Locking stent

• US 20020111671A1
• Filed: 02/15/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stenzel, Eric B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,540,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30329 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91566 connected trough to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91591 Locking connectors, e.g. using male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped

Abstract

A stent may be constructed to have at least one lockable cell which includes a first locking member and a second locking member. The first and second locking members are movable between a first position in which they are not locked together to a second position in which they are locked together and impart increased scaffolding strength to the stent.

Claims

1. A stent having a proximal end and a distal end, the stent comprising a plurality of interconnected cells, at least one of the interconnected cells being a lockable cell, the lockable cell including

a first locking member and a second locking member disposed opposite the first member, the first and second lockable members movable between a first position in which they do not lock with one another to a position in which they lock with one another.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein the first locking member is a pincer member comprising a first arm and a second arm and the second locking member is a tongue,

the first and second arms disposed in a first position in which they do not grip the tongue and movable between the first position and a second position in which they grip the tongue.

3. The stent of claim 2 comprising a plurality of lockable cells, the lockable cells constructed and arranged so that the stent exhibits greater scaffolding strength when the stent is expanded.

4. The stent of claim 2, expandable from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, the first and second arms in the first position when the stent is in the unexpanded state, the first and second arms in the second position when the stent is in the expanded state.

5. The stent of claim 4 comprising a plurality of lockable cells.

6. The stent of claim 5 wherein the lockable cells are arranged in rows.

7. The stent of claim 6 wherein adjacent rows of lockable cells are connected by at least one connector member extending between the rows.

8. The stent of claim 2 wherein the lockable cell is a multiply lockable cell comprising a plurality of pincer members and a plurality of tongues.

9. The stent of claim 8 wherein one of the pincer members is situated at a distal end of the cell and one of the pincer members is located at a proximal end of the cell.

10. The stent of claim 9 comprising a plurality of multiply lockable cells.

11. The stent of claim 2, the lockable cell comprising a plurality of pincer members including

a first pincer member comprising a first arm and a second arm and a tongue disposed between the first arm and the second arm and

a second pincer member comprising a first arm and a second arm, the first pincer member situated opposite the second pincer member, wherein the first and second arms of the second pincer member grip the tongue of the first pincer member on expansion of the stent and the first and second arms of the second pincer member grips the first pincer member of the stent.

12. The stent of claim 5 comprising at least two types of lockable cells including

at least one proximal lockable cell in which the pincer member is situated at a proximal end of the cell and the tongue is situated at the distal end of the cell;

and

at least one distal lockable cell in which the pincer member is situated at a distal end of the cell and the tongue is situated at the proximal end of the cell.

13. The stent of claim 2 wherein the tongue includes a narrow neck portion and a wider head portion.

14. The stent of claim 2 wherein the lockable cell includes a serpentine shaped proximal end, a serpentine shaped distal end, a first sidewall extending between the serpentine shaped proximal end and the serpentine shaped distal end, and a second sidewall extending between the serpentine shaped proximal end and the serpentine shaped distal end, the tongue and the pincer member disposed between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

15. The stent of claim 1 wherein the first locking member is an interlocking member and the second locking member is an interlocking member, the first and second interlocking members constructed and arranged to interlock with one another upon expansion of the stent.

17. The stent of claim 16 wherein the first locking member is a pincer member having a first arm and a second arm and the second locking member is a tongue extending from the adjacent band, the first and second arms gripping the tongue in the second position.

18. The stent of claim 17 expandable from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, the first and second arms in the first position when the stent is in the unexpanded state, the first and second arms in the second position when the stent is in the expanded state.

19. The stent of claim 18 wherein each band is serpentine having alternating peaks and troughs, the peaks extending in a distal direction, the troughs extending in a proximal direction.

20. The stent of claim 19 wherein the pincer member extends from a peak on a band and the tongue extends from a trough on an adjacent band.

