US6702829B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Medical grafting connectors and fasteners
Assignee: St Jude Medical ATG Inc
•
Filing: 2001-03-02
•
Granted: 2004-03-09
•
Expires: 2021-03-02
Abstract
Abstract A body tissue graft for use in a patient includes a frame structure made of a first elastic material, a covering of a second elastic material on the frame structure, the covering substantially filling openings in the frame structure, and a connector connected to the frame structure. Projections are secured to the connector structure. The projections facilitate attachment of the tubular graft in a patient by securing the graft to the body tissue with which the graft is employed. The connector selectively circumferentially expands and the projections selectively circumferentially expand. This may be done using an inflatable balloon to circumferentially expand the projections. A restraining member may be provided to restrain the projections in a cone shape so that an end of the graft may be used to open an aperture through a side wall of existing body organ tubing and a portion of the projections may enter the aperture.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas J. Bachinski
- 👤 David S. Goldsteen
- 👤 Daniel J. Sullivan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 21:45
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/04; A61F2/06; A61F2/07; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/11; A61F2/064; A61B17/1114; A61B2017/1107; A61B2017/1132; A61B2017/1135; A61B2017/1139; A61F2/82; A61F2/848; A61F2/86; A61F2/88; A61F2/90; A61F2002/061; A61F2002/065; A61F2/30; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30003; A61F2002/3006; A61F2002/30092; A61F2210/00; A61F2210/0014; A61F2220/00; A61F2220/0008; A61F2220/0016; A61F2220/0025; A61F2220/0075; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/10; A61M2025/1043; A61M2025/1052
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim
356 words
A connector for use in making an artificial, fluid-tight connection between an end portion of a tubular graft conduit and a side wall of a tubular body conduit in a patient via an artificially formed aperture in the side wall of the tubular body conduit so that the tubular graft conduit extends from the tubular body conduit outside of the tubular body conduit and the patient's body fluid can flow between lumens of the tubular graft conduit and the tubular body conduit via the connection, the connector comprising: a structure that is annularly continuous but annularly enlargeable and configured for disposition substantially concentric with the tubular graft conduit, the structure including: (a) a plurality of cantilevered, longitudinal, tissue-piercing members disposed in an annular array that is substantially concentric with the annularly continuous structure, a cantilevered length of each of the tissue-piercing members being great enough to allow the tissue-piercing member, in use, to pass all the way through the side wall of the tubular graft conduit and to become partly extraluminal of the tubular graft conduit, the tissue-piercing members having strength sufficient to secure the tubular graft conduit to the connector when thus passed through the side wall of the tubular graft conduit; (b) a plurality of retention fingers disposed in an annular array that is substantially concentric with the annularly continuous structure, the retention fingers being extendable, in use, radially outwardly relative to the artificially formed aperture and inside the tubular body conduit, the retention fingers having length sufficient when thus extended radially outwardly to engage the inside of the side wall of the tubular body conduit at locations annularly around the artificially formed aperture, and the retention fingers having strength sufficient when thus engaged with the inside of the side wall of the tubular body conduit to at least help retain the tubular graft conduit in fluid-tight, artificial connection with the tubular body conduit; and (c) a ring having convolutions that repeatedly traverse a circumference of the structure, wherein the ring is produced from a tube by removing interdigitated portions from the tube, alternating remove portions extending in from opposite ends of the tube.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
356 words
A connector for use in making an artificial, fluid-tight connection between an end portion of a tubular graft conduit and a side wall of a tubular body conduit in a patient via an artificially formed aperture in the side wall of the tubular body conduit so that the tubular graft conduit extends from the tubular body conduit outside of the tubular body conduit and the patient's body fluid can flow between lumens of the tubular graft conduit and the tubular body conduit via the connection, the connector comprising: a structure that is annularly continuous but annularly enlargeable and configured for disposition substantially concentric with the tubular graft conduit, the structure including: (a) a plurality of cantilevered, longitudinal, tissue-piercing members disposed in an annular array that is substantially concentric with the annularly continuous structure, a cantilevered length of each of the tissue-piercing members being great enough to allow the tissue-piercing member, in use, to pass all the way through the side wall of the tubular graft conduit and to become partly extraluminal of the tubular graft conduit, the tissue-piercing members having strength sufficient to secure the tubular graft conduit to the connector when thus passed through the side wall of the tubular graft conduit; (b) a plurality of retention fingers disposed in an annular array that is substantially concentric with the annularly continuous structure, the retention fingers being extendable, in use, radially outwardly relative to the artificially formed aperture and inside the tubular body conduit, the retention fingers having length sufficient when thus extended radially outwardly to engage the inside of the side wall of the tubular body conduit at locations annularly around the artificially formed aperture, and the retention fingers having strength sufficient when thus engaged with the inside of the side wall of the tubular body conduit to at least help retain the tubular graft conduit in fluid-tight, artificial connection with the tubular body conduit; and (c) a ring having convolutions that repeatedly traverse a circumference of the structure, wherein the ring is produced from a tube by removing interdigitated portions from the tube, alternating remove portions extending in from opposite ends of the tube.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-03-09 | 2007-09-08 | 2008-03-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-03-09 | 2011-09-08 | 2012-03-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-03-09 | 2015-09-08 | 2016-03-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |