U.S. patent number 3,777,737 [Application Number 05/233,930] was granted by the patent office on 1973-12-11 for method and device for reversibly interrupting fluid flow in a living being.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Investors In Venture, Inc.. Invention is credited to Louis Bucalo.
United States Patent |
3,777,737 |
Bucalo |
December 11, 1973 |
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REVERSIBLY INTERRUPTING FLUID FLOW IN A
LIVING BEING
Abstract
A method and device for reversibly interrupting flow of fluid
along a passage in the body of a living being. The method and
device are particularly adapted for use with the vas deferens of a
human being. A member such as a vas deferens is at least partly cut
transversely so as to have a pair of separated portions. Opposed
ends of a valve are inserted into the interiors of these separated
portions while a barrier is maintained between the separated
portions to prevent them from communicating with each other. The
valve is provided between elongated tubular portions of its housing
which form the inlet and outlet of the valve with a barrier
structure in the form of a ring to be situated between the
separated portions of a member such as a vas, this ring having a
diameter great enough to prevent communication between the
interiors of the separated portions. When the valve is implanted it
is provided with an elongated needle extending completely through
and beyond the valve so that the ends of the needle can extend
along the interiors of the separated portions of the vas, to
prevent the separated portions from becoming closed during
introduction of the valve. After the valve has been mounted in the
vas the needle is removed. The valve is implanted in an open
position and is closed only after the vas heals. This closing of
the valve is brought about magnetically from the exterior of the
body.
Inventors: |
Bucalo; Louis (Holbrook,
NY) |
Assignee: |
Investors In Venture, Inc. (New
York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
26800639 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/233,930 |
Filed: |
March 13, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
103606 |
Jan 4, 1971 |
3707957 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
128/843; 251/65;
604/248 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
6/24 (20130101); F16K 5/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
6/00 (20060101); A61F 6/24 (20060101); F16K
5/06 (20060101); A61b 019/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/1R,127,274,33R
;251/65,89,89.5 ;137/316 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Truluck; Dalton L.
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat.
application Ser. No. 103,606, filed Jan. 4, 1971 and entitled "Vas
Valve," this application now being U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,957.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a method for implanting a device such as a valve for
reversibly interrupting the flow of fluid along a passage in the
body of a living being, the steps of cutting at least partly across
a member which has the passage in its interior, to provide the
member with a pair of separated portions, inserting opposed ends of
a device such as a valve into the interiors of the separated
portions of the member while maintaining between the separated
portions of the member, to prevent communication between said
separated portions, a barrier having opposed end surfaces
respectively intersecting and extending radially outwardly beyond
said opposed ends of said device, and wrapping a filamentary
material around the exteriors of the opposed ends of the device
along said exteriors up to but terminating at the intersections
between said barrier and said opposed ends of the device while
leaving said end surfaces of said barrier extending freely radially
beyond the wrapped filamentary material with the latter being
wrapped sufficiently to create between the wrappings small
interstices for creating between interior surfaces of said
separated portions of said member and exterior surfaces of said
opposed ends of said device which are respectively surrounded by
said interior surfaces conditions for promoting rapid ingrowth of
tissue into intimate contact with said opposed ends of said device
for achieving a secure connection between the device and said
separated portions of said member.
2. In a method for reversibly interrupting the flow of fluid along
a passage in the body of a living being, the steps of cutting at
least partly across a member which has the passage in its interior,
to provide the member with a pair of separated portions, inserting
opposed ends of a valve into the interiors of the separated
portions of the member while maintaining a barrier between the
separated portions of the member to prevent communication between
said separated portions, and maintaining the valve in a closed
position until it is desired to reestablish fluid flow along said
passage, the valve being in an open position when it is introduced
into said portions of said member, and further including the steps
of initially inserting through the open valve an elongated needle
which has elongated free end portions respectively extending beyond
the opposed ends of the valve into the interiors of the separated
portions to assure that said interiors are maintained open while
the valve is introduced into said portions of said members, then
pushing the needle at one end thereof toward the interior of the
valve while the other end thereof is simultaneously advanced away
from the valve, and simultaneously directing said other end of the
needle through a wall which forms part of said member to situate
said other end of said needle out at the exterior of said member to
enable the other end of the needle to be grasped for withdrawing
the entire needle from the valve and from said member, whereby the
interiors of said portions of said member are maintained open
during insertion of the valve.
