Expandable medical device with ductile hinges
First Claim
1. An expandable medical device comprising:
- a plurality of elongated beams, the plurality of elongated beams joined together to form a substantially cylindrical device which is radially expandable, the plurality of elongated beams having a beam width in a circumferential direction;
a plurality of ductile hinges connecting the plurality of beams together in the substantially cylindrical device, the ductile hinges having a width in a circumferential direction along a portion of a hinge length which is smaller than the beam width such that as the device is expanded the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed; and
wherein a first section of the substantially cylindrical device includes ductile hinges having a first width and a second section of the substantially cylindrical device includes ductile hinges having a second width different from the first width such that the first section expands before the second section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An expandable tissue supporting device of the present invention employs ductile hinges at selected points in the expandable device. When expansion forces are applied to the device as a whole, the ductile hinges concentrate expansion stresses and strains in small well defined areas. The expandable tissue supporting device includes a plurality of elongated beams arranged in a cylindrical device and connected together by a plurality of ductile hinges. Although many ductile hinge configurations are possible, the ductile hinges preferably have a substantially constant hinge cross sectional area which is smaller than a beam cross sectional area such that as the device is expanded from a first diameter to a second diameter, the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed. The expandable tissue supporting device can be provided with segments which may be expanded in a specified sequence and/or framed hole features for accommodating bifurcations.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An expandable medical device comprising:
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a plurality of elongated beams, the plurality of elongated beams joined together to form a substantially cylindrical device which is radially expandable, the plurality of elongated beams having a beam width in a circumferential direction;
a plurality of ductile hinges connecting the plurality of beams together in the substantially cylindrical device, the ductile hinges having a width in a circumferential direction along a portion of a hinge length which is smaller than the beam width such that as the device is expanded the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed; and
wherein a first section of the substantially cylindrical device includes ductile hinges having a first width and a second section of the substantially cylindrical device includes ductile hinges having a second width different from the first width such that the first section expands before the second section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An expandable medical device comprising:
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a plurality of elongated. beams, the plurality of elongated beams joined together in a regular pattern to form a substantially cylindrical device which is radially expandable, the plurality of elongated beams having a beam width in a circumferential direction;
a plurality of ductile hinges connecting the plurality of beams together in the substantially cylindrical device, the ductile hinges having a width in a circumferential direction along a portion of a hinge length which is smaller than the beam width such that as the device is expanded the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed; and
a hole feature interrupting the regular pattern of the plurality of beams. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of expanding a medical device comprising:
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providing a substantially cylindrical expandable medical device having a first section with ductile hinges of a first configuration and a second section with ductile hinges of a second configuration which requires a different force for expansion than the first configuration; and
expanding the device in a controlled expansion sequence with an expandable member. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification