Remote actuated valve implant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9333067-B2
Application number	US-201414177652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2014
Priority date	Mar 23, 2009
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

Valve implant systems positionable within a flow passage, the systems having an inlet, an outlet, and a remotely activatable valve between the inlet and outlet, with the valves being operable to provide intermittent occlusion of the flow path. A remote field is applied to provide thermal or magnetic activation of the valves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermally actuated valve comprising:
a tubing comprising an interior sidewall defining a lumen therethrough;
a thermally responsive polymer arranged within the lumen of the tubing; and
a thermal actuating element arranged to the thermally responsive polymer and within the lumen of the tubing, wherein the thermal actuating element comprises:
a coil wire and a resistance heater electrically connected to the coil wire, wherein in response to an external electric field, a current is induced in the coil wire to power the resistance heater to heat the thermally responsive polymer to switch the thermally responsive polymer between at least a swollen state within the lumen of the tubing and a shrunken state within the lumen of the tubing to vary a flow rate of fluid through the lumen.

2. The thermally actuated valve of claim 1 ,
wherein within at least a portion of the tubing, the thermal actuating element is arranged to be spaced away from the interior sidewall of the tubing, and
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is arranged to the thermal actuating element such that in the shrunken state an annular flow path is formed between the thermally responsive polymer and the interior sidewall of the tubing.

3. The thermally actuated valve of claim 2 ,
wherein the thermal actuating element further comprises a capillary within which the coil wire and the resistance heater are arranged, and
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is arranged on the capillary.

4. The thermally actuated valve according to claim 1 ,
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is configured to be in swollen state at a base level temperature, and
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is configured to be heated by the thermal actuating element to switch from the swollen state to the shrunken state.

5. The thermally actuated valve according to claim 4 ,
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is configured such that the base level temperature is a predetermined physiological body temperature.

6. A valve implant system comprising:
a thermally activated valve comprising:
a tubing comprising an interior sidewall defining a lumen therethrough;
a thermally responsive polymer arranged within the lumen of the tubing; and
a thermal actuating element arranged to the thermally responsive polymer and within the lumen of the tubing, wherein the thermal actuating element comprises:
a coil wire and a resistance heater electrically connected to the coil wire, wherein in response to an external electric field, a current is induced in the coil wire to power the resistance heater to heat the thermally responsive polymer to switch the thermally responsive polymer between at least a swollen state within the lumen of the tubing and a shrunken state within the lumen of the tubing to vary a flow rate of fluid through the lumen; and

an inlet in communication with a first opening of the lumen of the tubing of the thermally activated valve; and
an outlet in communication with a second opening of the lumen of the tubing of the thermally activated valve.

7. The valve implant system of claim 6 ,
wherein within at least a portion of the tubing, the thermal actuating element is arranged to be spaced away from the interior sidewall of the tubing, and
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is arranged to the thermal actuating element such that in the shrunken state an annular flow path is formed between the thermally responsive polymer and the interior sidewall of the tubing.

8. The valve implant system of claim 7 ,
wherein the thermal actuating element further comprises a capillary within which the coil wire and the resistance heater are arranged, and
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is arranged on the capillary.

9. The valve implant system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is configured to be in swollen state at a base level temperature, and
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is configured to be heated by the thermal actuating element to switch from the swollen state to the shrunken state.

10. The valve implant system according to claim 9 ,
wherein the thermally responsive polymer is configured such that the base level temperature is a predetermined physiological body temperature.

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc

Inventors

• Mcknight Timothy E
• Johnson Anthony
• Moise Kenneth J
• Ericson Milton Nance
• Baba Justin S
• Wilgen John B
• Evans Boyd Mccutchen

Classifications

• A61M2205/0283

  Electro-active polymers [EAP] · CPC title

• A61M2205/3569

  sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable · CPC title

• A61M2205/04

  implanted · CPC title

• A61M2205/3653

  by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance · CPC title

• A61M2205/8243

  by induction · CPC title