EP3280364A1 - System for applying an implant, implant and application device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for applying an implant (2), in particular a self-expanding implant (2), to an implantation site, preferably to a blood vessel or the heart, comprising a lock-forming catheter (1) and an implant (2) to be applied which is inserted therein, which can be transported through the lock-forming catheter (1) to the implantation site, in which the implant (2), on the side thereof which faces towards the implantation site, has a through element (3), through which a guide wire (6) in the lock-forming catheter (1) is fed, and a pusher catheter (7) is arranged in the lock-forming catheter (1), which encloses the guide wire (6) and can be pushed on the guide wire (6) towards the implantation site, and the through element (3) forms a non-penetrating stop for the end of the pusher catheter, which end points towards the implantation site. The invention also relates to an application device for applying an implant (2) and an implant for use with the system or the application device.

Description

 System for the application of an implant, implant and

applicator

The invention relates to a system for applying an implant, in particular a self-expanding implant, to an implantation site, preferably a blood vessel or the heart, comprising a sluice-forming catheter and an implant to be implanted inserted therein

sluice-forming catheter can be transported to the implantation site.

The invention further relates to an application device for applying an implant to an implantation site of a body having a first hollow catheter for forming a lock from a location outside a body to an implantation site within the body, as well as an implant for use with such Application device or a system of the aforementioned type is used.

In the prior art it is generally known, for example, to position implants within the body at an implantation site during operations on the human or even animal body. In this case, a medically necessary function is to be taken over regularly by the implant then present at the implantation site.

Typical applications include, for example, stents as an implant, which are used in blood vessels to reopen a closed blood vessel or

CONFIRMATION COPY to prevent a threatening closure. Another application to be named, for example, is to implant heart valve prostheses in a heart or to position a closure element as an implant while maintaining the natural heart valves in the passage area of the heart valves, which fixes a so-called heart valve insufficiency, for example the mitral valve or the tricuspid valve.

The invention to be described further is particularly preferred for use in the aforementioned operations, but is in principle not limited thereto.

The application of implants, in particular of such implants to be applied in a vessel or the heart, is carried out regularly such that a transport path is opened by means of a lock-forming catheter, through which the implant to be applied from a location outside the body to the implantation can be transported.

In this case, both implants can be applied, which retain their original size as well as those which are self-expanding or are actively expanded at the implantation site, e.g. by means of a balloon.

According to the known methods, the procedure is usually such that the implant to be applied after prior positioning of the

sluice-forming catheter is inserted into the catheter at the open end of this catheter located outside the body and thereafter by means of a sliding device, for example a push wire, through the catheter

sluice-forming catheter is advanced through to the implantation site to be positioned at this location and optionally actively or automatically expanded.

In this type of procedure, it is considered problematic that the entire implant to be applied is arranged in the sliding direction in front of the pushing force-exerting end of the pusher and thus due acting friction between the implant and the inner walls of the sluice-forming catheter, the implant tends to increase in cross-section, which makes further advancement difficult. Implantations of this kind must therefore be carefully and carefully performed to this

reduce adverse effect.

This named adverse effect is particularly significant when self-expanding implants are to be applied in this manner, since they already want to expand without the action of an advancing force by the tendency to self-expand, an increased friction on the inner walls of the

generate a sluice-forming catheter. Especially with long and winding transport routes, this effect is problematic.

It is an object of the invention, a system of the type mentioned, an application device of the type mentioned and suitable

To provide implants, with which the aforementioned adverse effect in the sliding application of an implant is eliminated by a sluice-forming catheter.

This object is achieved in a system in that the implant of such a system on its side facing the implantation site

Passage element has, through which a guidewire lying in the sluice-forming catheter is placed and in the sluice-forming catheter is arranged a sliding catheter which surrounds the guide wire and which is displaceable on the guide wire in the direction of implantation and for the implantation point facing end of the passage element a non-penetrable Stop forms.

A passage element may be formed, for example, in a simple structural configuration by a ring or a sleeve, in particular whose / whose inner diameter is greater than the diameter of the guide wire and smaller than the outer diameter of the sliding catheter. An application device according to the invention is provided in that, in addition to a first hollow catheter, which is designed to form a sluice and thus also referred to as a sluice-forming catheter, it has a guide wire, which can be inserted into the first catheter and pushed forward to an implantation site and which further has a second hollow catheter which is hollow in the first one

Catheter is inserted and over the guidewire is pushed over and is displaceable for the purpose of moving an implant along the guide wire in the first hollow catheter. For the purposes of the invention, the second hollow catheter, which is used for the purpose of moving the implant, also referred to as a sliding catheter.