21. The stent of claim 17, at least one of the interconnected bands having a plurality of pincer members extending therefrom toward an adjacent band, each pincer member having a first arm and a second arm, the adjacent band having a plurality of tongues extending therefrom, the first and second arms of each pincer member movable between a first position in which they are not in contact with one of the tongues and a second position in which they grip one of the tongues.

22. The stent of claim 17, wherein a plurality of bands each have at least one pincer member extending therefrom toward a tongue extending from an adjacent band.

23. The stent of claim 16 wherein the bands extend circumferentially.

24. The stent of claim 16 wherein the bands extend longitudinally.

25. The stent of claim 16 wherein the bands extend helically.

26. The stent of claim 17 the adjacent band comprising a second pincer member which comprises a first arm and a second arm, the tongue disposed between the first and second arms of the second pincer member, the first pincer member situated opposite the second pincer member, wherein the first and second arms of the second pincer member grip the tongue of the first pincer member on expansion of the stent and the first and second arms of the second pincer member grips the first pincer member of the stent.

27. The stent of claim 17 wherein the tongue includes a narrow neck portion and a wider head portion.

28. The stent of claim 16 wherein the first locking member is a first interlocking member and the second locking member is a second interlocking member, the first and second interlocking members constructed and arranged to interlock with one another upon expansion of the stent.

30. The stent of claim 29 comprising a plurality of lockable cells.

31. The stent of claim 30 comprising rows of lockable cells and at least one row of non-lockable cells.

32. The stent of claim 31 comprising a plurality of rows of non-lockable cells, wherein the rows of lockable cells alternate with the rows of non-lockable cells along the length of the stent.

33. The stent of claim 31 where at least one row of lockable cells is provided at one of the distal end of the stent and the proximal end of the stent.

34. The stent of claim 31 wherein at least one row of lockable cells is provided between the proximal and distal ends of the stent.

35. The stent of claim 29 wherein the number of lockable cells disposed about the periphery of the stent increases from one end of the stent to the other.

36. The stent of claim 29 wherein the first locking member clamps to the second locking member on expansion of the stent.

37. The stent of claim 29 wherein the first locking member and the second locking member interlock with one another.

39. The stent of claim 38 wherein the first locking member is a first interlocking member and the second locking member is a second interlocking member, the second interlocking member constructed and arranged to interlock with the first interlocking member on expansion of the stent.

40. The stent of claim 39 a plurality of the bands each having at least one first interlocking member extending therefrom toward a second interlocking member extending from an adjacent band, wherein the first interlocking member is a female member and the second interlocking member is a male member.

41. The stent of claim 38 wherein at least one of the proximal end of the stent and the distal end of the stent are provided with first and second locking members which are positioned to be lockable.

42. The stent of claim 38 wherein the number of first locking members increases from one end of the stent to the other end of the stent.

43. The stent of claim 38 wherein the bands are non-serpentine in shape.

44. The stent of claim 38 wherein the bands are serpentine and comprise stronger and weaker peaks and stronger and weaker troughs, the first and second locking members extending from the weaker peaks and troughs.

45. The stent of claim 38 wherein the bands are serpentine and comprise peaks and troughs which open earlier and peaks and troughs which open later on expansion of the stent, the first and second locking members extend from the peaks and troughs which open earlier.

16. A stent comprised of a plurality of interconnected bands, at least one of the interconnected bands having a first locking member extending therefrom toward an adjacent band, a second locking member extending from an adjacent band,

the first and second locking members movable from a first position in which they do not lock with one another to a second position in which they lock with one another.

29. A stent having a proximal end and a distal end, the stent comprising a plurality of interconnected cells, at least one of the interconnected cells being a lockable cell, the lockable cell including a first locking member and a second locking member, the second locking member constructed and arranged to lockingly engage the first locking member on expansion of the stent.

38. An unexpanded stent comprised of a plurality of connected bands at least one of the bands having a first locking member extending therefrom toward an adjacent band,

the adjacent band having a second locking member, the second locking member lockingly engaging the first locking member when the stent is in an expanded state.