Delivery of medical devices

• US 10,092,431 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Haggstrom, Kurt, Losordo, Michael L., Brown, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): MILES, JONATHAN WADE
• Application Number:
  US15/331,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20170035592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/92 Stents in the form of a rolled-up sheet expanding after insertion into the vessel , e.g. with a spiral shape in cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/962 having an outer sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/97 the outer sleeve being splittable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/823 Stents, different from stent-grafts, adapted to cover an aneurysm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9505 having retaining means other than an outer sleeve, e.g. male-female connector between stent and instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9528 for retrieval of stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0018 differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0053 having a variable stiffness along the longitudinal axis, e.g. by varying the pitch of the coil or braid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/008 Strength or flexibility characteristics of the catheter tip

Abstract

A stent delivery system can include a core member, an introducer sheath, and a microcatheter. The core member can have a first section and a second section distal to the first section. The second section can have a bending stiffness per unit length that is less than a bending stiffness per unit length of the first section. The introducer sheath can have a lumen configured to receive the core member therethrough. The introducer sheath can have a length of at least about 80 cm. The microcatheter can have a lumen and a proximal end configured to interface with a distal end of the introducer sheath for delivering the core member into the microcatheter lumen.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

disposing a microcatheter within a vasculature of a patient, the microcatheter having a lumen and a proximal end comprising a hub;

disposing an introducer sheath adjacent to the microcatheter such that a distal end of the introducer sheath is connected to the hub of the microcatheter, wherein a core member and an implant are disposed within a lumen of the introducer sheath, the introducer sheath having a length of at least about 80 cm, the core member having a first section and a second section distal to the first section, the second section having a bending stiffness per unit length that is less than a bending stiffness per unit length of the first section; and

distally advancing the core member and the implant out of the distal end of the introducer sheath and into the proximal end of a microcatheter,

wherein the introducer sheath is detachable from the hub while the microcatheter remains within the vasculature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sheath length is equal to or greater than a length of the core member second section.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first section has a substantially constant bending stiffness per unit length.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sheath length is between about 80 cm and about 150 cm.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sheath length is about 106 cm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the core member comprises a marker visible through the introducer sheath.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the marker is disposed along the core member in the first section thereof.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the introducer sheath comprises titanium dioxide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the core member comprises a solid wire in the first section.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the core member comprises a hollow tubular member in the second section.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the hollow tubular member comprises a spiral cut.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the spiral cut extends along about 60 cm to about 100 cm of a length of the second section.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the spiral cut extends along about 86 cm of the length of the second section.

14. A method comprising:

disposing a microcatheter within a patient, the microcatheter having a lumen and a proximal end;

disposing an introducer sheath adjacent to the microcatheter such that a distal end of the introducer sheath engages with the proximal end of the microcatheter, wherein a core member and an implant are at least partially received into the introducer sheath, the introducer sheath having a length of at least about 80 cm, the core member having (i) a stiff section having a first bending stiffness and (ii) a soft section having a second bending stiffness that is less than the first bending stiffness, the second bending stiffness varying spatially along the soft section; and

distally moving the implant out of the distal end of the introducer sheath and into the proximal end of the microcatheter,

wherein the introducer sheath can be disengaged from the microcatheter while the implant remains within the patient.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the bending stiffness of the stiff section is substantially constant.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the stiff section is proximal to the soft section.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the sheath length is between about 80 cm and about 150 cm.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sheath length is about 106 cm.