3. In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein the creating of
the conditions for rapid ingrowth of tissue includes the step of
wrapping gold wire around the exteriors of the opposed ends of the
device along said exteriors up to but terminating at said barrier,
prior to introduction of said ends into said separated portions of
said member so that said portions of said member will grow through
interstices of the wrapped gold wire for providing a secure
connection between said portions and said device.
4. In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein said living being
is a human being, said member being a vas deferens.
5. In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein the step of
cutting is carried out completely across said member.
6. In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein said step of
cutting is carried out only partly across said member.
7. In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein the device is a
valve which is initially in an open position when opposed ends
thereof are inserted into the separated portions of said member,
maintaining the valve in its open position until said member heals,
and then closing the valve after the member has healed.
8. In a method as recited in claim 1 and including the step of
providing in the barrier radially outwardly beyond said opposed
ends of the device paths along which said member can grow together
through the barrier outwardly and radially beyond the interiors of
the separated portions thereof.
9. A valve for reversibly interrupting the flow of fluid along a
passage in the body of a living being, comprising an elongated
valve housing having a pair of opposed elongated tubular portions
respectively forming a valve inlet and a valve outlet, said tubular
portions being adapted to be inserted into separated portions of a
member of the living being which has the passage in its interior,
movable means carried by said valve housing between said inlet and
outlet for movement between a closed position preventing flow of
fluid from said inlet to said outlet and an open position
permitting flow of fluid from said inlet to said outlet, barrier
means carried by said valve housing at the exterior thereof between
said tubular portions to be situated between said separated
portions of said member for preventing communication between said
separated portions, said barrier means having opposed end surfaces
respectively intersecting said elongated tubular portions and
extending radially outwardly beyond said elongated tubular portions
of said valve housing, and filamentary means wound around and
extending along the exterior of said tubular portions up to and
terminating at said intersections between said tubular portions and
said barrier means with the end surfaces of the latter extending
freely radially beyond said filamentary means, and said filamentary
means being wound to an extent providing in the wound filamentary
means interstices for promoting ingrowth of tissue along said
tubular portions to achieve a secure connection with the separated
portions of said member.
10. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said barrier means has
the form of a ring carried by said valve housing at the exterior
thereof and having a diameter great enough to prevent said portions
of said member from growing over said ring.
11. The combination of claim 10 and wherein said ring and the
remainder of said valve housing form a one-piece body.
12. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said means for promoting
ingrowth of tissue includes gold wire wrapped around the exteriors
of said tubular portions of said housing for providing a secure
attachment of the separated portions of said member to said tubular
portions of said housing.
13. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said barrier means is
formed with at least one opening situtated radially outwardly
beyond said tubular portions and passing through said barrier means
at a location beyond the interior of said valve housing with said
opening extending from one to the other of said end surfaces of
said barrier means so that tissue of the living being can grow
through said opening of said barrier means.
14. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said movable means
carries a magnetically responsive means responding to a rotating
magnetic field which acts through said magnetically responsive
means on said movable means to displace the latter between its open
and closed positions, said magnetic means being in the form of a
bar magnet carried by said movable means, enclosure means carried
by said valve housing and enclosing said magnet, and means adapted
to be located at the exterior of the body of the living being in
the region of said magnetically responsive means for providing said
rotating magnetic field acting on said magnetic means to displace
said movable means between its closed and open positions.
