Method and apparatus for making intraluminal implants and construction particularly useful in such method and apparatus

• US 20040254633A1
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker European Operations Holdings, LLC (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Surpass Medical Ltd. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishri, Boaz, Rapaport, Avraham, Cibulski, Gilad
• Granted Patent: US 7,093,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0078 hyperboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/06 Braid or lace serving particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 3/18 for vertical spools
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 3/48 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2509/06 Vascular grafts; stents

Abstract

A method of and an apparatus for making a braided intraluminal implant, by providing a mandrel having at least one small-diameter section joined at least at one end to a large-diameter section; interweaving a plurality of filaments to form a tubular braid enclosing at least a part of the small-diameter section and at least a part of the large-diameter section; and cutting the tubular braid to produce a tubular braid segment having outwardly flared ends at its opposite ends. One flared end is produced by the large-diameter section of the mandrel, and the opposite outwardly flared end may be produced either by another large-diameter section of the mandrel, or by cutting the tubular braid at a portion formed by the small-diameter section of the mandrel but at a location wherein the release of stresses in the filaments inherently produces an outward flaring of the braid at that end.

Claims

1. A method of making a braided intraluminal implant, comprising:

providing a mandrel having at least one small-diameter section joined at least at one end to a large-diameter section;

interweaving a plurality of filaments to form a tubular braid enclosing at least a part of said small-diameter section and at least a part of said large-diameter section;

and cutting said tubular braid to produce a tubular braid segment having outwardly flared ends at its opposite ends.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cutting of said tubular braid is accomplished at points wherein said tubular braid does not enclose a part of said large diameter section.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said small-diameter section of the mandrel is joined at both of its opposite ends to a large-diameter section;

and wherein said tubular braid is cut along a portion thereof formed by a large-diameter section of the mandrel to produce each of said outwardly flared ends of the tubular braid segment.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said tubular braid is cut along a first cut line on a portion thereof formed by said large-diameter section of the mandrel to produce an outward flaring at said first cut line defining one end of the tubular braid segment;

said tubular braid being cut along a second cut line on a portion thereof formed by the small-diameter segment of the mandrel at a location of the tubular braid where the release of stresses in the filaments of the tubular braid inherently produces an outward flaring of the braid at said second cut line defining the opposite end of the tubular braid segment.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mandrel is of a length many times that of the tubular braid segment to be produced, and includes a plurality of small-diameter sections alternating with a plurality of large-diameter sections;

and wherein said tubular braid is formed on said mandrel in a continuous length and is cut into a plurality of said tubular braid segments.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least a portion of said small-diameter segments are of cylindrical, conical or tapered configuration.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least a portion of said large diameter segments are of cylindrical, conical or tapered configuration.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein said mandrel is constructed of a plurality of modular units, each having a cylindrical, conical or tapered section formed at one end with an enlarged head;

each of said enlarged heads being formed with an axially-extending bore of a diameter to receive the end of the cylindrical, conical or tapered section of another modular unit.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, after a tubular braid segment is cut from said continuous length, a modular unit is removed to permit the cut tubular braid segment to be conveniently removed.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein said mandrel is constructed of a cylindrical, conical or tapered rod having a plurality of rings removably received at spaced locations along the length of said rod to define said large-diameter sections of the mandrel.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of said rings is an elastic ring of a non-circular configuration so as to be elastically retained on said rod and conveniently removable therefrom by manually distorting the ring towards a circular configuration.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, after a tubular braid segment is cut from said continuous length a ring is removed from said rod to permit the cut tubular braid segment to be conveniently removed.

14. The mandrel according to claim 11, wherein said mandrel is of a length many times that of the braided intraluminal implants to be made, such that a continuous length of a tubular braid may be formed on said mandrel and then cut into a plurality of said tubular braid segments.

15. The mandrel according to claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said small-diameter sections of the mandrel are of cylindrical, conical or tapered configuration.

16. The mandrel according to claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said large diameter sections of the mandrel are of cylindrical, conical or tapered configuration.

17. The mandrel according to claim 14, wherein said mandrel is constructed of a plurality of modular units, each having a cylindrical, conical or tapered section formed at one end with an enlarged head, each of said enlarged heads being formed with an axially-extending bore of a diameter to receive the end of the cylindrical, conical or tapered section of another modular unit.

18. The mandrel according to claim 14, wherein said mandrel is constructed of a cylindrical, conical or tapered rod having a plurality of rings removably received at spaced locations along the length of said rod to define said large-diameter sections of the mandrel.

19. The mandrel according to claim 18, wherein each of said rings is an elastic ring of a non-circular configuration so as to be elastically retained on said rod and conveniently removable therefrom by manually distorting the ring towards a circular configuration.

13. A mandrel for use with a braiding machine for making braided intraluminal implants;

said mandrel comprising at least one small-diameter section joined at least at one end to a large-diameter-section;

said mandrel being dimensioned to enable a plurality of filaments to be interwoven thereon to produce braided intraluminal implants of a diameter corresponding to said small-diameter section and having at least one flared end formed by said large-diameter section.

20. Apparatus for making braided intraluminal implants, comprising:

a mandrel according to claim 13;

and a braiding machine for interweaving a plurality of filaments around said mandrel.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said mandrel is of a length many times that of the braided intraluminal implants to be made, such that a continuous length of a tubular braid may be formed on said mandrel and then cut into a plurality of said tubular braid segments.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein at least a portion of said small-diameter sections of the mandrel are of cylindrical, conical or tapered configuration.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of said large diameter sections of the mandrel are of cylindrical, conical or tapered configuration.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said mandrel is constructed of a plurality of modular units, each having a cylindrical, conical or tapered section formed at one end with an enlarged head, each of said enlarged heads being formed with an axially-extending bore of a diameter to receive the end of the cylindrical, conical or tapered section of another modular unit.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said mandrel is constructed of a cylindrical, conical or tapered rod having a plurality of rings removably received at spaced locations along the length of said rod to define said large-diameter sections of the mandrel.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein each of said rings is an elastic ring of a non-circular configuration so as to be elastically retained on said rod and conveniently removable therefrom by manually distorting the ring towards a circular configuration.