Organ Enclosures For Inhibiting Tumor Invasion And Detecting Organ Pathology

Abstract

An enclosure provides a prophylactic barrier that may be permeable to gases, hormones, proteins, and peritoneal fluid, but restrains tumor cells within the enclosure so as to inhibit ovarian cancer invasion of adjacent tissue, and increase the speed of diagnosis of ovarian dysplasia, including cancer. The enclosure includes one or more of fiducial markers, heat sensors, and blood flow reflectors, which may be imaged non-invasively in order to detect conditions or pathology affecting the ovary. The enclosure may also include an access port that permits sampling of the enclosure's contents to further aid in detecting or treating conditions or pathology affecting the ovary.

1 . An enclosure comprising:
 a biotextile, a medical textile, or both a biotextile and a medical textile;   a suspensory ligament sleeve, an ovarian ligament sleeve, or both a suspensory ligament sleeve and an ovarian ligament sleeve; and   a plurality of fiducial markers;   wherein the enclosure has an elasticity that allows the enclosure to expand in size; and   wherein the biotextile, medical textile, or both the biotextile and the medical textile inhibit the passage of live ovarian cells out from the enclosure.   
     
     
         2 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the biotextile comprises xenograft extracellular matrix. 
     
     
         3 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical textile comprises polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, poly-L-lactide, poly-DL-lactide, polyglycolic acid, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), polydioxanone, polytetrafluoroethylene, or nylon, or any copolymer thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical textile comprises a silicone rubber or a neoprene rubber. 
     
     
         5 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the biotextile or the medical textile comprises a biocompatible film. 
     
     
         6 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises a plurality of layers. 
     
     
         7 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the biotextile or the medical textile have an elasticity that allows the enclosure to expand up to about 10%, up to about 25%, up to about 33%, or up to about 50% in size. 
     
     
         8 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , further comprising one or more blood vessel sleeves. 
     
     
         9 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a clamp for securing the suspensory ligament sleeve to the suspensory ligament connected to the ovary; and/or   a clamp for securing the ovarian ligament sleeve to the ovarian ligament connected to the ovary.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The enclosure according to  claim 8 , further comprising one or more clamps for securing the one or more blood vessel sleeves to blood vessels connected to the ovary. 
     
     
         12 . The enclosure according to  claim 9 , wherein each clamp comprises a hinge, a first end, and a second end, and the first end and second end are capable of locking together. 
     
     
         13 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , further comprising one or more heat sensing markers and/or a blood flow reflector. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the fiducial markers are capable of being visualized by ultrasonic imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, or radiographic imaging. 
     
     
         16 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the biotextile is anti-adhesive, non-immunogenic, and does not promote cellular invasion or vascularization of the biotextile. 
     
     
         17 . The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical textile is anti-adhesive. 
     
     
         18 . A method for inhibiting ovarian tumor cell invasion of tissue adjacent to the ovary, comprising enclosing one or both ovaries in a subject in need thereof with the enclosure according to  claim 1 , thereby inhibiting ovarian tumor cell invasion of tissue adjacent to one or both ovaries in the subject. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:
 anchoring the suspensory ligament sleeve to the suspensory ligament connected to the ovary by suturing the suspensory ligament sleeve to said suspensory ligament or by gluing the suspensory ligament sleeve to said suspensory ligament; and/or   anchoring the ovarian ligament sleeve to the ovarian ligament connected to the ovary by suturing the ovarian ligament sleeve to said ovarian ligament or by gluing the ovarian ligament sleeve to said ovarian ligament; and/or   anchoring the one or more blood vessel sleeves to one or more blood vessels connected to the ovary by suturing the one or more blood vessels sleeves to said one or more blood vessels or by gluing the one or more blood vessels sleeves to said one or more blood vessels.   
     
     
         20 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method for treating a pathologic condition of the ovary, comprising detecting a change in the location, position, or spacing of the plurality of fiducial markers of the enclosure according to  claim 1  which has been implanted in the body of a subject, obtaining a sample of the internal contents of the enclosure, and determining the type of pathologic condition of the ovary based on testing conducted on the sample, and treating the pathologic condition. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein treating the pathologic condition comprises administering a therapeutic agent locally to the ovary. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the pathologic condition is ovarian cancer, and treating the pathologic condition comprises removing one or both of ovaries from the subject or the pathologic condition is ovarian cysts, and treating the pathologic condition comprises removing the ovarian cysts from one or both of ovaries of the subject.