Stent with end adapted for flaring

• US 20040254627A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Paul J. Thompson, Roy K. Greenberg
• Original Assignee: Paul J. Thompson, Roy K. Greenberg
• Inventors: Greenberg, Roy K., Thompson, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US10/816,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254627A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• 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 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• 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: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

A stent for use in treating vascular diseases disclosed herein. The stent includes a main body and an end that can be flared relative to the main body. A predefined bend location is defined between the main body and the flared end.

Claims

1. A stent comprising:

a main body defining a plurality of cells, the main body including opposite ends;

an end structure adapted to be flared relative to the main body, the end structure being located adjacent at least one of the ends of the main body; and

the end structure including predefined bend locations for facilitating flaring the end structure relative to the main body.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein the end structure includes a plurality of cantilever members having base ends connected to the main body at the predefined bend locations.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein each predefined bend location includes one or more notches.

4. The stent of claim 1, wherein the predefined bend locations include areas of reduced cross-section as compared to areas of adjacent locations.

5. The stent of claim 4, wherein the areas of reduced cross-section are in the range of 15-60 percent smaller than the areas of the adjacent locations.

6. The stent of claim 1, wherein the predefined bend locations include notches provided at interior and exterior surfaces of the stent.

7. The stent of claim 1, wherein the predefined bend locations include notches provided at exterior surfaces of the stent.

8. The stent of claim 1, wherein the predefined bend locations include notches provided at interior surfaces of the stent.

9. The stent of claim 2, wherein the cantilever members include enlargements in which x-ray visible markers are positioned.

10. The stent of claim 1, wherein the predefined bend locations include shoulders.

11. The stent of claim 1, wherein the end structure includes a plurality of end struts having base ends connected to the main body.

12. The stent of claim 11, further comprising linking members that extend between the end struts.

13. The stent of claim 12, wherein the linking members are configured to straighten as the end struts are flared.

14. A stent comprising:

a main body defining a plurality of cells, the main body having opposite ends;

a plurality of end struts adapted to be flared relative to the main body, the end struts being integrally connected with at least one of the ends of the main body; and

the end struts including regions of reduced radial wall thickness for facilitating flaring the end struts relative to the main body.

15. The stent of claim 14, wherein the end struts are connected to the main body at connection locations, and wherein the regions of reduced radial wall thickness are located adjacent to the connection locations.

16. The stent of claim 14, wherein the regions of reduced radial wall thickness are provided by notches.

17. The stent of clam 14, wherein the regions of reduced radial wall thickness are defined by shoulders.

18. A stent comprising:

a main body including a plurality of support members defining a plurality of open cells, the support members extending about a circumference of the main body and each defining an undulating pattern having a plurality of peaks and valleys;

a plurality of end struts adapted to be flared relative to the main body, the end struts being connected to at least some of the peaks of the main body; and

the end struts defining notches for facilitating flaring the end struts relative to the main body.

19. The stent of claim 18, wherein the main body includes an end support member having a plurality of peaks and valleys, and wherein the end struts are connected to every other peak of the end support member.

20. The stent of claim 18, wherein the main body includes an end support member having a plurality of peaks and valleys, and wherein the end struts are connected to every third peak of the end support member.

21. The stent of claim 18, wherein the main body includes an end support member having a plurality of peaks and valleys, and wherein the end struts are connected to every peak of the end support member.

22. The stent of claim 18, wherein each end strut includes two enlargements including radiopaque markers.

23. A method for implanting a stent at a junction between first and second vessels, the stent including a main body and an end structure adapted to be flared relative to the main body, the stent also including predefined bend locations for facilitating flaring the end structure relative to the main body, the method comprising:

positioning the stent such that the main body is located within the first vessel, the end structure extends into the second vessel, and the predefined bend locations are located adjacent the junction between the first and second vessels;

radially expanding the main body into contact with an interior surface of the first vessel; and

flaring the end structure relative to the main body such that the end portion generally conforms with an interior surface of the second vessel, the end structure being flared by bending the stent at the predefined bend locations while maintaining the predefined bend locations adjacent the junction between the first and second vessels.

24. A stent comprising:

a main body defining a plurality of cells, the main body having opposite ends;

a plurality of end struts adapted to be flared relative to the main body; and

the end struts having lengths, and the end struts being thinned along their lengths relative to the main body for facilitating flaring the end struts relative to the main body.