Device for promoting fistula patency and method

1. A device for promoting patency of an arteriovenous fistula comprising:

an annular body defining a center axis and having a first axial end, a second axial end, an outer radial surface, and an inner radial surface defining a central lumen extending from the first axial end to the second axial end;

a plurality of flow-directing vanes formed integrally with the annular body and projecting inwardly from the inner radial surface, and each having an inner edge, an outer edge, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, where each of the leading edges are spaced axially outward of the first axial end and each of the trailing edges are spaced axially outward of the second axial end; and

each of the plurality of vanes further having a circumferentially and axially advancing orientation such that an unobstructed line of sight parallel to the center axis extends between adjacent ones of the plurality of vanes.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the annular body has an axial thickness extending from the first axial end to the second axial end, and wherein the spacing of the leading and trailing edges axially outward of the first and second axial ends, respectively, is equal to or greater than the axial thickness.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of vanes is non-uniform in pitch and has a twisted shape.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the leading edges define a first tangent plane oriented normal to the center axis, and the trailing edges define a second tangent plane oriented normal to the center axis.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the first and second tangent planes are equidistant from an axial section plane bisecting the annular body.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein each of the leading edges and each of the trailing edges has a rounded contour so as to define a circle at points of intersection with the corresponding tangent plane.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the circle is centered on the center axis, and positioned from one-third to two-thirds of a radial distance between the center axis and the inner radial surface, and the inner edge of each of the vanes is positioned at a location closer to the center axis than to the inner radial surface of the annular body, and wherein a number of the vanes is from 3 to 5.

8. A method of connecting blood vessels in a patient comprising the steps of:

forming an arteriovenous fistula so as to create a fluid flow path that fluidly connects a first vessel and a second vessel in the patient;

implanting a medical device within the patient such that a lumen of the device is within the fluid flow path;

establishing blood flow communication between the first and second vessels such that blood conveyed through the fluid flow path impinges upon a vane within the lumen;

inducing circumferential velocity components in the blood via the impingement so as to promote patency of the fistula;

wherein the step of implanting includes implanting the medical device within the fistula;

securing the medical device within the fistula via suturing; and

wherein the annular body defines a center axis, and the vanes project axially outward from opposite ends of the lumen, such that the vanes are exposed within a blood vessel lumen of the patient.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the medical device includes an annular body defining the lumen, and a plurality of vanes attached to the annular body, and wherein the step of suturing further includes looping a suture through the medical device.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of implanting further includes implanting the medical device such that leading edges of the plurality of vanes are exposed within a lumen of an artery and trailing edges of the plurality of vanes are exposed within a lumen of a vein connected to the artery via the fistula.

11. A device for promoting patency of an arteriovenous fistula comprising:

an annular body defining a center axis and having a first axial end that defines a first plane, a second axial end that defines a second plane, an outer radial surface, and an inner radial surface defining a central lumen extending from the first axial end to the second axial end; and

a plurality of flow-directing vanes formed integrally with the annular body and projecting inwardly from the inner radial surface, and at least a portion of at least one of the vanes being outside of a space between the first plane and the second plane.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein a leading edge of each of the plurality of vanes is outside of the space between the first plane and the second plane.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein a trailing edge of each of the plurality of vanes is outside of the space between the first plane and the second plane.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein a leading edge of each of the plurality of vanes is outside of the space between the first plane and the second plane.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein a distance of the leading and trailing edges axially outside the space, respectively, is equal to or greater than an axial thickness between the first plane and the second plane.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of vanes has a twisted shape.