Stent delivery system with securement and deployment accuracy

• US 20040204749A1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gunderson, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,473,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• 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 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9583 Means for holding the stent on the balloon, e.g. using protrusions, adhesives or an outer sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing the longitudinal aspect of the catheter to stent force comprises at least one grip member for use with a stent delivery system. The grip engages a stent in the unexpanded state prior to delivery of the stent by retracting a stent retaining sheath. The grip comprises a body region having an outer diameter, a first end and a second end. The outer diameter of the first end is greater than the outer diameter of the second end. The grip is at least partially constructed from a polymeric material.

Claims

1. A stent delivery system comprising:

a catheter, the catheter having a inner shaft, at least a portion of the inner shaft defining a stent mounting region;

a stent, the stent being defined by a stent wall, the stent having an unexpanded state and an expanded state, in the unexpanded state the stent being disposed about at least a portion of the stent mounting region; and

at least one band, the at least one band disposed about at least a portion of the inner shaft, the band further defining at least a portion of a stent mounting region, the band comprising a body region having an outer surface and a plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from the outer surface, when the stent is in the unexpanded state at least a portion of the stent is disposed about and engaged to at least a portion of the body region of the band and each of the protrusions engage a space defined by the wall of the stent.

2. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the band is radiopaque.

3. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the stent is a self-expanding stent.

4. The stent delivery system of claim 1 further comprising a retractable sheath, wherein the stent is retained in the unexpanded state by a retractable sheath, wherein when the sheath is retracted from the stent the stent self-expands to the expanded state, until the retractable sheath is completely retracted off of the stent, the stent remains engaged to at least one of the plurality of protrusions.

5. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of protrusions is a bump on the outer surface of the band.

6. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of protrusions is a flap extending from the outer surface of the band.

7. The stent delivery system of claim 6 wherein each flap is constructed by forming an opening in the body region of the band, each flap being engaged to at least one point on the outer surface of the band adjacent to the opening from which the flap was formed.

8. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of protrusions is substantially fin shaped.

9. The stent delivery system of claim 8 wherein the at least one substantially fin shaped protrusion is formed by pulling at least a portion of the outer surface of the band in a radially outward direction.

10. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the band is formed by extrusion.

11. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the band is formed by injection molding.

12. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the at least one band is integral with the inner shaft.

13. A stent delivery system comprising:

a catheter, the catheter having an inner shaft and a retractable sheath, the inner shaft having at least one band engaged thereto, the at least one band member comprising a body region, the body region having an outer surface and a plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from the outer surface; and

a stent, the stent being expandable from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, in the unexpanded state at least a portion of the stent being disposed about a portion of the inner shaft and engaged to at least a portion of the body region of the at least one band, in the unexpanded state at least one of the plurality of protrusions being engaged to at least a portion of the stent by extending into at least one space defined by the stent, in the unexpanded state the retractable sheath overlying the stent, the at least one protrusion preventing the stent from being longitudinally displaced relative to inner shaft.

14. A method of preventing longitudinal movement of a stent being delivered from a delivery catheter comprising a catheter shaft, a retractable sheath, a stent expandable from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, and at least one band disposed about a region of the catheter shaft underlying at least a portion of the stent, the at least one band having a plurality of radially extending protrusions, the method comprising the step of:

engaging at least one of the radially extending protrusions to the stent in the unexpanded, until the retractable sheath is fully withdrawn from the stent.