Ventilation device and insertion system therefor
Inventors
Loushin, Michael K. H. • Leland, Keith J. • Kokate, Jaydeep Yeshwant
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9782298-B2
Publication Date
2017-10-10
Expiration Date
Abstract
A ventilation device includes a hollow body having a main portion, at least one distal member coupled to a distal end of the main portion and at least one proximal member coupled to a proximal end of the main portion. The at least one distal member is formed of a shape memory material. The hollow body includes a deployed state for maintaining an opening in an anatomical structure and an undeployed state. The shape memory material forms the at least one distal member into a deployed position. The shape memory material is reversibly deformed from the deployed state into the undeployed state such that at least the distal member changes in shape to an undeployed position, while the main portion of the hollow body remains unchanged.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a ventilation device and a deployment system having a hollow sheath member with a slot and a ventilation device comprising a hollow body with a main portion having a distal end, a proximal end, an inner wall, and an outer wall. The hollow body includes at least one distal member coupled to the main portion and at least one proximal member coupled to the main portion, with the outer wall defined by a fixed outer width and the at least one proximal member located a proximal distance from the at least one distal member.
In an undeployed state, the hollow body is located inside the hollow sheath member and the at least one distal member is compressed by an inner wall of the hollow sheath member to assume a first position. In the undeployed state, the at least one proximal member protrudes outwardly from the fixed outer width of the outer wall of the main portion and through the slot in the hollow sheath member.
In a deployed state for maintaining an opening in an anatomical structure, the hollow body is located outside the hollow sheath member and the at least one distal member is uncompressed into a second position different from the first position. The at least one proximal member remains unchanged from the undeployed state, including embodiments where the distal member outer end is positioned outwardly relative to the fixed outer width and where proximal and distal members are positioned out of alignment.
Claims Coverage
The identified independent claims are clm-00001, clm-00007, and clm-00012, each covering a deployment system that transitions a ventilation device between an undeployed state inside a hollow sheath and a deployed state outside the hollow sheath by using distal-member compression/uncompression and a proximal-member behavior defined relative to a slot and a fixed outer width/outer diameter. Across the independent claims, the inventive features include a hollow sheath with a slot, a hollow-body ventilation device having distal and proximal members, and state-dependent positioning that maintains an opening in an anatomical structure.
Hollow sheath with slot and state-dependent delivery and deployment
A deployment system comprising a hollow sheath member having a first end and a slot that extends from the first end to a terminating point along the hollow sheath member, and a ventilation device having an undeployed state inside the hollow sheath member and a deployed state outside the hollow sheath member, wherein the distal member(s) are compressed in the undeployed state and uncompressed in the deployed state.
Fixed outer width with proximal-member protrusion through the slot
A hollow body in which the outer wall of the main portion is defined by a fixed outer width, and in the undeployed state the at least one proximal member protrudes outwardly from the fixed outer width and through the slot in the hollow sheath member, while in the deployed state the at least one proximal member remains unchanged.
Distal member uncompression to maintain an opening
In the deployed state for maintaining the opening in the anatomical structure, the at least one distal member is uncompressed into a second position different from the first position, with the hollow body located outside the hollow sheath member.
Distal outer end located outwardly beyond the outer wall in deployed state
A ventilation device where, when in the deployed state, the outer end of the at least one distal member is located outwardly from the outer wall of the main portion, while the proximal member outer end is outwardly from the outer wall in the undeployed state by protruding through the slot and is unchanged in the deployed state.
Tube-based ventilation device with distal flange and proximal flange shifting between compressed and unchanged states
A deployment system where the ventilation device comprises a tube with an inner wall defined by an inner diameter and an outer wall defined by an outer diameter, at least one distal flange coupled to a distal end of the tube and extending to a free end, and a proximal flange coupled to the tube spaced apart from the distal flange, wherein in the undeployed state the free end of the at least one distal flange is compressed by the inner wall of the hollow sheath member and the free end of the proximal flange extends through the slot and is outwardly from the outer diameter of the tube, and in the deployed state the distal flange is uncompressed so the free end is outwardly from the outer diameter while the proximal flange remains unchanged.
Compression/uncompression controlled by sheath inner wall
A deployment system configured so that the at least one distal member is compressed by the inner wall of the hollow sheath member when the ventilation device is in the undeployed state and is uncompressed when the ventilation device is in the deployed state.
Across clm-00001, clm-00007, and clm-00012, the core claim coverage is a deployment system with a hollow sheath member having a slot and a ventilation device that transitions between undeployed and deployed states by compressing/uncompressing distal members via the sheath inner wall, while a proximal member or proximal flange behavior is defined as protruding through the slot in the undeployed state and remaining unchanged in the deployed state. In certain embodiments captured by dependent claims, the distal members’ deployed positioning is constrained relative to a fixed outer width/outer diameter, and proximal and distal members may be out of alignment.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
Maintaining an opening in an anatomical structure using the deployed state of the ventilation device.
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