Methods and apparatus for occlusion of body lumens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707124-B2
Application number	US-201414490474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2014
Priority date	Mar 19, 2007
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

The invention describes methods and apparatus for creating permanent occlusion of body lumens such as the fallopian tubes. The methods and apparatus use non-surgical approaches to deliver permanent implants which create acute occlusion of desired body lumens which resolve to permanent occlusions of the lumens.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of using an elongate implantable device to create a permanent occlusion at a desired occlusion site in a fallopian tube, the method comprising:
inserting a distal portion of the elongate implantable device into the fallopian tube using a delivery system, such that a first tissue engaging element of the elongate implantable device carried on the distal portion is located distal of the desired occlusion site and a second tissue engaging element of the elongate implantable device is located outside of, and adjacent to an ostial opening of, the fallopian tube;
actuating the elongate implantable device so as to rotate one of the first and second tissue engaging elements relative to the other of the first and second tissue engaging elements to thereby reduce an open area of the fallopian tube located between the first and second tissue engaging elements; and
decoupling the elongate implantable device from the delivery system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising engaging wall tissue of the fallopian tube with the first tissue engaging element, and engaging wall tissue surrounding the ostial opening with the second tissue engaging element, wherein actuating the implantable device comprises moving the first element towards the second element to thereby form a fold in the fallopian tube wall tissue.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising imaging the occlusion site after actuating the elongate implantable device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second tissue engaging elements are expanded when actuated.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising reversing actuation of the first tissue engaging element, repositioning the elongate implantable device using the delivery system, and re-actuating the first tissue engaging element, respectively, based on images obtained from imaging the occlusion site.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first and second tissue engaging elements comprises at least one tissue penetrating feature configured to respectively engage wall tissue of the fallopian tube or wall tissue surrounding the ostial opening.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein rotating the first tissue engaging element relative to the second tissue engaging element twists a circumferential wall portion of the fallopian tube located between the first and second tissue engaging elements.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising locking the first tissue engaging element relative to the second tissue engaging element after the circumferential wall portion is twisted to thereby maintain the twisted wall portion.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a distance between the first tissue engaging element and the second tissue engaging member before actuating the elongate implantable device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein actuating the elongate implantable device reduces a distance between the first tissue engaging element and the second tissue engaging element.

11. A method of using an elongate implantable device to create a permanent occlusion at a desired occlusion site in a fallopian tube, the method comprising:
inserting a distal portion of the elongate implantable device into the fallopian tube using a delivery system, such that a first tissue engaging element of the elongate implantable device carried on the distal portion is located distal of the desired occlusion site and a second tissue engaging element of the elongate implantable device is located outside of, and adjacent to an ostial opening of, the fallopian tube;
actuating the elongate implantable device so as to expand at least one of the first and second tissue engaging elements, while moving the first tissue engaging element towards the second tissue engaging element, to thereby reduce an open area of the fallopian tube located between the first and second tissue engaging elements; and
decoupling the elongate implantable device from the delivery system.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and/or second tissue engaging elements are self-expanding when the elongate implantable device is actuated.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein one or both of the first and second tissue engaging elements comprises at least one tissue penetrating feature configured to respectively engage wall tissue of the fallopian tube or wall tissue surrounding the ostial opening.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein moving the first tissue engaging element towards the second tissue engaging element comprises rotating the first tissue engaging element relative to the second tissue engaging element.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein rotating the first tissue engaging element relative to the second tissue engaging element twists a circumferential wall portion of the fallopian tube located between the first and second tissue engaging elements, the method further comprising locking the first tissue engaging element relative to the second tissue engaging element after the wall portion is twisted to thereby maintain the twisted wall portion.

16. A method of using an elongate implantable device to create a permanent occlusion at a desired occlusion site in a fallopian tube, the method comprising:
inserting a distal portion of the elongate implantable device into the fallopian tube using a delivery system, such that a first tissue engaging element of the elongate implantable device carried on the distal portion is located distal of the desired occlusion site and a second tissue engaging element of the elongate implantable device is located outside of, and adjacent to an ostial opening of, the fallopian tube;
actuating the elongate implantable device so as to expand the second tissue engaging element and rotate the first tissue engaging element relative to the second tissue engaging element to thereby reduce an open area of the fallopian tube located between the first and second tissue engaging elements; and
decoupling the elongate implantable device from the delivery system.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein actuating the elongate implantable device further comprises expanding the first tissue engaging element.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein one or both of the first and second tissue engaging elements comprises at least one tissue penetrating feature configured to respectively engage wall tissue of the fallopian tube or wall tissue surrounding the ostial opening.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein rotating the first tissue engaging element relative to the second tissue engaging element comprises twisting a circumferential wall portion of the fallopian tube located between the first and second tissue engaging elements, the method further comprising locking the first tissue engaging element relative to the second tissue engaging element after the wall portion is twisted to thereby maintain the twisted wall portion.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting a distance between the first tissue engaging element and the second tissue engaging member before actuating the elongate implantable device.

Assignees

• Hologic Inc

Inventors

• Brenzel Michael P
• Hindrichs Paul J
• Cornelius Richard G

Classifications

• A61B17/12022

  Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires (plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20) · CPC title

• A61B17/12172

  having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape (methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526) · CPC title

• A61B17/12045

  double occlusion, e.g. during anastomosis · CPC title

• A61B17/12099

  characterised by the location of the occluder · CPC title

• A61B2017/4233

  Operations on Fallopian tubes, e.g. sterilization (A61B2017/1125 takes precedence) · CPC title