Self articulating stent

• US 20030045926A1
• Filed: 09/03/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medinol Limited (Medinol USA Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Medinol Limited (Medinol USA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pinchasik, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 6,796,999 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 2002/828 Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure
• 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 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• 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 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0071 breakable or frangible

Abstract

A stent is made up of a plurality of adjacent stent segments, spaced from one another. Between each two adjacent stent segments is a detachment zone that includes two articulation planes. In each articulation plane there are two connecting members, with the members in one articulation plane spaced from those in the other articulation plane about the circumference of the stent by from about 60 to 140 degrees from each other. Within each articulation plane, the two members ne are spaced between about 140 and 220 degrees from each other.

Claims

1. A stent comprising:

a plurality of adjacent stent segments, spaced from one another;

detachment zones, one between each two adjacent stent segments, each detachment zone comprising two articulation planes in each of which there are two connecting members, with the members in one articulation plane spaced from those in the other articulation plane about the circumference of the stent by from about 60 to 140 degrees from each other.

2. A stent according to claim 1 wherein the two members in each articulation plane are spaced between about 140 and 220 degrees from each other.

3. A stent according to claim 1 wherein each stent segment is made up of high frequency and low frequency vertical sinusoidal patterns or vertical loop containing sections which are arranged generally in the circumferential direction and which are periodically interconnected.

4. A stent according to claim 3 comprising a first loop containing section with loops occurring at a first frequency and a second loop containing section with also occurring at said first frequency and a third loop containing section having loops occurring at a second frequency that is higher than said first frequency disposed between the first and second loop containing sections and alternately joined to the first and second loop containing sections.

5. A stent according to claim 4 wherein the high frequency is in a ratio of 3/2 to the low frequency.

6. A stent according to claim 4 wherein, the higher frequency loop containing elements are smaller in width to provide flexibility.

7. A stent according to claim 4 wherein, relative widths of high and low frequency elements are selected so that the high frequency elements are crimpable to the same diameter as the lower frequency elements.

8. A stent according to claim 3 wherein first, second and third low frequency loop containing sections are in each detachment zone joining two stent segments with a first articulation plane between the first and second sections and a second articulation plane between the second and third sections.

9. The stent according to claim 8 wherein each of said first second and third sections contain six cycles of loops and said members in said first plane are spaced 90 degrees from the members in said second plane, with members within a plane are spaced 180 degrees from each other.

10. The stent according to claim 8 wherein each of said first second and third sections contain eight cycles of loops and said members in said first plane are spaced either 67.5 or 112.5 degrees from the members in said second plane, with members within a plane spaced 180 degrees from each other.

11. The stent according to claim 8 wherein each of said first second and third sections contain seven cycles of loops and said members in said first plane are spaced either 76.12 or 127.5 degrees from the members in said second plane, with members within a plane spaced either 152.2 degrees or 207.8 degrees from each other.

12. A stent according to claim 1 wherein each of the connecting members has a thin cross section.

13. A stent according to claim 12 wherein each of the connecting members has a cross-sectional area that is sufficiently low to allow fracture of the members and separation under the repeated bending stress placed on the stent after implantation.

14. A stent according to claim 1 wherein each of the connecting members is made of a material that is weaker than elsewhere in the stent.

15. A stent according to claim 1 wherein each of the connecting members has a cross-section that is thin and is made of a material that is weaker than elsewhere in the stent.

16. A method comprising:

joining a plurality of adjacent stent segments, spaced from one another with detachment zones, one between each two adjacent stent segments, each detachment zone comprising two articulation planes in each of which there are two connecting members, with the members in one articulation plane spaced from those in the other articulation plane about the circumference of the stent by from about 60 to 140 degrees from each other.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the two members in each articulation plane are spaced between about 140 and 220 degrees from each other.

18. The method according to claim 17 comprising disposing said members in said first spaced 90 degrees from the members in said second plane, and members within a plane spaced 180 degrees from each other.

19. The method according to claim 17 comprising disposing said members in said first plane spaced either 67.5 or 112.5 degrees from the members in said second plane, and members within a plane spaced 180 degrees from each other.

20. The method according to claim 17 comprising disposing said members in said first plane spaced either 76.12 or 127.5 degrees from the members in said second plane, and members within a plane spaced either 152.2 degrees or 207.8 degrees from each other.

21. The method according to claim 16 comprising forming the connecting members to have a thin cross section.

22. The method according to claim 16 comprising forming each of the connecting members with a cross-sectional area that is sufficiently low to allow fracture of the members and separation under the repeated bending stress placed on the stent after implantation.

23. The method according to claim 16 comprising forming each of the connecting members of a material that is weaker than elsewhere in the stent.

24. The method according to claim 16 comprising forming each of the connecting members to have a cross-section that is thin and forming said members of a material that is weaker than elsewhere in the stent.