being decomposed. [0014] Preferably, said delay means comprises a resorbable material. A resorbable material is a material that when it is inserted into the body of an organism, it will be resorbed by the body by means of enzymatic processes, by active absorption by the cells in the blood and tissue cells of the body, and/or by hydrolysis. Thus, the resorbable material of the delay means will advantageously be decomposed and vanish from the device by time, without leaving any major waste products in the body. [0015] In another preferred embodiment, said member comprises an elastic material. An elastic material can in a simple way be forced to adopt a non-preferred shape. [0016] In yet another preferred embodiment, said member comprises a material having superelasticity properties. Superelasticity properties means that the material may be deformed and in the deformed state the material will use its superelasticity forces to return to its preferred shape. These superelasticity forces thus constitute advantageously at least part of said inherent forces providing said strive towards said preferred state of shape of the member. [0017] Preferably, said member comprises a shape memory material. A shape memory material is a material that has two different forms, one at lower temperatures and another at higher temperatures. At the lower temperatures, e.g. below 30.degree. C., the material is elastic and may be introduced into the body. At the higher temperatures, the material is still elastic but becomes also superelastic and assumes its preferred original shape unless the transformation to this original shape is obstructed by external stress to the material. The use of a shape memory material in the member is advantageous inter alia because then one can easily provide the device with said delay means while the member, at a lower temperature outside the body, more easily remains in a shape corresponding to said non-preferred state of shape inside the body. [0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a medical device for providing a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism comprises a first set of forces working towards a change of shape of the device, and a second set of forces working for preserving a present shape of the device and thereby counteracting said first set of forces. Said first and said second sets of forces are each inherent in a solid material of the device, and the forces of said second set of forces are arranged to decrease as a result of said solid material interacting chemically with said part of the body. As a result of the chemical interaction between the solid material of the device and the surrounding body, the forces of the second set of forces decrease and thus allow the device to provide said change of shape after a while, when parts of the device have become fixed in the body by a healing process. An advantage of the present invention, except that it provides a more secure fixation, is that there is no need for a stabilizing surgical instrument for keeping a present shape of the device during operation, since the shape is preserved by means of said second set of forces being inherent in the device itself. [0019] Preferably said second set of forces is inherent in a decomposable material as mentioned above. [0020] Said forces of said second set of forces are preferably arranged to decrease as a result of said solid material being decomposed by said part of the body. Continue reading... Full patent description for Delayed memory device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Delayed memory device patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Delayed memory device or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Vascular endograft Next Patent Application: Methods and apparatus for curved stent Industry Class: Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or aids and accessories therefor ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Delayed memory device patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.3601 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Qualcomm , Schering-Plough , Schlumberger , Seagate , Siemens , Texas Instruments , |
||
