Implantable urinary tract valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9763762-B2
Application number	US-201414495002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A urinary tract valve includes an expandable valve element positionable within a bladder of a patient via a urinary tract of the patient in a collapsed configuration. The expandable valve element is configured to transition from the collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration after being positioned within the bladder of the patient. The expandable valve element includes a ferromagnetic element that facilitates selective control of the expandable valve element with a magnetic field between an open position and a closed position when positioned within the bladder of the patient. In the closed position, the expandable valve element is configured to seal an internal urethral opening of the patient. In the open position, the expandable valve element is configured to allow urine to pass from the bladder of the patient, through an internal urethral opening of the patient and into a urethra of the patient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
an expandable valve element configured to be positioned within a bladder of a patient via a urinary tract of the patient when the expandable valve element is in a collapsed configuration,
wherein the expandable valve element is configured to transition from the collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration after being positioned within the bladder of the patient via the urinary tract of the patient, wherein the expandable valve element includes a through-hole,
wherein the expandable valve element includes a ferromagnetic element that facilitates selective control of the expandable valve element with a magnetic field between an open position and a closed position when positioned within the bladder of the patient,
wherein, in the closed position and in the expanded configuration, the expandable valve element is configured to seal an internal urethral opening of the patient by sealing the through-hole with the ferromagnetic element, and
wherein, in the open position, the expandable valve element is configured to allow urine to pass from the bladder of the patient via the through-hole, through the internal urethral opening of the patient and into a urethra of the patient.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable valve element comprises an elastomeric outer element, wherein the elastomeric outer element assumes a shape configured to facilitate sealing of the internal urethral opening of the patient while in a substantially relaxed state.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable valve element comprises an elastomeric outer element providing an approximate cone shape when in a relaxed state, wherein the elastomeric outer element forms the through-hole at a center of the cone shape,
wherein, when the expandable valve element is in the expanded configuration, the elastomeric outer element assumes the cone shape,
wherein the elastomeric outer element is configured to be positioned within the bladder such that the through-hole at the center of the cone shape is coincident with the internal urethral opening of the patient; and
an inner element that includes the ferromagnetic element, the inner element being flexibly secured to the elastomeric outer element such that the elastomeric inner element is configured to seal the through-hole at the center of the cone shape to provide the closed position,
wherein the elastomeric outer element is configured to collapse within an insertion catheter to provide the collapsed configuration of the expandable valve element.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the elastomeric outer element includes an annular tubular portion opposite the inner element, wherein the annular tubular portion forms the hole at the center of the cone shape and is configured to extend within the urethra of the patient when the expandable valve element is positioned within the bladder of the patient.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein, when the expandable valve element is positioned within the bladder of the patient, the annular tubular portion is configured to extend beyond an external urinary sphincter of the patient such that the annular tubular portion is configured to maintain a flow passage within the urethra from the hole at the center of the cone shape to a position within the urethra beyond the external urinary sphincter.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable valve element comprises an elastomeric outer element providing an approximate cone shape when in a relaxed state, wherein the elastomeric outer element forms the through-hole at a center of the cone shape.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the elastomeric outer element includes an annular tubular portion opposite the inner element, wherein the annular tubular portion forms the through-hole at the center of the cone shape and is configured to extend within the urethra of the patient when the expandable valve element is positioned within the bladder of the patient.

8. A system comprising:
an external magnet configured to produce a magnetic field; and
an implantable device, the implantable device comprising an expandable valve element configured to be positioned within a bladder of a patient via a urinary tract of the patient when the expandable valve element is in a collapsed configuration,
wherein the expandable valve element is configured to transition from the collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration after being positioned within the bladder of the patient via the urinary tract of the patient, wherein the expandable valve element includes a through-hole,
wherein the expandable valve element includes a ferromagnetic element that facilitates selective control of the expandable valve element with the magnetic field between an open position and a closed position when positioned within the bladder of the patient,
wherein, in the closed position and in the expanded configuration, the expandable valve element is configured to seal an internal urethral opening of the patient by sealing the through-hole with the ferromagnetic element,
wherein, in the open position, the expandable valve element is configured to allow urine to pass from the bladder of the patient via the through-hole, through the internal urethral opening of the patient and into a urethra of the patient.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the expandable valve comprises an elastomeric outer element providing an approximate cone shape when in a relaxed state, wherein the elastomeric outer element forms the through-hole at a center of the cone shape,
wherein, when the expandable valve element is in the expanded configuration, the elastomeric outer element assumes the cone shape,
wherein the elastomeric outer element is configured to be positioned within the bladder such that the through-hole at the center of the cone shape is coincident with the internal urethral opening of the patient; and
an inner element that includes the ferromagnetic element, the inner element being flexibly secured to the elastomeric outer element such that the elastomeric inner element is configured to seal the through-hole at the center of the cone shape to provide the closed position,
wherein the elastomeric outer element is configured to collapse within an insertion catheter to provide the collapsed configuration of the expandable valve element.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the magnet is an electromagnet.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a programmer in wireless communication with a wearable magnet device that includes the electromagnet,
wherein the programmer and the wearable magnet device are configured to allow a user to selectively control the expandable valve element to seal and unseal the internal urethral opening of the patient by changing a current applied to the electromagnet.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a insertion catheter configured to facilitate the implantation of the expandable valve element in the collapsed configuration via the urinary tract of the patient and a remote deployment of the expandable valve element within the bladder of the patient.

13. A method comprising:
providing a urinary tract valve system; and
inputting a control signal to vacate urine from a user's bladder via a programmer of the urinary tract valve system,
wherein the urinary tract valve system comprises:
the programmer;
a wearable magnet device that includes an electromagnet; and
an implantable device, the implantable device comprising an expandable valve element configured to be positioned within a bladder of a patient via a urinary tract of the patient when the expandable valve element is in a collapsed configuration,
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Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Wei Xuan K
• Bonde Eric H
• Bombeck Charles Thomas

Classifications

• A61F2/0027 Primary

  inflatable · CPC title

• A61F2/0022

  placed deep in the body opening (occluding blood vessels by internal devices A61B17/12022) · CPC title

• A61F2/0018 Primary

  magnetic · CPC title