Thermoformed polymeric valved conduits for heart valve applications
AssigneesGeorgia Tech Research Corporation, Colorado State University Research Foundation
InventorsSrujana JOSHI, Hieu BUI, Lakshmi Prasad DASI, Susan JAMES, Justin GANGWISH
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In accordance with the purposes of the disclosed materials and methods, as embodied and broadly described herein, the disclosed subject matter, in one aspect, relates to a thermoformed polymeric valved conduits for heart valve and methods of using and making thereof. The thermoformed polymeric valved conduits is formed via a thermoforming process that conforms the conduit to a mold; the process forms a conduit that is flexible, resizable, and/or deformable after being formed.
Claims23
A conduit device, comprising:
- a thermoformed conduit comprising a first low melting point thermoplastic material suitable for thermoforming, the thermoformed conduit comprising a first end and a second end and defining a channel therebetween, wherein the conduit device is configured to be surgically implanted in a subject's heart or blood vessel.
The conduit device of claim 1, wherein the thermoformed conduit includes any of the features of claims 24-34.
-22. (canceled)
An expandable conduit device comprising:
- an expandable thermoformed conduit formed of a first low melting point thermoplastic material suitable of thermoforming, the thermoformed conduit comprising a first end and a second end and defining a channel therebetween,
- wherein the expandable thermoformed conduit is configured to have (i) a first configuration having a first circumferential profile and (ii) a second configuration having a second circumferential profile, wherein the second circumferential profile has a larger cross-sectional area than the first circumferential profile,
- wherein the expandable conduit device is configured to be surgically implanted in a subject's heart or blood vessel.
-34. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- providing an expandable thermoformed conduit comprising a low melting point thermoplastic material suitable for thermoforming, the thermoformed conduit comprising a first end and a second end and defining a channel therebetween, wherein the conduit device is configured to be surgically embedded into a subject's heart, the expandable thermoformed conduit configured to have a first configuration having a first circumferential profile at a first position in the channel and a second configuration having a second circumferential profile at the first position, wherein the second circumferential profile has a larger cross-sectional area than the first circumferential profile;
- implanting the expandable thermoformed conduit while the expandable thermoformed conduit is in the first configuration;
- and
- mechanically inducing the expandable thermoformed conduit to the second configuration.
-41. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.