Balloon expandable covered stents

• US 20030036792A1
• Filed: 09/03/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jacob Richter, Joseph Flomenblit, Natalia Budigina
• Original Assignee: Jacob Richter, Joseph Flomenblit, Natalia Budigina
• Inventors: Richter, Jacob, Flomenblit, Joseph, Budigina, Natalia
• Granted Patent: US 6,887,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• 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 2/95 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 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/088 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L31/084 or A61L31/086
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/18 Materials at least partially X-ray or laser opaque
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/909 Method or apparatus for assembling prosthetic

Abstract

The present invention provides stents for deploying within tubular organs, blood vessels, or other tubular body lumens. Such stents comprise a stent body comprising an elastic material, the stent body being characterized by a free cylindrical shape having a free diameter. The stent body is at least partially covered with a covering that substantially prevents the stent body from expanding towards its free diameter when the stent body is placed into a diameter smaller than the free diameter. In one embodiment, the covering is a metal coating on the stent body. In another embodiment, the covering is a tube, or multiple tubes, around the stent body. Also provided is a method for deploying the stents of the present invention within tubular organs, blood vessels, or other tubular body lumens.

Claims

1. A stent for deploying within a body lumen, said stent comprising:

a stent body comprising an elastic material, said stent body being characterized by a free cylindrical shape having a free diameter; and

a covering on said stent body, wherein said covering substantially prevents said stent body from expanding towards said free diameter when said stent body is placed into a diameter smaller than said free diameter.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein said elastic material is nitinol.

3. The stent of claim 2, wherein said nitinol is in a substantially austenitic phase when deployed in said body.

4. The stent of claim 1, wherein said stent is a patterned tube stent.

5. The stent of claim 1, wherein said covering is a metal coating.

6. The stent of claim 5, wherein the thickness of said metal coating is approximately equal to the thickness of said stent body.

7. The stent of claim 6, wherein the thickness of said stent body is about 100 microns.

8. The stent of claim 5, wherein said metal coating comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, tantalum, and alloys thereof.

9. The stent of claim 5, wherein said metal coating is electroplated onto said stent.

10. The stent of claim 5, wherein said metal coating is radiopaque.

11. The stent of claim 1, wherein said covering comprises a tube around said stent.

12. The stent of claim 11, wherein said tube comprises a polymeric material.

13. The stent of claim 12, wherein said polymeric material is polyurethane.

14. The stent of claim 11, wherein the length of said tube is substantially the length of said stent.

15. The stent of claim 11, wherein the length of said tube is less than the length of said stent.

16. The stent of claim 1, wherein said covering comprises multiple rings around said stent.

17. A method for deploying a stent within a body lumen, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a stent comprising a stent body comprising an elastic material, said stent body being characterized by a free cylindrical shape having a free diameter;

deforming said stent body to a diameter smaller than said free diameter;

covering said stent with a covering while said stent body is at said diameter smaller than said free diameter, said covering substantially preventing said stent body from expanding towards said free diameter;

inserting said stent into the body lumen; and

mechanically expanding said stent.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of covering said stent comprises the step of electroplating a metal coating onto said stent.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of covering said stent comprises the step of placing a polymer tube over said stent.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of covering said stent comprises the step of placing multiple rings around said stent.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of mounting said stent onto a balloon catheter prior to the step of inserting said stent into the body.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of mechanically expanding said stent comprises the step of inflating said balloon.