Implants

Abstract

To create an implant with which prostates of different sizes can be treated.SOLUTION: This is achieved by allowing the length of a deployed implant (10) to be variably changed. By changing the length of a stretched wire structure (11) of the implant, the implant can be individually adapted to the patient's anatomy, thereby increasing the treatment success.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an implant according to claims 1, 11 and 14. [Background technology]

[0002] Various methods or techniques are known for the treatment of the urinary tract, in particular for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In a minimally invasive, and in particular for the human body temperature preserving treatment of BPH symptoms, a removable implant is temporarily placed in the urethra or in the prostatic part of the patient's urethra. Such an implant is a wire structure made of a shape memory alloy, such as Nitinol. The wire structure is inserted in a collapsed / folded state into the urinary tract through a catheter and pushed into place and expands to its predefined basic configuration. A tongue-like retention or holding element may also be part of the implant, which engages with the bladder neck to fix the wire structure in place. The wire structure may be formed from three or four wires and is a basket structure. This basket structure expands the urethra. The expansion of the wire structure against the tissue of the urethra causes the tissue of the urethra to degenerate over the course of a few days. This degeneration of the tissue occurs due to the ischemic pressure of the individual wires on the cells of the tissue, resulting in a reduced or complete lack of blood flow. As a result, the lack of blood flow leads to a lack of oxygen in the cells, which ultimately leads to cell death. Within a few days, the tissue can be reduced to the point where urine flow returns to near normal. After this treatment is complete, the implant can be retrieved from the urethra with the aid of a catheter.

[0003] The wire of the implant also protrudes into the bladder to treat the bladder neck during treatment. The tongue-like retaining element of the implant is pulled behind the bladder neck to fix the implant immobile inside the prostate. Unfortunately, the anatomy of patients varies, so the prostate may also be enlarged to different extents. If the prostate is relatively short, there is a risk that the implant or wire will be placed too deep in the bladder neck toward the external sphincter. This may cause the patient to become temporarily or even permanently incontinent. Summary of the Invention

[0004] On this basis, the present invention is based on the problem of creating an implant capable of treating prostates of different sizes.

[0005] A solution to this problem is described by the features of claim 1. It is therefore provided that the length of the deployed implant can be varied. By varying the length of the unfolded wire structure, the implant can be individually adapted to the patient's anatomy, which can increase the success of the treatment. Side effects such as incontinence of the patient can be avoided by individual adjustment of the length. To be able to specifically adjust the length of the implant or wire structure, the length of the enlarged prostate is measured before treating the patient. This can be done, for example, by an imaging procedure such as ultrasound, or by some other procedure.

[0006] Preferably, the invention provides that the sleeve is slidable over the proximal end regions of at least two wires of the wire structure, said sleeve being initially freely slidable over the proximal end regions of the wires. At least two or three wires form the wire structure, which forms the main component of the implant. At the distal end, the wires are connected to each other in close proximity or contact. The proximal ends of the wires are also connected to each other and, if necessary, are pushed through the catheter into the urethra and connected to a holding means for pulling the structure out of the urethra after treatment. Immediately after the initially collapsed wire structure is pushed out of the catheter, the wires, which are parallel in the collapsed state, expand to their predefined basket structure. Such transition to the predefined basket shape is achieved by the shape memory material used for the wires. After completion of the treatment, the wire structure returns to its collapsed structure by applying a small axial tensile force to the proximal ends of the wires. The invention provides that the sleeve is associated with the proximal end portion of the collapsed wire, which may range in length from a few millimeters to a few centimeters. In such cases, a hollow cylindrical sleeve is provided with two or three wires. Depending on the pre-measured size of the prostate, the sleeve can be slid to a specific position over the wires.

[0007] It is furthermore specifically provided that the sleeve is fixedly connectable to at least two or three wires at defined positions, which fixed connection prevents relative movement between the wires and the sleeve. The sleeve prevents the wire structure from expanding to a predefined shape outside the catheter. In fact, only the area from the distal end of the wire to the sleeve expands, i.e. has a reduced length. Thus, the more distally the sleeve is positioned on the wire, the less the wire expands and the less the implant will adversely affect the proximal area near the external sphincter. The position of the retaining element remains unaffected thereby, so that the wire or wire structure always projects the same distance into the bladder, which is essential for the success of the therapy.

