WO1988001518A1

WO1988001518A1 - Implant passageway

Info

Publication number: WO1988001518A1
Application number: PCT/SE1986/000382
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dan Lundgren
Original assignee: Dan Lundgren
Priority date: 1986-08-29
Filing date: 1986-08-29
Publication date: 1988-03-10
Also published as: DK224888D0; DK224888A

Abstract

Implant passageway for connection of body cavities or body vessels to a device, container or the like externally of the body. The passageway comprises a plurality of capillary tubes (12) of a biocompatible material or with an outside biocompatible surface layer, which extend in parallel to each other and spaced from each other between two end pieces (10, 11). The capillary tubes open at the ends thereof through the end pieces.

Description

IMPLANT PASSAGEWAY

The invention relates to an implant passageway for connection of body cavities or body vessels to a device, container or the like externally of the body.

Such an implant passageway can be used e.g. for establishing a permanent connection to the abdomen of persons who from time to time have to be subject to e.g. peritoneal dialysis, or for establishing a temporary connection to a body cavity. The difficulty when arranging an implant passageway is above all that the epithelium cells grow along the implant forming the connection proper, rejection from the body being the consequence thereof. . •

This difficulty is overcome by the implant passageway of the invention having obtained the characteristics of claim 1. In order to explain the invention in more detail an embodiment thereof will be described below, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of an implant passageway according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the implant passageway, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a capillary tube with a washer provided thereon.

In the embodiment disclosed in the drawing, the implant passageway comprises two end pieces 10 and 11 which in the present case comprise two cylindrical sockets but can have any other form so as to be connected e.g. to a hose. As far as the outer end piece 10 is concerned, it can also be constructed for connection to a container, a plastic bag, a syringe, or -any other apparatus, and as far as the inner end piece 11 is concerned, it is not necessary that it is constructed for a connection; it can be provided only as

a termination of the implant passageway to be located in a body cavity. A number of capillary tubes 12 extend between the two end pieces in parallel to each other and spaced from each other. These tubes should have an outside diameter which is less than 2 mm and preferably is less than 150 n . The spacing between the tubes should be so large that tissue growing thereinto will mature and stay matured. The tubes are arranged in a row in one plane, and the advantage of this arrangement is that they can be placed in the skin through an incision. In the drawing, the skin is shown in FIG. 1 at 13 and - th.e epithelium layer at 14. The tubes open at the ends thereof through the two end pieces.

The capi-llary tubes 12 should be made of a biocompatible material or should at least be coated with such material on the surface thereof. The material can be a metal or a metal alloy. The preferred metal is titanium, but also aluminium, indium, zirkoniu and molybdenum can be used in this connection, and suitable alloys can contain cobalt-nickel-chromium, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum, or alurainium-vanadium-titanium. Also biocompatible polymers can be used as the material of the tubes 12, such as silicone or polyur thane of the highest medical quality. Such tubes may be coated with any of the metals or metal alloys mentioned above on the outside surface thereof. The coating can be obtained by evaporation in vacuum and can have a thickness of the order of 50 to 300 nm.

Due to the fact that the tubes 12 have such a small outside diameter the epithelium layer will be prevented from propagating along the tubes to move into or down into the skin with rejection as a consequence thereof. For the same purpose there can be provided on the capillary tubes immediately below the skin thin washers as shown at 15, FIGS. 1 and 3.

Instead of being arranged in a row in one plane the capillary tubes can be arranged in two- mutually crossing planes and then the implant passageway rather easily can be inserted by making two perpendicular incisions. However, it is also possible to arrange the capillary tubes as a more or less cylindrical bundle, but then the insertion of the implant passageway will be made more complicated.

The number of tubes of the implant passageway has to be adapted to the flow which is allowed to pass therethrough.

Claims

1. Implant passageway for connection of body cavities or body vessels to a device, container or the

like externally of the body,

5 c h a r a c t e r i z e d by several capillary tubes (12) of a biocompatible material or with an outside biocompatible surface layer, which extend in parallel with each other and spaced from each other between two end pieces (10, 11), the ends of the capillary tubes 0 opening through the end pieces.

2. Implant passageway as in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the capillary tubes (12) have an outside diameter which is less than 2 mm, preferably less than 150 Aim. 5

3. Implant passageway as in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e ri z e d in that the capillary tubes (12) are arranged in a row in one^* plane.

4. Implant passageway as in any of claims 1 to 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the biocompatible 0 material or the biocompatible surface layer comprises a biocompatible metal or metal alloy.

5. Implant passageway as in claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the biocompatible material comprises titanium. 5

6. Implant passageway as in claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the biocompatible material comprises aluminium, indium, zirkonium, or molybdenum.

7. Implant passageway as in claim 4, _Q c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the biocompatible material comprises an alloy containing cobalt-nickel-chromium, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum, or aluminium-vanadium-titanium.

8. Implant passageway as in any of claims 1 to 3, 5 c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the biocompatible material comprises a polymer.

9. Implant passageway as in claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the -biocompatible material comprises silicone or polyurethane.