An implant according to the invention, which is intended for use with an aforementioned system or an aforementioned application device, is further developed in comparison to previous implants in that it includes a

Passage element, e.g. as a ring / sleeve, which has an inner

Has recess through which a guide wire is feasible and the recess is dimensioned so that the ring member for the open end of a hollow, guided on the guide wire catheter, namely in particular the second catheter or sliding catheter of the aforementioned application device or the system makes a stop.

The term "guidewire" does not necessarily imply that it is a metal wire, although it may.

An essential core idea of the invention is that, in contrast to the prior art, in a movement of the implant with the system according to the invention or the application device according to the invention on the implant in whole now no more pushing force acts on the side facing away from the implantation site of the implant, but in that the

Passage element of the implant is located on the side facing the implantation site of the implant, which acts on the passage element sliding Force of the sliding catheter the pulling element attached to the remaining part of the implant pulling moves with.

As a result, the implant is stretched during movement in the catheter and not compressed as in the prior art. Frictional forces between

Implant and the inner wall of the sluice-forming catheter are therefore reduced by this application method. It is therefore particularly preferred with the said system or the application device and self-expanding implants are applied because of the

Passing force exerted on the rest of the implant pulling force of Selbstbstexpansionskraft at least partially counteracts.

Thus, the feed force of the in the sluice-forming catheter

If no further effect has at least no significant effect on the remainder of the implant, the invention may, in a first aspect, provide for the implant to be arranged laterally next to the catheter in the sluice-forming catheter

Guide wire and is located next to the sliding catheter and the

Guide wire penetrates only the passage element of the implant, but not the rest of the implant.

However, according to a second aspect, the invention can also provide for the implant in the sluice-forming catheter to be completely or at least partially penetrated by the guidewire and the sliding catheter in the construction facing the implantation site. Such an embodiment can be provided, in particular, when an implant is to be applied, that an inner passage region, optionally also in its

compressed state, which is large enough to guide the guide wire and the sliding catheter therethrough. This may in particular be the case with stents as an implant to be applied.

As an implant of the type according to the invention, in principle, any implant already known in the prior art can be used if it is attached to the implant the implantation site facing side of the invention

Passage element has, through which the guide wire is pushed through and which forms the stop according to the invention for the guided over the guide wire sliding catheter. For example, the abovementioned stents can also be artificial heart valves or closure bodies for reducing or eliminating heart valve insufficiency

Passage element according to the invention are provided, in the simplest case with a ring or a sleeve.

In principle, the invention can provide that the arrangement of a passage element on one of the abovementioned implants, but also on any other known in the prior art or even to

developing implant is made only for the purpose of transport through the lock-forming catheter and the

Passage element and optionally provided for its attachment to the implant elements after the application of the implant no further

Function takes over more.

However, according to another aspect, the invention can also provide that the passage element of the implant is part of a fastening device of the implant, with which the implant after implantation at the implantation site, in particular after expansion of at least the fastening device, in particular the rest of the implant in the body

Implantation site is fastened.

Thus, the passage element (for example, ring or sleeve) in such an embodiment not only assumes a mere transport function, but can also at least partially play a functional role in the attachment of the implant to the implant

Example take in a body lumen, such as a vessel or a heart chamber.

In both aforementioned embodiments, it can provide the invention that the passage element of the implant over at least two, preferably resilient webs is spaced from the rest of the implant.

In this case, the spacing with respect to the position which the implant occupies during transport through the sluice-forming catheter takes place in such a way that the at least two preferably elastic webs extend from the rest of the implant in the direction of the implantation site and the passage element.

Especially when these webs and possibly the attached passage element constitute a part of a fastening device of the implant, it can provide the invention that the webs against a restoring force in a first, in particular compressed position can be transferred, in which the webs to each other a close To take position.

Thus, it may be provided, for example, that this first position is achieved in that the sliding force is exerted on the passage element by the guided on the guide wire sliding catheter, whereby the

Passage element pulls the rest of the implant behind it during transport through the lock-forming catheter.

