IP Library › Granted Patent US 12691266
Granted Patent B2
US 12691266 · App. 18/336,265 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Flexible shunt implants

Inventors: Daniel James Murray (Orange, CA); Eric Jason Noda (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA); Linda Thai (Mission Viejo, CA); Jonathan Andrew Lam (Anaheim Hills, CA)
Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
A61M27/002A61B17/11A61B17/3415A61B2017/00252A61B2017/003A61B2017/00867A61B2017/1139
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691266
App. No.
18/336,265
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A delivery system comprises a catheter configured to be delivered through a blood flow pathway of a heart and an implant configured to maintain an opening in a tissue wall to allow blood flow through the opening and into the blood flow pathway and be delivered via the catheter. The implant is at least partially composed of a flexible material to allow the implant to bend with the catheter.

Claims (49)

1 . A delivery system comprising:

a catheter configured to be delivered through a blood flow pathway of a heart; and

an implant configured to:

maintain an opening in a tissue wall to allow blood flow through the opening and into the blood flow pathway; and

be delivered via the catheter, the implant being at least partially composed of a flexible material to allow the implant to bend with the catheter;

wherein the implant comprises a puncture element configured to puncture through a tissue wall to create the opening in the tissue wall.

2 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the blood flow pathway is a coronary sinus and the opening creates a flow pathway between a left atrium and the coronary sinus.

3 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the implant is configured to be crimped around an outer surface of the catheter.

4 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the implant is at least partially composed of braided cords.

5 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the implant is at least partially composed of a coiled cord.

6 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the puncture element is further configured to anchor the implant to the tissue wall.

7 . The delivery system of claim 6 , wherein the implant further comprises an anchoring element, and the puncture element and the anchoring element are configured to anchor to opposing sides of the tissue wall.

8 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the implant comprises a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion, and wherein:

the first tubular portion is configured to bend away from the second tubular portion to allow the first tubular portion to enter the opening in the tissue wall; and

the second tubular portion is configured to extend along the blood flow pathway and beyond the opening in the tissue wall.

9 . The delivery system of claim 8 , wherein the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion are separate devices.

10 . The delivery system of claim 9 , wherein the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion extend from a common base portion.

11 . The delivery system of claim 10 , wherein the first tubular portion is at least partially composed of a shape-memory material.

12 . The delivery system of claim 11 , further comprising a sheath configured to at least partially enclose the implant, and to retract to at least partially expose the implant and allow the implant to expand.

13 . A method comprising:

delivering an implant enclosed at least partially by a sheath to a coronary sinus via a right atrium, wherein the implant is at least partially composed of braided or coiled cords to allow the implant to bend into the coronary sinus;

puncturing a tissue wall of the coronary sinus with the implant to create an opening between a left atrium and the coronary sinus;

retracting the sheath to expose the implant; and

anchoring the implant at the opening, wherein the implant is configured to maintain the opening.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the implant comprises a puncture element, and puncturing the tissue wall is performed using the puncture element.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein anchoring the implant at the opening involves contacting the tissue wall with the puncture element.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the puncture element is configured to establish a single point of contact with the tissue wall.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the implant comprises a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion, and retracting the sheath allows the first tubular portion to bend away from the second tubular portion.

18 . A medical implant comprising:

means for maintaining an opening through a tissue wall of a heart, the opening creating a blood flow path from a first chamber of a heart to a blood flow pathway of the heart, the means for maintaining the opening comprising a means for puncturing the tissue wall to create the opening, and the means for maintaining the opening configured to bend to facilitate delivery into the blood flow pathway and the first chamber; and

means for anchoring to the tissue wall at the opening.

19 . The medical implant of claim 18 , wherein the blood flow pathway is a coronary sinus and the opening creates a flow pathway between a left atrium and the coronary sinus.

20 . The medical implant of claim 18 , wherein the means for maintaining the opening is configured to be crimped around an outer surface of a catheter.

21 . The medical implant of claim 18 , wherein the means for maintaining the opening is at least partially composed of braided cords.

22 . The medical implant of claim 18 , wherein the means for maintaining the opening is at least partially composed of a coiled cord.

23 . The medical implant of claim 18 , wherein the means for puncturing the tissue wall and the means for anchoring to the tissue wall are configured to anchor to opposing sides of the tissue wall.

24 . The medical implant of claim 18 , wherein the means for maintaining the opening comprises a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion, and wherein:

the first tubular portion is configured to bend away from the second tubular portion to allow the first tubular portion to enter the opening in the tissue wall; and

the second tubular portion is configured to extend along the blood flow pathway and beyond the opening in the tissue wall.

25 . The medical implant of claim 24 , wherein the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion are separate devices.

26 . The medical implant of claim 25 , wherein the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion extend from a common base portion.

27 . The medical implant of claim 26 , wherein the first tubular portion is at least partially composed of a shape-memory material.

28 . The medical implant of claim 27 , further comprising a sheath configured to at least partially enclose the means for maintaining the opening, and to retract to at least partially expose the means for maintaining the opening and allow the means for maintaining the opening to expand.

29 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the implant is at least partially composed of braided cords.

30 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the implant is at least partially composed of a coiled cord.

31 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the implant further comprises an anchoring element, and the puncture element and the anchoring element are configured to anchor to opposing sides of the tissue wall.

32 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion are separate devices.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion extend from a common base portion.

34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the first tubular portion is at least partially composed of a shape-memory material.