Stent delivery system

• US 20050038493A1
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angiomed GmbH & Co. Medizintechnik KG
• Original Assignee: Angiomed GmbH & Co. Medizintechnik KG
• Inventors: Feeser, Jorg
• Granted Patent: US 8,025,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod

Abstract

A stent delivery catheter for rapid exchange carries at its distal end a sleeve (12) to surround a self-expanding stent (10) and a tension wire (30) running the length of the catheter to release the stent by proximal withdrawal of the sleeve. A tubular catheter shaft (62) surrounds the tension wire. An inner catheter (44) defines a guidewire lumen (48) with a proximal guidewire exit part (58) at the distal end of the catheter shaft. The inner catheter carries an abutment (32) to restrain the stent from moving proximally when the sleeve is pulled proximally. There is a gap (74) between the abluminal surface of the inner catheter and the luminal surface of the catheter shaft, in which the tension wire is accomodated.

Claims

1. A stent delivery system comprising

i) a sleeve to surround a self-expanding stent, to be retracted proximally, relative to the stent, to release the stent progressively, starting with the distal end of the stent

ii) an abutment to engage the stent, within the volume defined by the sleeve, to restrain the stent from moving proximally, as the sleeve is retracted proximally

iii) a tubular, lumen-defining catheter shaft extending proximally from the abutment, which resists axial compressive stresses during proximal withdrawal of the sleeve

iv) a tension member which runs the length of the catheter shaft, which receives a tensile stress at its proximal end and thereby imposes on the sleeve an axial stress for said proximal retraction of the sleeve relative to the stent

v) the catheter shaft includes a proximal guidewire lumen exit port remote from the proximal end of the catheter shaft, whereby the stent delivery system is a rapid exchange system

vi) the tubular shaft carries at its distal end an inner catheter, which defines a guidewire lumen and extends from a proximal end at the proximal guidewire lumen exit port to a distal end which defines a distal guidewire lumen exit port at the distal end of the sleeve wherein

the inner catheter and the tubular shaft are arranged parallel between the distal end of the catheter shaft and the proximal guidewire exit port with spacing therebetween to accommodate the tension member outside the guidewire lumen and inside the lumen of the catheter shaft.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the catheter shaft is metallic.

3. The system claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the tension member is a wire.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wire is connected to the sleeve by a connection ring co-axial with the sleeve and fixed to the sleeve.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sleeve carries a marker band to indicate the distal end of the stent.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 including at the proximal end of the catheter shaft a shaft continuation and a proximal exit port for the tension member, between the catheter shaft and the continuation shaft.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shaft continuation has at its proximal end a port for flushing the catheter shaft.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shaft continuation carries a slider to which the proximal end of the tension member is connected, whereby proximal movement of the slider on the shaft continuation retracts the sleeve proximally relative to the catheter shaft.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distal end of the catheter shaft defines a lengthwise slot open-ended at its distal end, thereby to define a trough n which through the inner catheter is received, the proximal guidewire lumen exit port being coincident with the proximal end of the slot and trough.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the outer surface of the inner catheter is spaced from that part of the surface of the trough which is circumferentially opposite from the lengthwise slot, thereby affording a lumen between the catheter shaft and the inner catheter along which the tension member extends.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the distal end of the catheter shaft, and the inner catheter lying in its trough, are sleeved by a catheter shaft extension which extends as a cantilever from the distal end of the catheter shaft.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the catheter shaft extension has a distal end which is received within a proximal end opening of the sleeve.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sleeve has a distal end which tapers inwardly.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the abutment comprises a radiopaque marker.

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