15. A valve for reversibly interrupting the flow of fluid along a
passage in the body of a living being, comprising an elongated
valve housing having a pair of opposed elongated tubular portions
respectively forming a valve inlet and a valve outlet, said tubular
portions being adapted to be inserted into separated portions of a
member of the living being which has the passage in its interior,
movable means carried by said valve housing between said inlet and
outlet for movement between a closed position preventing flow of
fluid from said inlet to said outlet and an open position
permitting flow of fluid from said inlet to said outlet, and
barrier means carried by said valve housing at the exterior thereof
between said tubular portions to be situated between said separated
portions of said member for preventing communication between said
separated portions, said movable means when in its open position
providing said housing with a free interior space extending between
and aligned with said tubular portions of said valve housing, and
an elongated needle extending through said space and through and
beyond said elongated tubular portions of said valve housing for
projecting into the interior of said separated portions of said
member when said tubular portions of said housing are introduced
into said separated portions of said member, for maintaining the
interior of said separated portions of said member open while the
valve is introduced into said separated portions of said member,
whereby after implanting of the valve the needle may be
removed.
16. The combination of claim 15 and wherein said needle is in the
form of a single elongated one-piece member.
17. The combination of claim 15 and wherein said needle is composed
of a pair of elongated portions to be separately inserted
respectively through said elongated tubular portions of said valve
housing, said elongated portions of said needle having means for
frictionally holding said portions together after insertion thereof
through said tubular portions of said valve housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and devices for reversibly
interrupting the flow of fluid along a passage in the body of a
living being. Thus, the present invention is particularly
applicable to male human beings for reversibly interrupting the
flow of sperm along the vas deferens.
It has long been known that it is possible to prevent conception by
way of a simple operation performed on adult males. This operation
involves severing the vas deferens so that sperm cannot flow
therethrough. The great drawback of this well known operation
resides in the fact that when at some future time it is desired to
reestablish the flow of sperm through the vas, great difficulties
are encountered in reestablishing the connection between the
separated portions of the severed vas, and experience has shown
that even when the severed vas portions are again connected to each
other the flow of sperm through the vas is not always successfully
reestablished.
It has therefore been proposed to resort to methods and devices
which are capable of reversibly interrupting the flow of sperm
through the vas. Thus, it has been proposed to implant in the vas a
valve which can be closed so as to interrupt the flow of sperm.
Whenever it is desired to reestablish the flow of sperm it is only
necessary to open the valve.
In this case also, however, experience has shown that in practice
certain problems are encountered which prevent the desired results
from being successfully achieved in all cases. One of the problems
frequently encountered in connection with this type of reversible
interruption of flow is that even when the valve is closed the flow
of sperm along the vas is not reliably prevented. Thus, while
movement of sperm along the interior of the valve may be reliably
avoided by providing a valve which has a suitable construction,
movement of sperm along the exterior of the valve is not always
reliably prevented. The part of the vas in which the valve is
implanted can form with respect to the exterior of the valve
passages great enough for movement of sperm along the exterior of
the valve so that prevention of conception is not always
achieved.
A further problem encountered in practice is that during implanting
of the valve the interior of the vas becomes obstructed and closed
so that even when the valve is subsequently opened to reestablish
flow of sperm such flow does not take place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to
provide a method and device which will reliably achieve two results
of primary importance, namely, the interruption of flow along the
interior of a member such as a vas and the reestablishment of the
flow subsequent to the interruption thereof.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a method and
device which will prevent flow of fluid along the interior of a
member in a living being in such a way that there is a complete
assurance of interruption of flow of the fluid.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method
and device which can be fully relied upon to reestablish the flow
when desired.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method
and device of the above type which are particularly suitable for
use in adult males in connection with the vas deferens.
Also, it is an object of the invention to provide reliable
achievement of the above results with a method and device which are
relatively simple and inexpensive so that the method and device of
the invention can be readily available to all male adults,
including those who are in the so-called disadvantaged sectors of
society where there is little affluence.
According to the method of the invention, a member such as a vas
deferens is at least partly cut across so as to have a pair of
separated portions. A valve has opposed ends which are inserted
into the interiors of these separated portions, and at the same
time a barrier is maintained between the separated portions so as
to prevent the interiors thereof from communicating. The valve is
maintained open until the vas heals and is then closed until it is
is desired to reestablish fluid flow through the vas.