[0008] Particular embodiments of the invention may inter alia provide that the sleeve is a screw sleeve, a crimp sleeve, a click sleeve, a snap-in sleeve or a sleeve with an internal passage whose diameter is exactly equal to the sum of the diameters of the wires. In such embodiments of the sleeve, it is essential that the sleeve can be fixed to the wire in a simple manner and in such a way that it maintains its position even under light mechanical pulling forces. The sleeve can be made in one piece or in two or more pieces.

[0009] It is conceivable, inter alia, that the threaded sleeve can be assembled from a first part and a second part, both parts being of a hollow cylindrical design, the wire being guided through the inner diameter of this hollow cylinder. The first part has an internal thread and the second part has a sleeve with an external thread, so that the two parts can be screwed together and the wire runs through the two parts. A ring made of elastic material is positioned between the two parts, which expands when the two parts are screwed together to surround the wire for a rigid connection between the sleeve and the wire. Click sleeve and snap-in sleeve designs are technically similar to threaded sleeves. The two above-mentioned types of sleeves can also be joined together by applying a mechanical force, whereby the elastic ring between the two parts is deformed during the joining process, thereby consisting of two parts that achieve a fixed connection between the sleeve and the wire. This connection between the two parts is reversible, so that the sleeve can be removed or repositioned not only after treatment but also during treatment. For example, it is contemplated that the length of the implant may be altered as treatment progresses by repositioning the sleeve during treatment, allowing for even more effective individual treatment.

[0010] When using a crimp sleeve, the sleeve is fixed to the wire with a crimping tool. The use of a crimp sleeve has the advantage that it is particularly resistant to axial forces acting on the connection between the sleeve and the wire. Finally, another alternative provides that the inner diameter of the hollow cylindrical sleeve is comparable to the sum of the diameters of the wires, and that the friction of the inner wall of the sleeve against the wire is sufficient to ensure the fixation of the sleeve at a specific position on the wire. In such a case, an increased amount of force is required to position the sleeve in order to move it into position on the wire against the frictional forces. Advantageously, however, in this embodiment the sleeve turns out to be structurally very simple. Moreover, the sleeve can be fastened without great effort. In addition, this type of sleeve can be manufactured with a particularly small outer diameter.

[0011] According to the invention, it may be provided that the sleeve can be fixed on the wire outside the person before the treatment or inside the person during the treatment. Provided that the size of the prostate is already known before the treatment, the position of the sleeve can be clearly positioned and fixed outside the patient before the treatment, so that the implant opens in the urethra with a predefined length. It is also conceivable that during the treatment, the location of the sleeve can be identified so that the prostate can be treated particularly efficiently. For this purpose, it is conceivable that a further imaging instrument is inserted into the patient to identify the location. Furthermore, it is conceivable that another tool or forceps is inserted into the patient to fix the sleeve on the wire. In this embodiment, it is also conceivable that the position of the sleeve on the wire can be adjusted again during the treatment in order to make it possible to react efficiently to possible treatment successes that have already occurred during the treatment.

[0012] The invention may provide that the outer diameter of the sheath is less than 3 mm. This diameter depends essentially on the catheter or implant used. It is also contemplated that, where possible, a sleeve with a smaller outer diameter, such as 2 mm or 1 mm, may be used.

[0013] Another preferred embodiment of the present invention may provide that at least one of the wires or the retaining elements of the implant has markings that allow the length of the implant or the position of the sleeve to be adjusted. Thus, it may be beneficial for the surgeon if, when the size of the prostate is identified, he or she only has to push the sleeve to a certain mark in order to fix it there with the wire. Depending on the position of the sleeve on the wire, the wire structure will expand at a certain length. The relationship between the size of the prostate and the markings can be found, for example, in a preformed table.

