Expandable stent

• US 20040199246A1
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Chu, Michael S. H., Daignault, Kenneth J., Intoccia, Alfred P. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/405,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199246A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.32
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0078 hyperboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

An expandable stent designed to maintain a passageway through a body lumen of a patient is disclosed. The expandable stent is a tubular member that includes a thermoplastic material and woven or wound fibers at least partially in contact with the thermoplastic material, such that the thermoplastic material maintains the tubular member in at least one of an expanded state and a collapsed state.

Claims

1. A tubular member including a distal end and a proximal end and defining a lumen extending at least partially therethrough, the tubular member comprising:

a thermoplastic material; and

fibers selected from the group consisting of woven and wound fibers at least partially in contact with the thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material maintaining the tubular member in at least one of an expanded state and a collapsed state.

2. The tubular member of claim 1 wherein the fibers are at least partially embedded within the thermoplastic material.

3. The tubular member of claim 1 wherein the fibers are at least partially circumscribed by the thermoplastic material.

4. The tubular member of claim 1 wherein the fibers at least partially circumscribe the thermoplastic material.

5. The tubular member of claim 1 wherein the fibers are woven and comprise nylon filaments.

6. The tubular member of claim 1 wherein the fibers are woven comprise a metal.

7. The tubular member of claim 1 wherein the distal end includes an anchor means when in the expanded state.

8. The tubular member of claim 1 wherein the proximal end includes an anchor means when in the expanded state.

9. The tubular member of claim 1 wherein the fibers comprise a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of circular, oval, polygonal, and combinations thereof.

10. The tubular member of claim 1 further comprising a therapeutic agent dispersed at least partially within the thermoplastic material.

11. The tubular member of claim 1 further comprising a radiopaque material dispersed at least partially within the thermoplastic material.

12. The tubular member of claim 1 further comprising a heat sensitive glue disposed on an external surface of the tubular member.

13. The tubular member of claim 1 further comprising a light sensitive glue disposed on an external surface of the tubular member.

14. A system for maintaining patency through an anatomical lumen, the system comprising:

a tubular member including a distal end and a proximal end and defining a lumen extending at least partially therethrough, the tubular member comprising;

a thermoplastic material; and

fibers selected from the group consisting of woven and wound fibers at least partially in contact with the thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material maintaining the tubular member in at least one of an expanded state and a collapsed state; and

a transitioning means for transitioning the tubular member between the collapsed state and the expanded state.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the fibers are at least partially embedded within the thermoplastic material.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the fibers are at least partially circumscribed by the thermoplastic material.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the fibers at least partially circumscribe the thermoplastic material.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the transitioning means comprises a temperature controlled spray of fluid.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the transitioning means comprises an expandable member.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the expandable member comprises an inflatable balloon attached to and in fluid communication with an insertion rod, the insertion rod defining at least one lumen for providing a fluid to the inflatable balloon, the inflatable balloon being insertable into the lumen of the tubular member.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the inflatable balloon expands the tubular member from the collapsed state to the expanded state when the inflatable balloon is at least partially filled with a fluid at a temperature greater than about a transition temperature of the thermoplastic material and is in physical contact with the tubular member.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the tubular member is maintained in the expanded state after at least partially filling the inflatable balloon with a fluid at a temperature less than about the transition temperature.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the insertion rod includes a lumen for providing a heated fluid to the inflatable balloon and a lumen for providing a cooling fluid to the inflatable balloon.

24. A method of maintaining patency through an anatomical lumen, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the anatomical lumen with a tubular member in a collapsed state, the tubular member including a distal end and a proximal end and defining a lumen extending at least partially therethrough, the tubular member comprising;

a thermoplastic material, and

fibers selected from the group consisting of woven and wound fibers at least partially in contact with the thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material maintaining the tubular member in at least one of an expanded state and the collapsed state;

positioning the tubular member within the anatomical lumen; and

transitioning the tubular member from the collapsed state to the expanded state.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein transitioning the tubular member comprises:

positioning an expandable member in contact with the tubular member;

heating the expandable member to a temperature greater than about a transition temperature of the thermoplastic material;

expanding the expandable member to transition the tubular member to the expanded state; and

cooling the expandable member such that the temperature of the expandable member is less than about the transition temperature to maintain the tubular member in the expanded position.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the expandable member is an inflatable balloon attached to and in fluid communication with an insertion rod;

the insertion rod defining at least one lumen for providing a fluid to the inflatable balloon.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of:

collapsing the expandable member; and

removing the expandable member from the anatomical lumen.