The valve of the invention has a pair of elongated opposed tubular
portions which form, respectively, a valve inlet and a valve
outlet. These tubular portions form part of the valve housing and
are introduced into the separated portions of a member such as a
vas deferens. The valve housing carries between the elongated
opposed tubular portions thereof a barrier means for preventing the
interiors of the separated portions of a member such as a vas from
communicating with each other. This carrier means preferably takes
the form of a ring which surrounds the housing and which has a
diameter great enough to prevent communication between the
interiors of the separated portions of the member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevation of a valve of the invention shown
schematically within a vas deferens which is illustrated
fragmentarily in a longitudinal section;
FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along line 2--2 of
FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the valve structure of FIG. 1 shown by
itself without the vas deferens and without any gold wire on the
tubular ends of the valve;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation showing in section the
valve structure of FIG. 1 with the valve in its closed position,
FIG. 4 schematically illustrating the valve implanted within a
vas;
FIG. 5 shows the valve of FIG. 4 in an open position just after it
has been implanted, with FIG. 5 illustrating also how a needle of
the invention is assembled with the valve;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation schematically
illustrating another type valve which may be used according to the
invention;
FIG. 7 is a partly sectional elevation of another embodiment of a
needle which may be used according to the invention;
FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of another manner in which it
is possible to cut across a vas;
FIG. 9 is a schematic longitudinal sectional elevation of the vas
of FIG. 8 showing a valve of the invention mounted therein, in
accordance with the invention;
FIG. 10 is a sectional schematic longitudinal elevation of another
embodiment of a method and structure according to the invention,
taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 11 in the direction of the
arrows;
FIG. 11 is a transvers section of the structure of FIG. 10 taken
along line 11--11 of FIG. 10 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of the manner in which a
valve is constructed so that it may be implanted in an open
condition and then closed subsequently after healing of the vas;
and
FIG. 13 is a sectional plan view, on an enlarged scale as compared
to FIG. 12, taken along line 13--13 of FIG. 12 in the direction of
the arrows and illustrating further details of the structure of
FIG. 12.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, there is schematically represented therein a
part of a vas 10 of an adult human male. The vas 10 has the tubular
vas proper 12 which is surrounded by the tissue 14.
Implanted within the vas is a valve 16 of the present invention.
The details of the valve 16 are illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus,
the valve 16 has a housing 18 provided with a pair of elongated
tubular portions 20 and 22 which form the valve inlet and outlet.
It is to be understood that the valve can be oriented in either
direction with either one of the tubular portions forming the inlet
while the other forms the outlet. A movable means 24 is carried by
the valve housing 18 in the interior thereof for opening and
closing the valve. This movable means 24 in the illustrated example
takes the form of a simple ball member formed with a bore 26
passing therethrough and capable of being aligned with the
interiors of the tubular portions 20 and 22 when the valve is open.
In the closed position of the valve which is shown in FIG. 2, the
bore 26 extends transversely across the valve axis so that the
opposed ends of the bore 26 are closed by the inner surface of the
valve housing. The movable means 24 is fixedly connected with and
includes an elongated stem 28 which extends to the exterior of the
valve housing where the stem 28 is provided with any suitable means
to enable the movable means 24 to be turned between its open and
closed positions. In the illustrated example the stem 28 is
provided with a simple opening 30 passing therethrough so that any
pin can be introduced into the opening 30 to enable the movable
means 24 to be turned. When the axis of the opening 30 is parallel
to the valve axis the valve is closed while when the axis of the
opening 30 extends transversely of the valve axis the valve is
open. The valve is shown in section in its closed position in FIG.
4 and in its open position in FIG. 5.
In accordance with one of the primary features of the present
invention, the valve housing 18 of the valve 16 is provided with a
barrier means 32 the purpose of which is referred to below. This
barrier means 32 takes the form, in the illustrated example, of a
ring 34 which is integral with the remainder of the valve housing
so as to form a one-piece body therewith, as illustrated in FIGS. 4
and 5. While it is possible to provide a split valve housing which
has its sections interconnected with suitable seals in order to
enclose the movable means 24, the one-piece construction is
preferred. The valve may be constructed according to the teachings
of U.S. Pat. No. 3,616,520.
