TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation, wherein the device is easily inserted through the inferior vena cava, the tricuspid valve, and the pulmonary artery in sequence in order to treat tricuspid regurgitation (TR) which is a disease where blood from the right ventricle flows back into the right atrium through an empty space (i.e., orifice) formed by incomplete closing of the tricuspid valve (TV) which is positioned between the right atrium and the right ventricle of the heart.

BACKGROUND ART

The heart is composed of four hollow chambers: the left atrium, the left ventricle, the right atrium, and the right ventricle, and are respectively connected to the pulmonary vein, the aorta, the vena cava, and the pulmonary artery. There are valves between the ventricles and the atria. The valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle is called the mitral valve, and the valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle is called the tricuspid valve.

The heart repeats contraction and relaxation to enable blood to circulate. In the systolic phase of the heart, blood in the heart moves to blood vessels. The blood in the right ventricle flows to the pulmonary artery, and the blood in the left ventricle flows to the aorta.

However, when a valve is not working properly, blood backflow occurs, thereby causing the blood that normally flows into blood vessels to flow back to an atrium during the heart contraction.

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) refers to a symptom, wherein an orifice is formed because the tricuspid valve (TV) between the right atrium and the right ventricle is stretched or torn, or because the chordae tendineae holding the tricuspid valve is broken, and thus the tricuspid valve closes incompletely when the tricuspid valve needs to be closed, resulting in blood backflowing from the right ventricle to the right atrium through the orifice during cardiac contraction. This is also called tricuspid valve insufficiency.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,486,136 B2, 7,854,762 B2, and 9,474,605 B2 are patents disclosing devices for treating the tricuspid regurgitation, and the devices for treating tricuspid regurgitation are inserted into the superior vena cava, the tricuspid valve, the right ventricle in sequence and block the orifice of the tricuspid valve, thereby treating the tricuspid regurgitation. In the devices for the treatment of the tricuspid regurgitation, an anchor installed at one end of each of the devices is fixed to a ventricle, and the other end thereof is fixed to the outside of the heart by passing through the superior vena cava. Accordingly, the blocking part of the related patents is placed in an unstable state being passed through a centerline of the orifice of the tricuspid valve with a longitudinal orientation and floating within the heart.

The fixing device of the conventional devices for treatment of tricuspid regurgitation is fixed to a ventricle and a position outside the heart. Since the heart is positioned above the diaphragm and the heart moves upward and downward according to the vertical movement of the diaphragm during breathing, the conventional devices for the treatment tricuspid regurgitation move upward and downward according to the movement of the diaphragm during breathing. When this movement is repeated, there occurs a problem in that the blocking part is positioned off the centerline of the orifice of the tricuspid valve. When the blocking part deviates from the centerline of the orifice of the tricuspid valve, the function of the tricuspid valve is adversely affected.

Moreover, in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2017-0044065 invented by the present inventor, a device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation is disclosed, wherein the device has a blocking part that passes obliquely through the tricuspid valve by connecting the coronary sinus and the ventricular septum to each other. The blocking part is stably positioned inside the heart, but requires a relatively difficult treatment by being passed through the ventricular septum.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

The present invention is to provide a device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation that may simply treat the tricuspid regurgitation by passing through the inferior vena cava, the tricuspid valve, and the pulmonary artery in sequence to solve the problem of the related art.

In addition, the present invention is to provide a device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation, wherein a blocking part passes obliquely through an orifice of the tricuspid valve and may stably block the orifice of the tricuspid valve.

In addition, the present invention is to provide a device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation that is configured to easily maintain a centerline orientation of an orifice of the tricuspid valve without being affected by the movement of the diaphragm during breathing, by fixing the fixing members to the pulmonary artery and the inferior vena cava respectively.

The objectives of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objectives, and other objectives that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Technical Solution

In order to achieve the objectives of the present invention, there is provided a device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation, the device including:

a fixing member for the pulmonary artery installed in the pulmonary artery; a fixing member for the inferior vena cava installed in the inferior vena cava; a connecting tube connecting the fixing member for the pulmonary artery and the fixing member for the inferior vena cava to each other; and a blocking part passing obliquely through the tricuspid valve.