However, it can also be provided that this first particular

compressed position is already given for the purpose of introducing the

Implants in the sluice-forming catheter, what the implant

For example, the manufacturer is surrounded by a shell, which holds the implant in the first position against a restoring force, so that the implant for the purpose of transport already in this present first position in the lying outside of the body open end of

In this case, the outer sheath is removed around the implant, for example by the fact that the sheath wall ruptures.

In this position, the ridges extending between the passage member and the remainder of the implant are proximate to each other and, if the implant is coextensive with the guide wire in the sluice-forming catheter Also, close to the guide wire, in particular at a distance to each other, which is smaller than the inner cross-sectional dimension of

sluice-forming catheter.

In this position, in which the webs are positioned close to each other, the passage element of the implant is further arranged to the rest of the implant in a remote position.

The invention further preferably provides that there is also a second,

in particular expanded position are, in which the implant, in particular by a restoring force can be transferred, wherein in this second position, the webs to each other have a remote position and the passage element to the rest of the implant has a close position.

If it is described herein that the webs can have a close and a remote position to each other, this means that the webs are closer to each other in the near position than in the distant position. The

Names as near and far are therefore in relation to each other and not absolute to understand. The same applies to the same indication with respect to the position of the passage element relative to the rest of the implant.

By providing these two possible positions that the implant can occupy, with the second position being effected from the first position by the restoring force, a self-expansion effect can be achieved which causes the ridges to move away from one another during expansion and a larger one Distance from one another and thus by the webs itself a fastening device of the implant can be formed, which serves the implant according to its applications a body lumen, eg local fixation on a vessel or a heart chamber.

For this purpose, the webs can be formed such, for example by

Structure of a shape memory alloy, that these to the Contacting inner wall of the body lumen, at least in a partial area of its extension, create.

The restoring force can also be achieved in one embodiment only by using a shape memory alloy as the material at least for the webs

is used, e.g. Nitinol and the restoring force is only generated when the webs warm up to body temperature.

The invention may further provide that the passage element of the implant between the two aforementioned positions is guided along a direction, or moves along a direction corresponding to the extension direction of the guide wire, so that in particular ensures that during the movement of the Implantates inside the sluice-forming catheter through the force acting on the passage member sliding force of the sliding catheter, the passage element is pushed towards the remote position and just hereby in the implant or the

Fastening device of self-expansion counteracting force is generated, as already mentioned above.

In a preferred application, the implant may form a device for repairing or reducing valvular insufficiency. Such an implant then comprises a preferred embodiment according to the invention

Closure body which can be arranged between heart valves and a Duchgangselement, preferably as a ring which is fastened via preferably expandable webs on the closure body, wherein the webs, in particular in the expanded state form a fastening device to the closure body after positioning in the heart in place to fix, eg in that the preferably expanded webs rest against the heart wall.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. 1 shows a partial section of a system according to the invention with a first hollow, sluice-forming catheter 1, for example, the

Opening a transport path is moved from a place outside of a human or animal body to a desired implantation site.

In the interior of the sluice-forming catheter 1, an implant 2 according to the invention is arranged, which comprises a ring 3 as inventive

Passage element which, via a plurality of webs 4 with the rest of the

Implantates is connected and is with respect to the transport path in the direction of arrow 5 on the side facing the implantation site of the implant 2.

The ring 3 has an inner recess 3a, through which a guide wire 6 is passed, which is also arranged in the interior of the lock-forming catheter 1, in particular coaxially to this and can be guided in the sluice-forming catheter to the implantation.

The implantation can be carried out in such a way that first the

is formed, then the guide wire 6 is inserted into this and then threaded onto the outside of the body lying free end of the guide wire 6, the ring 3 of the implant.

Following this, as shown in FIG. 1 for the system shown there, a second hollow catheter, a sliding catheter 7 on the

Guide wire 6 are pushed so that its pointing to the implantation point free / open end is guided on the guide wire 6 in the direction of the ring 3 of the implant 2, the ring 3 forms a stop for this open end of the sliding catheter 7, so that the open end of the

Sliding catheter 7 the ring 3 can not penetrate.

Accordingly, if the sliding catheter 7 is advanced, for example, by a surgeon in the direction of the implantation site, the ring 3 of the

Implantates a thrust force in the direction of arrow 5, causing the ring 3 is pushed along in the direction of the implantation site and in this case the rest of the implant 2 connected via the webs 4 pulls behind him.

