Implantabel Medical Site

Abstract

An implantable device ( 1 ) for injecting and/or drawing fluid having a housing ( 2 ) with a chamber ( 2 A) formed therein. The housing ( 2 ) includes a proximal wall ( 4 ) and a distal wall ( 5 ) between which a side wall extends, and an aspiration zone ( 7 ) designed to be perforated by a hollow needle for injecting and/or drawing fluid into the chamber ( 2 A). The aspiration zone ( 7 ) extends simultaneously on the proximal wall ( 4 ), the side wall and the distal wall ( 5 ). The device ( 1 ) has a shield ( 13 ) made of a material not perforable by a hollow needle inside the chamber ( 2 A) to prevent the housing ( 2 ) from being perforated by a hollow needle.

1 . An implantable device for injecting and/or extracting fluid either into or from an organ or vessel of the body of a human or animal patient, or into or from an inflatable and/or deflatable compartment of a surgical implant, said device comprising: 
 (a) a housing having 
 (i) a chamber connected to a catheter, wherein the catheter is connected either to the organ or vessel or to the compartment,  
 (ii) a proximal wall and a distal wall with a side wall extending between the proximal wall and the distal wall,  
 (iii) a puncture zone capable of being pierced by a hollow needle to inject and/or extract fluid into or from the chamber,  
 the puncture zone being shaped as to extend simultaneously at least over the proximal wall, the side wall, and the distal wall; and  
   (b) a screen made of a material that is not pierceable by the hollow needle and is located within the chamber to prevent the housing from being pierced through by the hollow needle.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the distal wall is substantially planar and is defined laterally by two side edges, while the proximal wall and the side wall form a surface of revolution interconnecting the side edges.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal, distal, and side walls form a surface that is substantially polyhedral.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a duct connecting the chamber to the outside of the device, the duct extending longitudinally along a first axis and connecting to the catheter, proximal, distal, and side walls being shaped and arranged so that the housing substantially presents symmetry about a second axis, the second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the proximal, distal, and side walls form a surface that is substantially spherical.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the proximal, distal, and side walls form a surface that is substantially ovoid.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the proximal, distal, and side walls form a surface that is substantially pear-shaped.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the proximal, distal, and side walls form a surface that is substantially cylindrical.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the puncture zone extends over substantially all of the proximal, side, and distal walls.  
   
   
       10 . The device  claim 1 , wherein the puncture zone comprises a self-sealing membrane.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is constructed from a frame made of a material that is substantially not pierceable by the hollow needle and is covered by at least one envelope made of a self-sealing material, the frame is pierced so that, in cooperation with the envelope, the frame forms the puncture zone.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the frame is substantially rigid lattice.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the screen is a wheel having at least one blade.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the blades wheels comprises at least four blades which are at least four in number, and are regularly spaced apart angularly.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the bladed wheel is mounted to rotate within the chamber.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is defined by a chamber wall, and the screen comprises at least one stop panel for the hollow needle mounted to bear slidably against the wall of the chamber in such a manner that the wall can be moved within the chamber under the effect of thrust exerted by the hollow needle.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is defined by a chamber wall, and the screen comprises at least one stop panel for the hollow needle, the panel being deformable under the effect of thrust exerted by the hollow needle.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the panel is deformable in bending.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the panel comprises a plurality of substantially rigid unitary elements linked by flexible links to form the panel.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the screen comprises a flexible membrane of shape that substantially matches the shape of the wall of the chamber, the membrane being disposed freely within the chamber and being deformable under the effect of thrust exerted by the hollow needle.  
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the membrane presents shape memory.  
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the membrane is made by weaving a substantially rigid material.  
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is defined by a chamber wall, and the screen presents a first face facing the chamber wall and an opposite second face, the first face is provided with access means allowing the hollow needle to pass through the screen in the first face to second face direction, while the second face is provided with blocking means for preventing the needle from passing through the screen in the second face to first face direction.  
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the screen comprises a series of unitary elements disposed side by side and urged resiliently against one another, the elements cooperating in pairs to define between them and facing the wall of the chamber corresponding converging paths for the hollow needle such that inserting the hollow needle into a converging path leads to the corresponding elements being spaced apart relative to each other, thereby enabling the needle to pass into the chamber, the set of convergent paths forming the first face, the unitary elements also cooperating in pairs, opposite from the converging paths, to define between them obstacles to the needle passing between them, the set of obstacles forming the second face.  
   
   
       25 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the screen comprises a plurality of tubular elements of substantially converging shape engaged one in another, to form a substantially tubular structure presenting an outside face forming the first face and an inside face forming the second face.  
   
   
       26 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the screen comprises a plurality of slats that overlap one another in part around a substantially tubular outline presenting an outside face, forming the first face, and an inside face, forming the second face.  
   
   
       27 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the screen comprises a plurality of particulate elements disposed freely within the chamber, the particulate elements being present in sufficient number for insertion of the hollow needle into the chamber to lead, at least locally, to the particulate elements blocking mutually against one another, thereby together forming a stop assembly for the needle.  
   
   
       28 . The implantable device of  claim 1 , wherein the surgical implant comprises a gastroplasty ring.  
   
   
       29 . An implantable device for injecting medication into a vein or an artery and/or for taking blood from vein or artery, thereby forming an artificial vein or artery the device comprising: 
 (a) a housing having 
 (i) a chamber connected to a catheter, wherein the catheter is connected either to the organ or vessel or to the compartment.  
 (ii) a proximal wall and a distal wall with a side wall extending between the proximal wall and the distal wall.  
 (iii) a puncture zone capable of being pierced by a hollow needle to inject and/or extract fluid into or from the chamber, the puncture zone being shaped as to extend simultaneously at least over the proximal wall, the side wall, and the distal wall: and  
   (b) a screen made of a material that is not pierceable by the hollow needle and is located within the chamber to prevent the housing from being pierced through by the hollow needle.