Apparatus and methods for treating venous compression/obstruction syndromes

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided for treating patients exhibiting symptoms of hypertension, isolated systolic hypertension, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, May-Thuner Syndrome or dyspnea by diagnosing and reducing narrowing of a patient's iliac vein caused by extrinsic localized compression using a stent having circumferential differential radial stiffness and delivery catheter for aligning and deploying such stents.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 865,154, filed May 1, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,881,541, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This application relates generally to devices and methods for reducing venous compression / obstruction arising from localized extrinsic loads, and thereby, to provide relief from a number of cardiovascular ailments hypothesized to arise therefrom.BACKGROUND[0003]Hypertension is a disease that affects more than 77.9 million adults in the United States and approximately one billion individuals worldwide. In 2008, elevated blood pressure (BP) affected approximately 40% of adults 25 years of age or greater globally. According to a 2014 report from the American Heart Association (AHA), based on NHANES / NCHS data through 2010, one in three adults has high BP, and 74.9% of these subjects are undergoing treatment for hypertension. The...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an apparatus and methods for reducing extrinsic narrowing of the iliac veins, which can cause many illnesses such as MTS, HFpEF, and dyspnea. The invention provides stents that can alleviate the compression and improve blood flow in the lower extremities. The stents have variable circumferential stiffness, which allows them to withstand the asymmetric forces that compress the veins. The invention also includes delivery catheters that accurately determine the orientation of the stent and negotiate tortuous venous anatomy. The technical effect of the invention is to reduce the cardiac work required to maintain adequate blood flow and increase the quality of life for patients with these illnesses.

Problems solved by technology

It is further hypothesized that venous compression / obstruction reduces blood return to the heart, which in turn may reduce oxygenation in the lungs, and further result in the left heart working harder to maintain sufficient blood pressure.

Moreover, the increased venous pressure in the extremities resulting from the venous compression also is believed to increases the arterial pressure, resulting in increased systolic pressure, hypertension and HFpEF.

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