Device for collapsing an appliance collapsible for insertion into human organs

Abstract

An artificial body vessel to be inserted into a human organ is collapsed and introduced into a catheter, which is brought to a required position in the human organ, where the artificial body vessel is released therefrom. A pair of foldable, elastic wire rings 10 are provided at the opposite ends of the artificial body vessel. A plurality of connecting wire rings bridge the end wire rings 10. A plurality of intermediate wire rings 12 bind and keep the connecting wire rings 11 transformed in a generally elliptical shape. The end wire rings 10, the intermediate wire rings 12 and the connecting wire rings 11 are folded by means of a string passed through loops to collapse the artificial body vessel 7. The collapsed artificial body vessel 7 is inserted into a catheter. At the objective position of the blood vessel the artificial body vessel 7 is released, so that the resiliency of the end wire rings 10, the intermediate wire rings 12 and the connecting wire rings 11 restores the artificial body vessel 7 to its original tubular shape. The artificial body vessel 7 is released by means of a tube, formed with a side window adjacent its front end, containing a wire which extends along the side window.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.