Connection system for the detachable fixation of a hollow cylindrical component at a recess

Abstract

An easily detachable connection of a hollow cylindrical component, such as a graft, at a recess in tissue, such as a heart or a blood vessel, an annular element, a guide element and a spring element are provided, which are secured by way of a suture ring at the body part and at the hollow cylindrical component, and which permit an easily disengagable mutual locking by way of the spring element. To this end, the annular element comprises a groove extending around the periphery thereof, into which the spring element plunges for locking.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A connection system for detachably affixing a hollow cylindrical component at a recess in a part of a patient's body, comprising:
 an annular element that has a groove extending azimuthally around an outer jacket surface thereof, at least in sections;   a guide element, which is displaceable, before fixation, in an axial direction of the hollow cylindrical component with respect to the annular element, wherein the guide element and the annular element are slidable into one another at least partially in the axial direction; and   a spring element, which is movably guided in the guide element exclusively perpendicular to the axial direction in such a way that, to establish a fixed state, the spring element plunges at least partially into the groove of the annular element and therefore mutually locks the annular element and the guide element in the axial direction, wherein, in a connected state of the annular element and the guide element, one element is connected to the hollow cylindrical component and the other element is provided for connection or coupling to an edge of the recess by way of a suture ring; wherein the spring element protrudes on only one side beyond the guide element radially with respect to the axial direction and is pressable radially from this side into the guide element.   
     
     
         3 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the spring element is elastically deformable within the guide element between a locked state and an unlocked state in which it does not plunge into the groove of the annular element. 
     
     
         4 . The connection system of  claim 3 , wherein the spring element protrudes from the guide element at least partially, such that an elastic deformation is indictable manually from outside. 
     
     
         5 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the spring element is radially slidable into the guide element in order to plunge into the groove of the annular element and mutually lock the spring element and the guide element. 
     
     
         6 . The connection system of  claim 5 , wherein the guidance of the spring element and the guide element are designed so tight that the spring element automatically becomes wedged in the guide element. 
     
     
         7 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the spring element has two arms. 
     
     
         8 . The connection system of  claim 7 , wherein the arms are so long that the arms pass through the guide element to be secured on the other side. 
     
     
         9 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the spring element has arms which are slidable into the groove at least to a point at which the arms plunge into the groove of the annular element of the guide element. 
     
     
         10 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the guide element has a recess in which the spring element is radially moveable against a fixed stop of the guide element. 
     
     
         11 . The connection system of  claim 10 , wherein the spring element is expandable beyond an outer contour of the annular element by application of pressure in a radial direction. 
     
     
         12 . The connection system of  claim 10 , wherein in a locked state, the spring element plunges into the groove of the annular element to a base thereof and wherein the spring protrudes radially from the guide element on one side for actuation. 
     
     
         13 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the spring element snaps into a locked position by way of a snap-in hook. 
     
     
         14 . The connection system of  claim 13 , wherein the snap-in hook is unlockable by application of pressure onto a pressure piece. 
     
     
         15 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the spring element comprises elastically resilient components made of a plastic or a metal. 
     
     
         16 . The connection system of  claim 15 , wherein the spring element is made entirely of such a resilient material and is elastically expandable radially with respect to the axial direction of the cylindrical component. 
     
     
         17 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the element that is provided for connecting or coupling to the edge of the recess is connected or connectable to the suture ring that is connected directly to the edge. 
     
     
         18 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the suture ring is configured to be secured to organic tissue at the edge of the recess by a sutured connection comprising thread. 
     
     
         19 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein the annular element, the guide element, and/or the spring element comprises titanium alloy, hard silicone, and/or a polyurethane.