Expandable stent having a plurality of interconnected expansion modules

• US 20020133222A1
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stent Tech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stent Tech, Inc.
• Inventors: Das, Gladwin S.
• Application Number:
  US10/094,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133222A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• 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 2002/91533 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 2002/91566 connected trough to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

Expandable stents are disclosed. The stents have a plurality of rings or modules interconnected in series, with selectable links between the rings to provide for articulation. The preferred stent includes a plurality of modules, each of the modules being radially interconnected to form a ring configured to be expandably interconnected and being interconnected to each other in series by respective interconnection bridges. Each ring including a continuous strand of a material, the continuous strand of material being interconnected end to end so as to generally encompass a radial space within the ring. The strand of material being configured to include a repeating series of interconnected repeating W-shaped strand configurations having a repeating dip, rise, dip, rise, loop, dip, rise, dip, rise, loop patterned configuration. Preferably, the continuous strand of a material has an outer surface including cavities being at least partially filled with compositions containing medicinal agents selected to provide medically desirable effects upon positioning within a patient. Preferably, the continuous strand of a material has a series of narrowings that facilitate the bending of the strand. Alternate rings have at least one and preferably a number of expansion cells. The expansion cells preferably have at least one accordion structure on each side of the cell, which allows for significant expansion. The material of the respective stents being deformable such that each ring can be deformed from a first configuration wherein each ring has a first circumference and, in certain embodiments, each expansion cell has a first radial length, to a second configuration wherein each ring has a second circumference greater than the first circumference. Methods of producing the devices are also disclosed, including various etching methods.

Claims

1. An expandable stent, the stent being expandable by enlarging an expandable balloon positioned within the stent when the stent is within a patient, the expandable stent comprising:

a plurality of modules, each of the modules, each of the modules being radially interconnected to form a ring configured to be expandably interconnected and being interconnected to each other in series by a plurality of interconnection bridges interconnecting the respective rings;

each ring including a continuous strand of a material, the continuous strand of material being interconnected end to end so as to generally encompass a radial space within the ring;

the strand of material being configured to include a repeating series of interconnected repeating W-shaped strand configurations having a repeating dip, rise, dip, rise, loop, dip, rise, dip, rise, loop patterned configuration.

2. The expandable stent of claim 1, the continuous strand of a material includes narrowings at certain points in the strand that permit the strand greater flexibility when bending.

3. The expandable stent of claim 1, the continuous strand of a material having an outer surface, the strand including cavities in the outer surface at certain points in the strand, the cavities being at least partially filled with a composition containing a medicinal agent selected to provide medical desirable effects upon being positioned within a patient.

4. An expandable stent, the stent being expandable by enlarging an expandable balloon positioned within the stent when the stent is within a patient, the expandable stent comprising:

a plurality of modules, each of the modules, each of the modules being radially interconnected to form a ring configured to be expandably interconnected and being interconnected to each other in series by a plurality of interconnection bridges interconnecting the respective rings;

each ring including a continuous strand of a material, the continuous strand of material being interconnected end to end so as to generally encompass a radial space within the ring;

the strand of material being configured to include a repeating series of interconnected S-shaped strand configurations.

5. The expandable stent of claim 4, the continuous strand of a material includes narrowings at certain points in the strand that permit the strand greater flexibility when bending.

6. The expandable stent of claim 4, the continuous strand of a material having an outer surface, the strand including cavities in the outer surface at certain points in the strand, the cavities being at least partially filled with a composition containing a medicinal agent selected to provide medical desirable effects upon being positioned within a patient.

7. The expandable stent of claim 4, the continuous strand of a material also being configured to include a repeating series of interconnected repeating W-shaped strand configurations having a repeating dip, rise, dip, rise, loop, dip, rise, dip, rise, loop patterned configuration.

8. An expandable stent, the stent being expandable by enlarging an expandable balloon positioned within the stent, the expandable stent comprising:

a plurality of modules, each of the modules having a plurality of individual expansion cells radially interconnected to form a ring of individual expansion cells interconnected to each other in series by one of a plurality of cell interconnection bridges;

each of the individual expansion cells including a continuous strand of a material, the continuous strand of material in each cell being interconnected with itself so as to generally encompass a radial space within the respective cell;

each expansion cell having an upper half and a lower half, the upper and lower halves of each of the respective expansion cells being joined together and the lower half of each of the respective expansion cells being interconnected to the upper half of an adjacent expansion cell within that respective ring of expansion cells by one of the plurality of cell interconnection bridges;

each cell interconnection bridge having a center;

each expansion cell having a radial length which is a radial distance consistent with an existing circumference of the respective ring as measured from the center of the cell interconnection bridge interconnected with the upper half of that expansion cell to the center of the cell interconnection bridge interconnected with the lower half of that expansion cell;

the material being deformable such that the ring can be deformed from a first configuration wherein each ring has a first circumference and each expansion cell has a first radial length, to a second configuration wherein each ring has a second circumference greater than the first circumference and each expansion cell has a second radial length greater than the first radial length;

each expansion cell having a pair of sides which are mirror images of one another, each side being expandable when the ring of which the cell is a part is in the first configuration such that the second radial length can be about twice as great as the first radial length.

9. The expandable stent of claim 8, the continuous strand of a material includes narrowings at certain points in the strand that permit the strand greater flexibility when bending.

10. The expandable stent of claim 8, the continuous strand of a material having an outer surface, the strand including cavities in the outer surface at certain points in the strand, the strand including cavities in the outer surface at certain points in the strand, the cavities being at least partially filled with a composition containing a medicinal agent selected to provide medical desirable effects upon being positioned within a patient.

11. The expandable stent of claim 8, each side having an accordion shape which is radially expandable.

12. The expandable stent of claim 8, the stent having a plurality of intermodular connecting bridges;

each intermodular connecting bridge interconnecting a cell interconnection bridge connecting expansion cells of one module with a cell interconnection bridge connecting expansion cells of an adjacent module.

13. The expandable stent of claim 8, each pair of adjacent modules being interconnected with one another by at least two intermodular connecting bridges.