Methods and systems for transcaval treatment of aneurysms

Inventors

Kuhn, Matthew

Assignees

Taurus Vascular Inc

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to a shunt for treating an aortic aneurysm. In some embodiments, the shunt may include a central portion, an arterial sealing structure, and a venous sealing. In some embodiments, the venous sealing structure may have a lateral length in its deployed configuration, and the arterial sealing structure having a lateral length in its deployed configuration that is greater than the lateral length of the venous sealing structure. A method of implanting the shunt may include selecting the shunt based on a lateral thickness of a thrombus formed in an aortic aneurysm determined by imaging of the aortic aneurysm. The shunt may be advanced in a delivery configuration through a venous puncture site of a vein to access an arterial puncture site of the artery, and then deployed, thereby enabling blood flow through the central portion of the shunt from the artery to the vein.

Core Innovation

The disclosed transcaval shunt system and method treats an aortic aneurysm in a subject by creating a transcaval access path and delivering a shunt to form a flow pathway through a central portion of the shunt. The shunt includes a proximal venous sealing structure and a distal arterial sealing structure, arranged relative to one another along the shunt so that the distal arterial sealing structure extends laterally farther than the proximal venous sealing structure.

The disclosed approach includes puncturing a vein to define a venous puncture site, puncturing an artery via the venous puncture site to define an arterial puncture site, and delivering an endograft to the aortic aneurysm after the arterial puncture. After puncturing the artery, a shunt is delivered such that a proximal flaring element is disposed within the vein and a distal flaring element is disposed within the artery.

The disclosure further describes configuring the shunt and selecting the shunt based on imaging-determined thrombus characteristics. In particular, the deployed lateral length of the arterial sealing structure or distal flaring element is greater than or sized in relation to lateral thrombus thickness so the arterial sealing spans the thrombus, with self-expandable/flaring configurations and optional features including a flow controller and a filter in a central portion to prevent retrograde flow and to capture embolic debris.

Claims Coverage

The document provides one independent method claim, with dependent claims refining the method by adding access and timing constraints and by specifying structural and functional limitations of the shunt, including relative flaring geometry, optional flow control, and embolic capture.

Across the independent claim and its dependents, the inventive focus is transcaval access using a venous puncture to reach an arterial puncture site, followed by endograft delivery and shunt delivery in which the distal flaring/arterial sealing structure extends laterally farther than the proximal flaring/venous sealing structure. Further refinements described in the claim family relate the distal sealing length to thrombus characteristics determined by imaging and add optional central flow and embolic control features such as a one-way valve and a filter.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications