43 results about "Left uterine artery" patented technology

The invention is directed to an intravaginal uterine artery occlusion device for treating uterine disorders such as fibroids, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, postpartum hemorrhage and the like. A occlusion device has a cervical receptacle or cap with an open distal end for receiving the patient's uterine cervix and an elongated shaft having a distal end secured to the closed proximal end of the cervical receptacle and an inner lumen extending to the distal end of the elongated shaft. The patient's uterine cervix is held within the interior of the receptacle by the application of a vacuum to the interior of the receptacle through the inner lumen of the shaft or otherwise, while the leading edge(s) of the cervical receptacle press against the patient's vaginal fornix to occlude an underlying or adjacent uterine artery. At least one blood flow sensor may be provided on the leading edge of the receptacle to aid in locating a uterine artery and to monitor blood flow through the located uterine artery.

A treatment procedure is disclosed which involves the short term, non-permanent occlusion of the patient's blood vessels by depositing a bioabsorbable embolic mass within the patient's blood vessel. The procedure is particularly suitable for treating uterine disorders by occluding a patient's uterine arteries. A therapeutically effective time period for occlusion of a uterine artery is from about 0.5 to about 48 hours, preferably about 1 to about 24 hours, with occlusion times of about 1 to about 8 hours being suitable in many instances. The embolic mass may bioabsorbable particulate with minimum transverse dimensions of about 100 to about 2000 micrometers, preferably about 300 to about 1000 micrometers. The particulate may be a polymeric material formed of polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid or copolymers thereof, or a swellable copolymer of lactic acid and polyethylene glycol. The embolic material may be delivered to an intracorporeal site as a biocompatible solution containing a solute which is relatively insoluble in a water based fluid and a solvent which is relatively soluble in the water based fluid, where the solute forms the embolic mass which occludes or partially occludes a body lumen or fills or partially fills a body cavity.

An occluding device is disclosed for occluding a female patient's uterine arteries which have unsymmetrical anatomy with respect to the patient's uterine cervix. The occluding device has a pair of pivotally connected occluding members, with at least one of the occluding member having a movable occluding element on a distal shaft section of the occluding member. The position and orientation of the occluding elements on the distal shaft sections may be adjusted by operative members on the proximal shaft sections of the occluding members to accommodate for asymmetrical uterine artery anatomy. The occluding elements have pressure applying surfaces with one or more blood flow sensors such as Doppler chips which help the physician to better identify the uterine artery and to monitor blood flow therein. A tenaculum-like guiding element configured to be secured within the patient's uterine cervix, may be provided to guide the occluding device to the patient's cervix.

The invention provides devices, systems and methods for clamping arteries which are useful in reducing or abolishing blood flow in an artery, and may be used to control hemorrhage following a caesarian delivery. A clamping device embodying features of the invention includes a pair of clamping members with opposed pressure-applying members having facing pressure-applying surfaces, at least one of which is a yieldable pressure-applying surface. The yieldable pressure-applying surface is preferably resilient. The clamping members are configured to adjust the distance between pressure-applying surfaces, and a blood flow sensor is disposed on at least one of the pressure-applying members to aid in locating the target artery and also to monitor blood flow through the artery. The clamping device is particularly suitable for occluding uterine arteries by compressing the broad ligament which contains the uterine artery and which is connected to the patient's uterus with the arterial clamp.

The invention is directed to a uterine artery clamp and the relatively non-invasive treatment procedure utilizing this clamp. The uterine clamp includes a clamping member having a jaw with tissue-contacting surfaces for applying pressure to target tissue and a stabilizing member which is configured to be inserted into the patient's uterine cervical canal. The clamp may be provided with elongated handles to manually adjust the spacing between the jaw and stabilizer and thereby apply pressure to a uterine artery beneath a bundle of tissue held between the jaw and stabilizer. Uterine clamps embodying features of the invention by be used in procedures for treating uterine disorders such as fibroids, DUB, PPH and the like.

A method for treating a uterine fibroid comprises forming an incision in a vaginal fornix to expose a first blood vessel supplying the fibroid, forming an opening in the first blood vessel and inserting an introducer into the first blood vessel via the opening in combination with the steps of advancing a catheter to a desired position within the first blood vessel via the introducer and introducing an occlusive agent into the first blood vessel through the catheter to block blood flow through the first blood vessel. A device for treating uterine fibroids comprises an elongated sheath sized for insertion into uterine arteries via an incision in the vaginal fornix, the sheath including a sheath lumen extending from a first sheath opening formed in a proximal end of the sheath to a second sheath opening formed in a distal end of the sheath and a body a distal end of which is connected to the proximal end of the sheath, the body including a body lumen extending therethrough from a first body opening at a proximal end of the body and a second body opening at the distal end thereof, the second body lumen communicating with the sheath lumen in combination with a hemostatic valve controlling the flow of blood through the body lumen.

A system for ligating a uterine artery in a patient generally includes a suture transfer tool, suture transfer darts, and one or more sutures. Others systems and implants are described herein for treating and/or eliminating fibroids or fibrous masses in males and females.

A method for performing a cesarean section includes the occlusion of uterine arteries using an atraumatic occlusion instrument, for example, an atraumatic clamp, after pulling the uterus from the pelvic cavity and placing it on the patient abdomen, The method significantly reduces blood loss in patients. An atraumatic occlusion clamp has disposable covers made of gauze.