In accordance with the invention the diameter of the ring 34 is
made sufficiently great so that it is not possible for separated
portions of the vas, as referred to below, to grow together, so
that the possibility of movement of sperm past the valve is
reliably prevented.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, it will be understood that initially
the vas 10 illustrated therein forms a continuous tubular member
the interior of which has the passage along which the sperm moves.
In accordance with the method of the invention the vas 10 is cut
across completely so as to form the pair of separated portions 36
and 38. The tubular portions 20 and 22 of the valve 16 are then
introduced into the separated portions 36 and 38. However, before
these tubular portions 20 and 22 of the valve 16 are introduced
into the separated portions 36 and 38 of the vas 10, a gold wire 40
is wrapped around the tubular portions 20 and 22 of the valve 16.
This gold wire forms a large number of haphazardly arranged
interstices into which the vas grows, with the direction of growth
being controlled by the various haphazard directions in which the
wrappings of gold wire extend, so that in this way an intimate and
secure connection between the vas and the tubular portions 20 and
22 is assured.
At the same time it will be seen that the diameter of the barrier
means 32 with respect to the diameter of the vas 10 is such that
the separated portions 36 and 38 of the vas 10 cannot possibly grow
together. The barrier means 32 maintains these separated portions
36 and 38 permanently separated from each other since they cannot
grow together over the exterior surface of the barrier means 32.
Thus with this construction it becomes impossible for any passage
to form along the exterior of the valve through which sperm can
move along and past the valve.
It is to be understood that the vas and the valve shown in the
drawings are illustrated on an enlarged scale for the sake of
clarity. The actual dimensions encountered in practice are much
smaller. Experience has shown that when the elongated tubular
portions 20 and 22 of the valve are introduced into the separated
portions of the vas, it is sometimes possible for inner surface
portions of the vas to be pushed together so as to form an
obstruction which will close the vas. In this event even if the
valve is subsequently opened the vas remains obstructed and
reestablishment of movement of sperm through the vas cannot be
achieved.
In order to avoid this latter result the method and device shown in
FIG. 5 are used in accordance with the present invention. Thus,
referring to FIG. 5 it will be seen that when the valve 16 is
introduced into the vas 10 the valve is placed in its open position
shown in FIG. 5. With the valve in its open position an elongated
needle 42 is inserted through the entire length of the valve.
Because the movable means 24 is in its open position, the bore 26
thereof will be aligned with the interiors of the elongated tubular
portions 20 and 22 so that the needle 42 can extend through and
beyond the entire valve as shown in FIG. 5. The length of the
needle 42 is such that it has elongated free end portions 44 and 46
which extend sufficiently beyond the tubular portions 20 and 22 to
enable these end portions 44 and 46 of the needle to become
situated well within the passage in the interior of the separated
portions of the vas to reliably prevent obstruction of the interior
of the vas during implantation of the valve of the invention. Thus,
prior to implanting of the valve of the invention the valve is
placed in the open position shown in FIG. 5 and the needle 42 is
assembled therewith in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5. Then,
after the vas has been cut through so as to have the separated
portions 36 and 38, the assembly shown in FIG. 5 is introduced into
the vas so as to assume the position shown in FIG. 5. In this way
obstruction of the vas itself is reliably avoided. After the valve
has been implanted as shown in FIG. 5, the needle will be pushed
longitudinally in one direction or the other. For example the end
44 will be moved to the right toward the valve so that the end 46
will project further beyond the valve. At this time the vas portion
38 is deflected in such a way that the end 46 will be pushed
through the wall of the vas to become accessible at the exterior of
the vas, and now the surgeon can grasp the exposed end 46 of the
needle and simply pull it directly through the wall of the vas to
the exterior thereof. In this simple way the needle 42 is removed.
In the case of a two-piece needle, as described below in connection
with FIG. 7, the opposed ends of the needle can be pulled apart
from each other and displaced out through the vas wall so that it
is not necessary with the embodiment of FIG. 7 to pull the entire
needle through the valve.
Finally, the movable means 24 is turned to the position of FIGS. 1
and 4 so that the valve assumes its closed position, and thus flow
of fluid through the passage is reliably prevented while at the
same time it can be reestablished whenever desired by returning the
valve to its open position.
