US 12,458,355 B2
Medical device for applying force on biological tissue, or the like
Felmont F. Eaves, Atlanta, GA (US); and Gary W. Knight, Lebanon, OH (US)
Assigned to BRIJ Medical, Inc., Marietta, GA (US)
Appl. No. 17/766,920
Filed by Brijjit Medical, Inc., Marietta, GA (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 8, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/054702
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 6, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/072021, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/913,754, filed on Oct. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0346770 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 17/08 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/08 (2013.01) [A61B 17/083 (2013.01); A61B 17/085 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00951 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0495 (2013.01); A61B 2017/081 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical device for at least partially covering and applying force on tissue, the medical device comprising:
at least one spanning structure; and
a plurality of struts connected to the at least one spanning structure,
wherein the medical device is configured to have a plurality of configurations comprising at least one unstable equilibrium configuration between concave-up and concave-down stable equilibrium configurations so that the medical device is:
biased toward the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration at least when in configurations between the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration, and
biased toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration at least when in configurations between the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration;
wherein the medical device is configured so that inner end portions of first and second struts of the plurality of struts become closer to one another at least in response to the medical device being transitioned from the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration to past the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration;
wherein the inner end portions of the first and second struts comprise zones configured to move respective portions of tissue toward one another in response to the inner end portions of the first and second struts becoming closer to one another;
wherein for each of the first and second struts, the strut comprises opposite upper and lower sides, the upper side is positioned between the at least one spanning structure and the lower side, and the zone is on the lower side; and
wherein for each of the first and second struts, the zone comprises adhesive material that is carried by the lower side of the strut, and the adhesive material carried by the lower side of the strut is configured to be adhered to and move a respective portion of tissue at least in response to the first and second struts becoming closer to one another.