Tissue approximation device
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorBarry Gellman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical device includes a first catheter; a second catheter slidably disposed within the first catheter; a first expansible member disposed about the first catheter; a second expansible member disposed about the second catheter; and a locking mechanism for interlocking the first catheter and the second catheter to prevent relative movement between the first catheter and the second catheter. The first expansible member and the second expansible member are structured so as to approximate a first vessel and a second vessel.
Claims20
A device for approximating first and second tubular vessel segments, comprising:
- a first catheter;
- a second catheter slidably disposed within the first catheter;
- a first expansible member disposed about the first catheter wherein, in an expanded configuration, a diameter and material of the first expansible member are selected to frictionally engage an inner wall of a first vessel segment having a diameter greater than an outer diameter of the first catheter;
- a second expansible member disposed about the second catheter, the second expansible member being sized and shaped so that, when in an insertion configuration, a diameter of the second expansible member is less than an inner diameter of the first catheter so that the second catheter and the second expansible member are slidable within the first catheter and wherein, the second expansible member is constructed so that, when in an expanded configuration, a diameter and material of the second expansible member are selected to frictionally engage an inner wall of a second vessel segment having a diameter greater than an outer diameter of the second catheter so that, when the first and second expansible members are in frictional engagement with the first and second vessel segments, respectively, movement of the first and second catheters toward one another draws the first and second vessels toward one another;
- and
- a locking mechanism for interlocking the first catheter and the second catheter to prevent relative movement between the first catheter and the second catheter.
A method for approximating a first vessel and a second vessel comprising:
- inserting a catheter assembly comprising a first catheter, a second catheter slidably disposed within the first catheter, a first expansible member disposed about the first catheter, and a second expansible member disposed about the second catheter;
- positioning the first expansible member within the first vessel;
- expanding the first expansible member to a diameter greater than an outer diameter of the first catheter to frictionally engage an inner wall of the first vessel;
- positioning the second expansible member within the second vessel by sliding the second catheter within the first catheter;
- expanding the second expansible member within the second vessel to a diameter greater than an outer diameter of the second catheter to frictionally engage an inner wall of the second vessel;
- and
- sliding the second catheter toward the first catheter to draw the two vessels toward one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.