Expandable medical device with beneficial agent delivery mechanism
First Claim
1. An expandable medical device comprising:
- a plurality of elongated beams, the plurality of elongated beams joined together to form a substantially cylindrical device which is expandable from a cylinder having a first diameter to a cylinder having a second diameter, the plurality of elongated beams each having a beam width in a circumferential direction; and
a plurality of ductile hinges connecting the plurality of beams together in the substantially cylindrical device, the ductile hinges having a substantially constant width in a circumferential dimension along a portion of a hinge length which is at least ⅓
a total hinge length, wherein the hinge width is smaller than the beam width such that as the device is expanded from the first diameter to the second diameter the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An expandable tissue supporting device of the present invention employs ductile hinges at selected points in the expandable device. When expansion forces are applied to the device as a whole, the ductile hinges concentrate expansion stresses and strains in small well defined areas. The expandable medical device including ductile hinges provides the advantages of low expansion force requirements, relatively thick walls which are radio-opaque, improved crimping properties, high crush strength, reduced elastic recoil after implantation, and control of strain to a desired level. The expandable tissue supporting device includes a plurality of elongated beams arranged in a cylindrical device and connected together by a plurality of ductile hinges. Although many ductile hinge configurations are possible, the ductile hinges preferably have a substantially constant hinge cross sectional area which is smaller than a beam cross sectional area such that as the device is expanded from a first diameter to a second diameter, the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An expandable medical device comprising:
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a plurality of elongated beams, the plurality of elongated beams joined together to form a substantially cylindrical device which is expandable from a cylinder having a first diameter to a cylinder having a second diameter, the plurality of elongated beams each having a beam width in a circumferential direction; and
a plurality of ductile hinges connecting the plurality of beams together in the substantially cylindrical device, the ductile hinges having a substantially constant width in a circumferential dimension along a portion of a hinge length which is at least ⅓
a total hinge length, wherein the hinge width is smaller than the beam width such that as the device is expanded from the first diameter to the second diameter the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An expandable medical device comprising:
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a cylindrical tube;
a plurality of axial slots formed in the cylindrical tube in a staggered arrangement to define a network of elongated struts, wherein each of the elongated struts are axially displaced from adjacent struts; and
a plurality of ductile hinges formed between the elongated struts, the ductile hinges allowing the cylindrical tube to be expanded or compressed from. a first diameter to a second diameter by deformation of the ductile hinges, the ductile hinges being asymmetrically configured to reach a predetermined strain level upon a first percentage expansion and to reach the predetermined strain level upon a second percentage of compression, wherein the first percentage is larger than the second percentage. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An expandable medical device comprising:
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a plurality of elongated beams having a substantially constant beam cross sectional area along a beam length;
a plurality of ductile hinges connecting the plurality of beams together in a substantially cylindrical device which is expandable or compressible from a first diameter to a second diameter by plastic deformation of the ductile hinges; and
a plurality of deflection limiting members positioned at a plurality of the ductile hinges to limit the deflection at the ductile hinges. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. An expandable medical device which is visible in x-ray and fluoroscope images, the device comprising:
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a plurality of struts arranged to form an expandable cylindrical tube; and
a plurality of ductile hinges connecting the plurality of struts, wherein the struts and ductile hinges have a thickness in a radial direction of the cylindrical tube of at least 0.003 inches (0.0762 mm). - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification