Extendible stent apparatus and method for deploying the same

• US 20020116047A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Charles J. Davidson, Gil M. Vardi
• Inventors: Vardi, Gil M., Davidson, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,962,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• 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 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency 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 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91583 by a bridge, whereby at least one of its ends is connected along the length of a strut between two consecutive apices within a band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 : radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

An imageable extendable stent apparatus for insertion into a bifurcating vessel or a vessel opening. The stent apparatus comprises a main stent and a flared stent, which may used individually or in combination with each other. The flared stent may be interlocked with the main stent to provide stent coverage over the entire region of a bifurcation. The main stent of the apparatus may be deployed at the bifurcation point of a vessel, allowing unimpeded future access to the side branch of the bifurcated vessel. The flared stent may be employed at vessel openings. Also disclosed and claimed are methods for implanting the extendable stent apparatus into the bifurcation point or the ostium of a subject vessel.

Claims

1. An extending double-stent apparatus for placement in a bifurcating vessel comprising a first generally cylindrical stent having sides extending between first and second opposing ends and at least one opening being defined in a side;

and a second generally cylindrical stent adapted to extend through one of said side openings of said first stent, said first and second stents each being constructed from a material which allows said stents to be expanded to conform to the shape of the subject vessel.

2. The stent apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second cylindrical stent additionally comprises a proximal end and an opposing distal end, wherein the proximal end additionally comprises a flared portion, which flared portion is in contact with the edges of said first stent side opening.

3. The stent apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stent apparatus is comprised of a biologically acceptable material.

4. The stent apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stents comprise a self-expanding material.

5. The stent apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stents comprise a balloon-expandable material.

6. The stent apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the stents are imageable during and after insertion.

7. A generally cylindrical stent apparatus comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end further comprises a flared portion for anchoring said stent apparatus into place within a vessel.

8. The stent apparatus of claim 7 wherein the flared portion is expandable from a compressed position to a configuration extending radially, at least in part, to the longitudinal axis of the stent apparatus.

9. The stent apparatus of claim 7 wherein the stent apparatus is comprised of a biologically acceptable material.

10. The stent apparatus of claim 7 wherein the stent comprises a self-expanding material.

11. The stent apparatus of claim 7 wherein the stents comprise a balloon-expandable material.

12. The stent apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least a portion of the stent is imageable during and after insertion.

14. The stent apparatus of claim 13 wherein the stent apparatus is comprised of a biologically acceptable material.

15. The stent apparatus of claim 13 wherein the stent comprises a self-expanding material.

16. The stent apparatus of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the stents are imageable during and after insertion.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising

inserting along the second guidewire and into the stabilizing catheter of the branch vessel a second generally cylindrical stent apparatus, comprising a distal end and an opposed proximal end and further comprising a flared portion at the proximal end, positioned so that the flared portion is within a lumen of a subject branch vessel and contacts at least part of the edge of a side opening of the first stent apparatus;

withdrawing the stabilizing catheter from the subject vessel; and

expanding the second cylindrical stent apparatus at least into contact with the walls of the subject branch vessel.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of expanding the first cylindrical stent apparatus is performed by balloon catheterization.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the steps of expanding the first and second cylindrical stent apparatuses is performed by balloon catheterization.

13. A generally cylindrical stent apparatus having sides extending between first and second opposing ends and at least one opening being defined in a stent side.

17. A method for deploying a stent apparatus into a bifurcated vessel comprising the steps of

routing a first guidewire into the main vessel of a subject bifurcating vessel and extending the guidewire beyond the bifurcation point;

inserting a first generally cylindrical stent apparatus comprising at least one side opening into an area of bifurcation of the main vessel;

aligning a side opening of the first stent apparatus with the bifurcation point of the bifurcated vessel by inserting a second guidewire and a stabilizing catheter into the first stent apparatus and into a subject branch vessel by passing the second guidewire and the stabilizing catheter through a side opening of the first stent apparatus and into the subject branch vessel; and

expanding the first cylindrical stent apparatus into contact with the walls of the main vessel.

21. A method for deploying a flared stent apparatus into the ostium of a vessel comprising:

inserting a guidewire through the ostium of a vessel and into the vessel,

inserting around the guidewire a generally cylindrical flared stent apparatus, the flared stent apparatus comprising a distal end and an opposed proximal end and further comprising a flared portion at the proximal end;

positioning the flared portion so that the flared portion is within the ostium of the vessel and contacts at least part of the ostium of said vessel;

dilating the flared stent apparatus at least into contact with the walls of the subject vessel, and

removing the guidewire from the subject.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of dilating the flared stent apparatus by balloon catheterization.