Device and method for treating ischemic heart disease

Abstract

A narrowing intraluminal stent is disclosed and comprises a hollow body and a flow passage therethrough, the hollow body designed for intraluminal placement and having at least one portion of an inner cross sectional dimension smaller than the cross sectional dimension of the lumen, so as to artificially narrow a passage through the body lumen. A method of artificially narrowing a passage through a body lumen using the stent is also disclosed.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 534,968, filed on Mar. 27, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a device and method for treating ischemic heart disease and, more particularly, to a coronary sinus stent and to surgical methods for implanting same. Specifically, the present invention involves implantation of the stent in the coronary sinus as a means of treating patients suffering from, for example, diffuse coronary artery disease, especially in cases where conventional balloon catheterization, bypass surgery and drugs are infeasible or ineffective treatment methods. [0003] Blood arrives at the heart muscle via coronary arteries which begin as vessels with a diameter of several millimeters and branch progressively to smaller and smaller vessels in order to supply all the cells of the heart muscle. Blood arri...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This method effectively treats or prevents cardiac ischemia by reducing blood flow through the coronary sinus without thoracic surgery, promoting angiogenesis and improving heart function without the drawbacks of invasive procedures.

Problems solved by technology

Ischemia can result in atrophy and or necrosis of tissue.

In the case of cardiac ischemia, this atrophy or necrosis reduces heart function and adversely affects the blood supply to the remainder of the body.

Patients suffering from cardiac ischemia typically suffer from chest pains and difficulty in breathing.

Cardiac ischemia may precipitate a heart attack in some cases.

While this method has proven efficacy, it has all of the disadvantages inherent in invasive surgery, e.g., post-surgical infection, complications with anesthesia, relatively long recovery time and high cost.

Unfortunately, patients treated with drugs often continue to have difficulty performing daily activities, suffer from shortness of breath and chest pains.

This procedure, however, is an open chest (thoracic) procedure, and therefore suffers all the limitations associated with such procedures, including, but not limited to, post-surgical infection, complications with anesthesia, relatively long recovery time and high cost.

However, the prior art fails to teach minimal invasive means of reducing the flow of blood exiting the coronary sinus without thoracic surgery.

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