It is to be noted that a particular type of valve is not essential
to the present invention. Thus, it is emphasized that the rotary
ball valve type of structure shown in FIGS. 1-5 is not essential.
Thus, FIG. 6 shows a valve 50 corresponding to the valve 16 and
being in the form of a gate valve or needle valve. Thus with this
construction, the elongated valve housing 52 also has the opposed
tubular inlet and outlet portions 54 and 56 with the circular ring
portion 58 which forms the carrier means of the invention situated
between the tubular inlet and outlet. The movable means which can
be moved for opening and closing the valve means 50 takes the form
of an elongated member 60 having a tapered tip 62 which when seated
in the mating tapered recess 64 closes the valve. The valve means
50 is shown in FIG. 6 in its open condition. The valve member 60 is
fixed to a rotary threaded portion 66 which is threaded into a bore
68 formed in the circular, ring-shaped barrier means 58, so that by
turning the threaded portion 66 the valve member 60 can be raised
and lowered between its open and closed positions.
Thus, this valve means 50 may also be implanted in a vas as
described above in connection with the valve means 16. When the
valve means 50 is implanted it is placed in the open position shown
in FIG. 6 so that the needle 42 can extend through the valve in the
same way as shown in FIG. 5 with the valve means 16. Thus it is
possible to use the valve of FIG. 6 in exactly the same way as the
valve of FIGS. 1-5, while achieving the same results.
In addition, it is to be noted that the elongated needle 42 need
not be in the form of a one-piece elongated member as shown in FIG.
5. As is illustrated in FIG. 7, the elongated needle 70 which
corresponds to the needle 42 and is used in exactly the same way is
made up of a pair of elongated portions 72 and 74 which may be
respectively introduced through the opposed open ends of the valve
to be inserted through the elongated inlet and outlet tubular
portions thereof. At their ends which abut each other the elongated
needle portions 72 and 74 are provided with a means 76 for holding
these portions together. In the illustrated example this means 76
takes the form of a bore which is formed in the portion 74 and
which receives an elongated portion 78 of reduced diameter
extending from the portion 72. In this way the portions 72 and 74
may be frictionally held together so that the two-piece needle 70
may be used in precisely the same way as the one-piece needle
42.
Furthermore, it is not essential to cut completely across the vas
in order to practice the present invention. For example, it is
possible, as shown in FIG. 8, to cut only partly across the vas, so
that part of the vas, such as the lower wall portion 80 thereof may
continue without interruption. This feature may be of importance in
connection with nerves which extend along the vas and which will
not be severed in the event that a method as shown in FIG. 8 is
used. Thus, instead of cutting completely across the vas, with the
feature illustrated in FIG. 8 the vas 82 is only partly cut across
to remove a part thereof thus leaving the vas with the separated
portions 84 and 86 which are interconnected by the wall portion 80.
Once part of the vas has been cut away as shown in FIG. 8, the
valve means, such as the valve means 16, may be implanted as
illustrated in FIG. 9. Of course, instead of using the valve means
16, as shown in FIG. 9, it is also possible to use any other
suitable valve means such as the valve means 50 of FIG. 6.
Furthermore, it is possible to achieve an exceedingly secure
implanting of the valve by an arrangement as shown in FIGS. 10 and
11. Thus, referring to FIGS. 10 and 11 it will be seen that the
valve means 90, which may be a valve of the same type as the valve
16 or any other suitable valve such as the valve 50, has a barrier
means 92 which is formed with a plurality of bores 94 passing
therethrough and distributed about the barrier means 92 in the
manner illustrated in FIG. 11. These bores 94 extend parallel to
the elongated tubular inlet and outlet of the valve but are spaced
outwardly beyond the tubular inlet and outlet in such a way that
the tissue which forms the vas can grow through the bores 94. Thus,
the initially separated portions 96 and 98 of the vas can grow into
and fill the openings 94 in order to provide the vas, after a
period of time, with the portions 100 growing from the portions 96
and 98 and filling the bores 94, thus achieving an exceedingly
secure mounting of the valve means without any possibility of
communication between the interiors of the separated portions of
the vas.
