Biodegradable blood vessel occlusion and narrowing

Abstract

A biodegradable blood vessel narrowing device, comprising: a biodegradable element; an anchoring element; wherein said anchoring element is anchored to a blood vessel wall and at least one external dimension of said biodegradable element is reduced upon biodegradation of said biodegradable element thereby pulling said blood vessel walls toward one another.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to blood vessel treatment and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to biodegradable devices and / or methods for blood vessel occlusion and narrowing.[0002]A malfunction in the ability of veins or arteries to supply or remove blood is associated with medical conditions such as varicose vein expansion, aneurisms, tumors, trauma and dissection of blood vessels.[0003]Varicose veins appear in 20-25% of women and 10-15% of men. Most varicose veins are considered a cosmetic condition rather than a medical condition; however, in some cases, hindered circulation may cause pain, disfiguring, swelling, discomfort, a tingling sensation, itching and / or a feeling of heaviness.[0004]Several techniques and procedures to treat varicose veins exist. Vein stripping involves tying off of the upper end of a vein and then removing the vein. Vein stripping is typically performed in an operating room u...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]Unless otherwise defined, all technical and / or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, exemplary methods and / or materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be necessarily limiting.

Problems solved by technology

Most varicose veins are considered a cosmetic condition rather than a medical condition; however, in some cases, hindered circulation may cause pain, disfiguring, swelling, discomfort, a tingling sensation, itching and / or a feeling of heaviness.

Approximately 150,000 vein stripping surgeries are performed each year in the U.S. Vein stripping associated risks include risks linked to general anesthesia such as anesthesia allergies, infections etc.

In addition, tissue around the stripped vein may become bruised and scarred causing a feeling of “tightness” in the leg.

Damaged may cause numbness and paralysis of part of the leg.

Endovenous laser treatment uses intense heat to remove a vein, which may lead to an increased risk of developing blood clots.

Treated veins can also become irritated and inflamed, leading to pain and swelling in the legs.

The treated area can begin to tingle or become burned from the heat.

There may be a chance of bleeding, infection or blood clots with radiofrequency occlusion as with many other procedures.

A unique complication that is associated with radiofrequency occlusion, however, is skin burn due to the method of occlusion used during treatment.

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