The connecting tube may be provided with a guidewire-guiding lumen formed therein to be movable along a guidewire.

The fixing member for the pulmonary artery may include at a lower part thereof: a fixing member body for the pulmonary artery; and a plurality of fixtures for the pulmonary artery radially coupled to the fixing member body for the pulmonary artery, and the fixing member for the inferior vena cava may include at a lower part thereof: a fixing member body for the inferior vena cava; and a plurality of fixtures for the inferior vena cava radially coupled to the fixing member body for the inferior vena cava.

The fixing member body for the pulmonary artery or the fixing member body for the inferior vena cava may be configured in a cylindrical shape having a hole in a central axis thereof and coupled to the connecting tube.

The fixing member body for the inferior vena cava may include a protruding hook for the inferior vena cava, the protruding hook being coupled to a lower surface of the fixing member body for the inferior vena cava and capable of being hooked by using a hook inserted from outside.

The fixing member body for the pulmonary artery or the fixing member body for the inferior vena cava may be configured in a ring shape, and the fixing member for the pulmonary artery or the fixing member for the inferior vena cava may include a fixing-member-connecting wire having a first end thereof coupled to the fixing member body for the pulmonary artery and inserted into the connecting tube, and having a second end thereof coupled to the fixing member body for the inferior vena cava.

The fixing member for the pulmonary artery may include: a fixture for the pulmonary artery formed of a wire having a ribbon shape; and a fixing member body for the pulmonary artery coupled to one end of the fixture for the pulmonary artery, and the fixing member for the inferior vena cava may include: a fixture for the inferior vena cava formed of the wire having the ribbon shape; and a fixing member body for the inferior vena cava coupled to one end of the fixture for the inferior vena cava.

The fixing member body for the pulmonary artery or the fixing member body for the inferior vena cava may be configured in a cylindrical shape having a hole in a central axis thereof and coupled to the connecting tube.

The fixing member body for the pulmonary artery or the fixing member body for the inferior vena cava may be configured in a ring shape, and the fixing member for the pulmonary artery or the fixing member for the inferior vena cava may include a fixing-member-connecting wire having a first end thereof coupled to the fixing member for the pulmonary artery and inserted into the connecting tube, and having a second end thereof coupled to the fixing member for the inferior vena cava.

The blocking part may include: a supporting wire having both ends thereof coupled to the connecting tube; and a blocking membrane having one side thereof fixed to the connecting tube and supported by the supporting wire.

The blocking part may be a blocking balloon in a balloon shape capable of expanding or contracting, and the blocking part further may include: a balloon tube having a first end thereof connected to and communicated with the blocking balloon; and a balloon-adjusting hub connected to a second end of the balloon tube and installed outside a patient's body, the balloon-adjusting hub expanding or contracting the blocking balloon.

The blocking part may include: a ring-shaped wire installed to make the connecting tube to be passed through thereof and having a central axis thereof obliquely formed with respect to the connecting tube; and a blocking membrane connecting the connecting tube and the ring-shaped wire to each other.

The device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation may further include a sheath tube formed with a lumen into which the device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation may be inserted to move into a patient's body.

Advantageous Effects

A device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation according to the present invention may pass through the inferior vena cava, the tricuspid valve, and the pulmonary artery in sequence, so that placement of a blocking part in an orifice of the tricuspid valve is relatively simple and the treatment time is short.

In addition, the blocking part may pass obliquely through a centerline of the orifice of the tricuspid valve to stably block the orifice of the tricuspid valve.

In addition, fixing members are fixed to the pulmonary artery and the inferior vena cava so that the position of the blocking part passing through the centerline of the orifice of the tricuspid valve is not affected by the movement of the diaphragm during breathing.

In addition, since the blocking part of the device for performing tricuspid regurgitation operation according to the present invention is positioned on about the same planar surface as the tricuspid valve, the blocking part has little interaction with the chordae tendineae or the papillary muscles, which are the substructure of the tricuspid valve, thereby having no possibility of causing problems due to the interaction.