[0014] Another solution to the problem mentioned above is described by the features of claim 11. It is therefore provided that the length of the retention element or retaining element can be varied in various ways. In such a case, the length of the wire remains unchanged and only the length of the tongue-like retaining element is changed. The clinical effect is the same as changing the length of the wire structure that becomes open. The basic point here is that the three wires still protrude into the bladder. Thereby, in this embodiment example, the tongue-like retaining element can be varied in length and fixed with the aid of the sleeve described above. According to this embodiment example, the position of the retaining element in the urethra is adjusted in order to optimally position the implant even for prostates of different sizes.

[0015] Alternatively, it is conceivable that the retention element has a segmented design and can be shortened at several predefined cutting points. Depending on the need and the size of the prostate, individual distal elements of the retention element can be cut off for treatment. A sleeve is not necessary as in the previously described embodiment.

[0016] The solution to the above problem is further described by the features of claim 14. It is therefore provided that the wire and the tongue-like retention or retaining element are variable in length. The length of the wire and the retaining element can thereby be varied as described above. This specific variation of the length of the wire and the retaining element allows them to react particularly efficiently and effectively to almost any anatomical structure of the patient and the size of the prostate, respectively, depending on the anatomical conditions, making it possible to choose between adjusting the wire structure size and adjusting the length of the retaining element. Similarly, the two above-mentioned components can also be adjusted in size during treatment as described above, so that the treatment of the patient results with the best possible success.

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a deployed implant. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram of the implant in a folded state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram of the implant in a deployed state. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram of the implant in a shortened and folded state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram of the implant shown in FIG. 4 in a deployed state. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a sleeve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] 1 shows one possible embodiment of an implant 10. It should be expressly noted that this example is merely one of many possible embodiments.

[0020] The embodiment of the expanded implant 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a wire structure 11 with three wires 12. However, embodiments with two or four or more wires 12 are also conceivable. However, three wires 12 have been shown to be particularly suitable for manipulating the tissue of the urethra. Advantageously, these wires 12 are wires made of stainless steel, spring steel or a material with shape memory. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the wires 12 are formed as plastic rods. Thus, in a particularly advantageous embodiment example, it is provided that the plastic is biodegradable. The implant 10 thus at least partially dissolves in the body after a period of time, so that no further intervention is necessary to retrieve the implant 10.

[0021] The wires 12 are connected to each other at their distal ends 13. The opposing proximal ends 14 of the wires 12 are brought together in a common connecting body 15, which is shown in the drawings as a sphere but may have any other shape. Proximally disposed on the connecting body 15 is a retaining means 16, which may be in the form of a thread, a flexible wire or a pin and is used, among other things, to position the implant 14 within the urethra and to withdraw the implant 10 from the urethra after treatment is completed. The retaining means 16 is thus guided outside the body during treatment.

[0022] 1 also shows a highly schematic tongue-like retaining element 17, which serves to engage with tissue and fix the implant 10 in the area to be treated after the implant 10 has been correctly positioned in the urethra. This retaining element 17 can preferably be made of the same material as the wire 12, which is also connected to the retaining means 16. Due to the tongue-like shape of the retaining element 17, it acts like an anchor for the implant 10. By pulling back briefly after positioning the implant 10 proximally, the retaining element 17 is fixed in the tissue.

[0023] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a sleeve 19 according to the invention is also shown diagrammatically. This sleeve is a hollow cylinder that is pressed over the proximal end 14 or over the proximal region of the wire 12. Initially, i.e. before treatment, this sleeve 19 is freely movable on the wire 12. For adjustment of a specific length of the implant 10 or wire structure 11, the sleeve 19 can be moved back and forth along the folded wire 12 and fixed in the appropriate position. The distance between the distal end 13 and the sleeve 19 then defines the length of the extended implant 10. In the example of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sleeve 19 is positioned directly in front of the connection body 15, i.e. the sleeve 19 surrounds the proximal end 14 of the wire 12. This positioning of the sleeve 19 stretches the wire structure 11 to its maximum length. The length of the implant 10 or wire structure 11 can be determined depending on the size of the prostate. This size or this length of the prostate is determined prior to treatment, so that by moving and fixing the sleeve over the wire 12, the optimal length of the wire structure 11 can already be set before the implant 10 is inserted into the patient's body.