In this way, the implant 2 can be transported to the intended implantation site, released from the sluice-forming catheter 1 and, depending on its design, either remain in its shape, be actively expanded or possibly expand itself.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which the webs 4 together with the ring 3 form a self-expanding fastening device, for which purpose the webs 4 are made, for example, of a shape-memory material such as nitinol (nickel titanium alloys) or certain polymers or of another

resilient material can be formed.

FIG. 2 shows the implant 2 at the implantation site in a state in which the implant 2 is released from the outer sluice-forming catheter and no pushing force is exerted on the ring 3 by the sliding catheter 7. This can be done, for example, by retracting the sliding catheter 7.

Due to the spring elasticity of the webs 4 and the associated self-expansion force, the distance between the individual webs 4 increases and the ring 3 is retracted in the direction of the remainder of the implant 2.

This results in a bulge of the webs 4 in the area between the ring and the rest of the implant, i. the jetties take a bigger one here

spaced position to each other. Overall, results from the

Complaint of the webs 4 relative to each other a shape shape of the arrangement of the webs 4 and the ring 3, in which the webs are bulged in a direction perpendicular to the guide wire 6, ie in the radial direction to this convex. Accordingly, the webs can make contact with the inner walls of a body lumen, for example a heart chamber, with the convex area 4a.

Overall, it can be seen from FIG. 2 that the arrangement of the webs 4 and the ring 3 can form a cage-like fastening structure which automatically adapts to the internal volume of a body lumen and thus contributes to an attachment of the implant in the body lumen.

In an exemplary application, the remainder of the implant 2, which is arranged on the here left-side ends of the webs 4 at these, for example, be formed by a closure body, which is provided a

Correct heart valve insufficiency or at least reduce it.

Claims

claims 1. System for the application of an implant (2), in particular one  self-expanding implant (2) at an implantation site, preferably a blood vessel or the heart, comprising a sluice-forming  Catheter (1) and an implant to be applied therein (2) which can be transported through the sluice-forming catheter (1) to the implantation site, characterized in that the implant (2) has a passage element (3) on its side facing the implantation site through which a guide wire (6) lying in the sluice-forming catheter (1) can be pushed and a sliding catheter (7) is arranged in the sluice-forming catheter (1), which surrounds the guide wire (6) and which slides on the guide wire (6) in the direction of Implantationort is pushed and the passage element (3) forms a non-penetrable stop for the end pointing to the implantation site. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the implant (2) in the sluice-forming catheter (1) is arranged laterally next to the guide wire (6) and the sliding catheter (7) and the guide wire (6) only the passage element (3) of the Implant (2) penetrates. 3. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the implant (2) in the sluice-forming catheter (1) in the direction of implantation facing the guidewire (6) and the sliding catheter (7) is completely or partially penetrated. 4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the passage element (3) of the implant part of a  Fastening device (4) of the implant, with which the implant (2) after implantation, in particular after expansion of at least the Fixing device (4), in particular also of the remaining implant (2) in the body at an implantation site can be fastened. 5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the passage element (3) of the implant (2) via at least two, preferably resilient webs (4) from the rest of the implant (2)  is spaced. 6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that the webs (4)  against a restoring force in a first, in particular compressed position can be transferred, in which the webs (4) to each other take a close position and the passage element (3) to the rest of the implant (2) a remote position and by the restoring force in a second .  in particular expanded position can be transferred, in which the webs (4) to each other a remote position and the passage element (3) to the rest of the implant (2) has a close position. 7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the  Passage element (3) of the implant (2) is guided between the positions along a direction corresponding to the extension direction of the guide wire (6). 8. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the passage element (3) and the sliding catheter (7) mutually corresponding coupling means, by means of which they are detachably frictionally fastened to each other. 9. Application device for applying an implant (2) to a  Implantation site of a body having a first hollow catheter (1) for forming a lock from an out-of-body location to an implantation site within the body, characterized in that it comprises a guide wire (6) insertable into the first catheter (1) is and can be advanced to an implantation site and has a second hollow catheter (7) which is inserted into the first hollow catheter (1) and pushed over the guide wire (6) and for the purpose of movement of an implant (2) for intended Implantation location along the guide wire (6) in the first hollow catheter (1) is displaceable. 10. Implant for use with a system or a  Application device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has on its side facing the implantation site a passage element (3) which has an inner recess through which a guide wire (6) can be passed and the  Recess is dimensioned so that the passage member (3) for the open end of a hollow, guided on the guide wire (6) catheter (7) forms a stop.