Non-permanent occlusion of the uterine arteries is sufficient to cause the demise of uterine myomata without unnecessarily exposing other tissues and anatomical structures to hypoxia attendant to prior permanent occlusion techniques. A therapeutically effective transient time of occlusion of a uterine artery to treat uterine fibroid tumors is from 1 hours to 24 hours, and preferably is at least about 4 hours. A therapeutically effective temporary time of occlusion of a uterine artery to treat uterine fibroid tumors is from 1 day (24 hours) to 7 days (168 hours), and preferably is about 4 days (96 hours). By invaginating the tissues of the vaginal wall up to or around a uterine artery, collapse of the uterine artery can be achieved without penetrating tissue of the patient.

The invention provides devices, systems and methods for reducing or abolishing blood flow by occluding uterine arteries for treating adenomyosis and endometriosis. A non-invasive uterine artery occlusion device embodying features of the invention includes a pair of pressure-applying members with opposed tissue-contacting surfaces, a supporting shaft configured to adjust the distance between tissue-contacting surfaces, and at least one sensor for locating a uterine artery disposed on at least one pressure-applying member. Uterine arteries are occluded by indirectly compressing the artery by compressing tissue near to an artery. One uterine artery may be occluded or both may be occluded simultaneously. A uterine artery may be accessed via a body cavity, such as a patient's vagina, and may be occluded by compressing a portion of the vaginal wall around a portion of a uterine artery.

This invention is directed to a method and device for treating a female patient's uterine disorder by occluding one or both of the patient's uterine artery. The treatment embodying features of the invention basically involves occluding one or both of the patient's uterine arteries with an intravaginal device to form a thrombus within the occluded artery or arteries and administering an agent which will prolong the occlusion of the artery or arteries after removal of the occluding device or initiate or accelerate fibroid cell apoptosis (programmed cell death). The intravaginal device has a pair of pivotally connected occluding members, with at least one of the occluding member having a movable occluding element on a distal shaft section of the occluding member.

A system for ligating a uterine artery in a patient generally includes a suture transfer tool, suture transfer darts, and one or more sutures. The suture transfer tool includes an upper jaw that is pivotally joined to a lower jaw. The lower jaw of the tool includes a number of suture capturing pins. The suture transfer darts are configured to be tissue piercing and are positionable within the suture capturing pins. Each end of the suture is connected to a suture transfer dart. When operating the tool, the suture transfer darts pierce through the tissue to either side of a patient's cardinal ligament, which contains the uterine artery, and simultaneously present an end of the suture to either side of the cardinal ligament. As such, the suture is in an open loop configuration about the cardinal ligament and can be tied tight to the ligament to occlude the uterine artery.

The invention provides a devices, methods and systems to measure and record uterine tissue environment components such as pH during the course of uterine artery occlusion. The uterus becomes ischemic due to the occlusion thereof, and its pH drops sharply within minutes of uterine artery occlusion and remains relatively low for a period of time. The return of normal pH is an indicator of return of blood to the ischemic tissue. In use, a catheter with a pH measuring tip is advanced through the patient's vaginal canal and into the patient's uterine cavity until the pH measuring active electrode on the distal end of the catheter contacts or penetrates the uterine fundus. The active electrode detects the pH and a signal representing pH is transmitted to a pH recording and monitoring device which preferably displays the pH. The signal may be transmitted through a conductor or by a radio transmitter. Components other than pH may be monitored such a pCO₂, and pO₂.

A method for treating uterine leiomyomas, which includes vaginally accessing the cardinal ligament surrounding at least one uterine artery, and occluding the flow of blood through the least one uterine artery. The blood can be occluded by compression. The artery can be compressed by ligating the cardinal ligament. In addition, at least one uterosacral ligament can be ligated. In addition, the artery can be compressed by, clipping, stapling or clamping the cardinal ligament. The blood can also be occluded by coagulating the at least one artery. Coagulation can be done with a laser or a cauterizing device. A system for treating uterine leiomyomas, which includes vaginally accessing the cardinal ligament surrounding at least one uterine artery using a surgical suture passing device to extend a ligature around the ligament, and affixing a ligature around the cardinal ligament to occlude the flow of blood through at least one uterine artery. Also, a system for treating uterine leiomyomas, which includes vaginally accessing the cardinal ligament surrounding at least one uterine artery, providing an absorbable clip and/or staple, and affixing the clip and/or staple around the ligament to occlude the flow of blood through the at least one uterine artery.

A preparation method of suppository for treating uterine adenomyosis mainly solves the problem of suppository material source and product cost. the preparation method comprises (1) cutting aseptic gelatin sponge into thin slices, overlaying, scissoring one end of the sponge into multiple filaments, scissoring into fine particle until to the other end of the sponge, packaging, sterilizing with oxirane, and standing for 2 weeks; (2) dissolving Pingyangmycin 24 mg in physiological saline for operation; and (3) inserting the conduit into one side of the uterine artery, putting the gelatin sponge into a 20mL disposable syringe, decimating the Pingyangmycin physiological saline solution repeatedly, and injecting with the conduit. The method has the advantages of easily-accessible raw materials, low cost, and high security.

Method, system and software product for identifying high risk pregnancies comprising the step of generating a spectrogram from ultrasound Doppler signals reflected from the uterine artery and determining the maximum frequency envelope of said spectrogram, and of defining a systolic part and a diastolic part of the maximum frequency envelope and calculating an area ratio under said systolic and diastolic part (AR). This area ratio relates to the blood volume in the uterine artery.