[0024] For the treatment of BPH syndrome, the implant 10 is inserted into the patient's urethra through a tubular catheter 18 in an initially folded state as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2. In this process, a sleeve 19 is placed on the proximal end 14 of the wire 12 in the example embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the wire structure 11 has a maximum length. Once the catheter 18 is moved to the correct position in the urethra, the implant 10 is pushed out of the catheter 18, and if necessary, the catheter 18 is simultaneously pulled out of the urethra in the proximal direction. Due to the selected material, the wire 12 spreads out of the catheter 18 and forms the wire structure 11 shown in FIG. 1, i.e., up to the sleeve 19. Alternatively, the wire 12 can be stretched by pulling the retaining means 16 in the axial direction to form the wire structure 11. Should the implant 10 move away from the optimal position during clamping of the wire structure 11, the implant 10 can be moved back to the correct position.

[0025] As soon as the wire structure 11 reaches the optimal shape or maximum elongation for treating the tissue and the retaining element 17 is fixed in the tissue, the catheter 18 is pulled out of the urethra in a proximal direction. The implant 10 remains in place thanks to the fixation by the retaining element 17, while the retaining means 16 is guided out of the urethra (FIG. 3). After completion of the treatment, the catheter 18 is reinserted into the urethra via the retaining means 16, and the stretched wire structure 11 is retracted into the catheter 18 by the retaining means 16, with the wire 12 being contracted around the circumference of the catheter 18. In the collapsed state, the implant 10 can be pulled out of the urethra again in the catheter 18.

[0026] For the treatment of smaller prostates, the length of the implant 10 can be varied. It can be seen from FIG. 4 that the sleeve 19 is moved distally compared to the example of the embodiment described in FIGS. 1 to 3. In such a case, the sleeve 19 is not only moved distally, but also fixed in this position. This positioning and fixing of the sleeve 19 is already performed outside the catheter 18 according to the determined size of the prostate. Apart from the position of the sleeve 19 on the wire 12, no changes are made compared to the example of the embodiment described in FIGS. 1 to 3. When the implant 10 is brought out of the catheter 18, the wire 12 stretches and opens in the same way as described above, but only to the extent of the sleeve 19. The sleeve 19 prevents the implant 10 from being fully deployed. Thus, according to the example of the embodiment of FIG. 5, the implant 10 is shortened. This reduced length of the implant 10 is adapted to the size of the prostate to be treated. Such adjustment of the length of the wire structure 11 ensures that other tissues or muscles etc. are not unintentionally injured during the treatment. Rather, this adjusted length applies pressure precisely to the area to be treated.

[0027] Just like the length of the wire 12, the length of the tongue-like retaining element 17 can also be changed. In such a case, the retaining element 17 can be guided evenly through the sleeve 19. An embodiment is conceivable in which only the retaining element 17 is guided through the sleeve 19 and the wire 12 is not affected by its extended length, or the wire 12 is guided through the sleeve 19 together with the retaining element 17. Assuming that only the retaining element 17 is guided through the sleeve 19 and its length is reduced, the length of the implant 10 is not changed, but the position at which the implant 10 is fixed in the bladder neck is changed. While doing so, the implant 14 can protrude into the bladder but without contacting the external sphincter muscle.

[0028] In order for the implant 10 to maintain its set length during the treatment, it is of utmost importance that the sleeve 19 can be securely connected to the wire 12 and / or the retaining element 17. Only through this secure connection is the wire 12 pulled taut distally from the sleeve 19, which is not displaced proximally in the process. Various embodiments of the sleeve 19 are provided for such fixation of the sleeve to the wire 12. In FIG. 6 an example of a possible embodiment is shown. According to this, the sleeve comprises a first part 20 and a second part 21. These two parts 20, 21 are of hollow cylindrical design and can be screwed into each other. Furthermore, both parts 20, 21 have a passage 22 through which the wire 12 and / or the retaining element 17 can pass, as illustrated in the example of embodiment according to FIG. 6. The first part 20 has an internal thread 23 that corresponds to the external thread 24 of the second part 21. Thereby, the external thread 24 of the second part 21 is located in an area with a reduced diameter that can be screwed into the first part 20. An elastic ring 25 is also positioned between the first part 20 and the second part 21. When the first part 20 is threaded onto the second part 21, this elastic ring 25 is compressed, thereby reducing the free passage 22. This deformation of the ring 25 secures the wire 12 within the sleeve 19, thereby preventing relative movement between the wire 12 and the sleeve 19.