According to a further important feature of the present invention,
the valve means, irrespective of the details of its construction,
is initially implanted in an open position. According to the
invention, the valve means is not immediately closed after
implanting thereof. It has been found from experience that it is
not desirable to close the valve means immediately after implanting
thereof, because the pressure of the fluid which builds up in the
vas tends to retard the healing process. In order to avoid this
latter disadvantage the valve means of the invention is implanted
in an open position and in accordance with the invention remains in
its open position until healing of the vas is completed. In this
way pressure of the fluid in the vas will not retard the healing
process. Once the vas has healed th valve is closed in order to
interrupt the flow of fluid through the vas, until it is again
desired to reestablish the flow of sperm, at which time the valve
is opened.
In order to be able conveniently to close the valve from the
exterior of the body, and subsequently to reopen the valve is
desired, an arrangement as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 may be used in
accordance with the present invention. In the example illustrated
in FIGS. 12 and 13 the valve means 16 is also shown, but it is to
be understood that any other suitable valve means such as that of
FIG. 6 may be used, if desired. The valve means 16 has in its
opening 30 an elongated bar magnet 102 which has opposed north and
south poles as illustrated. The valve means 16 is made of a
non-magnetic material. The barrier means 32 carries a pair of stop
pins 104 which are positioned as shown in FIG. 13. The valve means
16 is initially in the open position shown in FIG. 12 where the bar
magnet 102 has the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 13. This
bar magnet 102 forms a magnetic means to be acted upon by an
exterior magnetic force for closing and opening the valve means as
described ing greater detail below.
Before the valve means 16 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is implanted, a
cup 106 of a non-magnetic material is placed over the outer end of
the valve stem 28 in engagement with the exterior surface of the
barrier means 32 so as to enclose the free end of the stem 28 and
the magnet 102 as well as the stop pins 104. This enclosure means
formed by the cup 106 is fixed in any suitable way to the barrier
means 32 as by being welded or fused thereto or as by being
attached thereto with any suitable adhesive.
Thus, with the valve means 16 initially having the condition shown
in FIG. 12, the implanting operation is carried out and the valve
means 16 is introduced without changing its condition so that it
remains in the open position shown in FIG. 12. This valve means 16
is permitted to remain in its open position so that the exterior
tissue 14 which surrounds the vas 12 can grow over the valve means
during healing of the vas. The vas is shown in its healed condition
in FIG. 12 with the valve still open. Through this expedient there
is no buildup of pressure in the interior of the vas tending to
retard healing. FIG. 12 schematically illustrates the scrotum wall
108.
After the healing process has been completed, a unit 110 is placed
next to the scrotum 108 adjacent the implanted valve means 16. This
unit 110 is of a known construction having a rotary magnetic field
when it is connected to a source of power. For example the unit 110
may take the form of a winding of electrically conductive wires
similar to the field of an electric motor which when placed in a
suitable electrical circuit will provide a rotating magnetic field.
Thus, with the unit 110 connected into a suitable electrical
circuit a rotary magnetic field is provided, and this field acts on
the magnetic means 102 in such a way as to turn it in a clockwise
direction, as viewed in FIG. 13, from the solid line position to
the dot-dash line position engaging the stops 104 which prevent
turning of the magnetic means 102 and which precisely locate the
valve means in its closed position. In this way it is possible to
close the valve means from the exterior of the body after the vas
has healed. Now the flow of sperm will be interrupted. At any
future time when it is desired to reestablish the flow the
direction of rotation of the rotary magnetic field can be reversed
so as to again turn the valve means to the position where the
magnetic means 102 has the solid-line position shown in FIG. 13,
and of course at any future time it is again possible to close the
valve means through a repitition of the above procedure.
As is apparent from the above description, the method of the
invention is exceedingly simple. It can be carried out in an
extremely short time with very little inconvenience by a surgeon.
Moreover, the structure of the valve is relatively simple so that
all of the costs involved in connection with the method and device
of the invention are relatively low. Thus, the method and device of
the invention are readily available to all sectors of the
population.
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