[0029] It is envisaged that the threading of the sleeve 19 is carried out outside the catheter 18 before the treatment. It is envisaged that there are markings on the wire 12 to give the surgeon an indication of where to place the sleeve. The markings can be used to set a specific length of the implant. It is also envisaged that the sleeve 19 is threaded inside the catheter. For example, even after the implant 10 has been placed in the urethra during treatment, the threaded connection can still be opened and the sleeve can be moved over the wire 12 and threaded again, so that the length of the implant 10 can be dynamically changed during treatment. For this purpose, it is envisaged that the sleeve 19 can be grasped and actuated in the urethra using a specific tool.

[0030] An alternative embodiment of the sleeve may provide that it is designed as a click sleeve, latch sleeve or the like. In such a case, the two parts are not screwed together, as previously described with reference to FIG. 6, but are snapped together or locked. A further embodiment of the sleeve may provide that it is designed as a crimp sleeve. In such a case, the crimp sleeve is guided outside the body over the wire 12 and crimped with a crimping tool before the treatment. This type of crimp connection provides a particularly secure fixation of the sleeve and is also particularly cheap to manufacture.

[0031] Regardless of its embodiment, the sleeve 19 can be made of metal, plastic or ceramic. The diameter of the sleeve 19 or the two parts 20, 21 is essentially based on the inner diameter of the catheter 18, but is generally less than 3 mm. It is contemplated that the diameter of the sleeve can also be 1 mm to 2 mm. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 10 Implants 11 Wire Structure 12 Wire 13 Distal end 14 Proximal end 15 Connection body 16 Retention means 17 Retention elements 18 Catheter 19 Sleeve 20 First Part 21 Second Part 22 Passage 23 Female thread 24 Male thread 25 Ring

Claims

1. A removable implant (10) for treating a human urinary tract by applying a localized ischemic pressure to tissue of the urinary organ, in particular the urethra, through a wire structure (11) having at least two wires (12), said implant (10) being insertable into the urethra initially from a distal end (13) in a folded state and expanding within the urethra towards said wire structure (11) for the treatment of said tissue, the length of said expanded implant (10) being variable and adjustable; a sleeve (19) slidable over the proximal end regions of the at least two wires (12), the sleeve (19) being freely slidable over the proximal end regions of the wires (12); the sleeve (19) is fixedly connectable to the at least two wires (12), the fixed connection preventing relative movement between the wires (12) and the sleeve (19); A removable implant (10), characterized in that positioning the sleeve (19) on the at least two wires (12) adjusts the length of the implant (10), and fixing the sleeve (19) on the wires (12) fixes the length of the flared portion of the wires (12).

2. The removable implant (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sleeve (19) is a threaded sleeve, a crimp sleeve, a click sleeve, a snap-in sleeve or a sleeve (19) with an internal passage (22) whose diameter is exactly equal to the sum of the diameters of the wires (12).

3. 3. The removable implant (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the threaded sleeve (19) can be assembled from a first part (20) and a second part (21), the first part (20) having an internal thread (23) and the second part (21) having a sleeve with an external thread (24), the second part (21) being screwable onto the first part (20), and an elastic ring (25) being clampable between the first part (20) and the second part (21).

4. The removable implant (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sleeve (19) can be fixed to the wire (12) either outside the person before treatment or inside the person during treatment.

5. The removable implant (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sleeve (19) is releasably attachable to the wire (12).

6. The removable implant (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sleeve (19) has an outer diameter of less than 3 mm.

7. The removable implant (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the wire (12) or the retaining means (16) of the implant (10) has markings that allow the length of the implant (10) or the position of the sleeve (19) to be adjusted.

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