Methods and apparatus for a stent having an expandable web structure

• US 20050043778A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Limited (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Limited (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Von Oepen, Randolf, Seibold, Gerd
• Granted Patent: US 7,815,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.110
• 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 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak

Abstract

The present invention provides a stent comprising a tubular flexible body having a wall with a web structure that is expandable from a contracted delivery configuration to deployed configuration. The web structure comprises a plurality of neighboring web patterns, where each web pattern is composed of adjoining webs coupled by connection sections, neighboring web patterns interconnected by at least two transition sections.

Claims

1. A prosthesis comprising:

a tubular body having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therebetween, and a wall defining a web structure,

wherein the web structure includes a plurality of neighboring web patterns extending around the wall, each web pattern defined by a plurality of webs interconnected by connection sections, neighboring web patterns arranged in alternating, side-by-side fashion and interconnected by at least two generally H-shaped transition sections, the at least two transition sections of the neighboring web patterns separated by at least one connection section to provide an absence of interconnection between adjoining webs in neighboring web patterns.

2. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the tubular body defines a stent.

3. The stent of claim 2, wherein the stent is a balloon-expandable stent.

4. The stent of claim 2, wherein the stent is a self-expandable stent.

5. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein neighboring web patterns have alternating concavity that extend circumferentially around the wall.

6. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the webs in a web pattern are orientated having either a concave or convex orientation in alternating, side-by-side fashion.

7. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the webs have a first width relative to a circumference of the tubular body, and the transition sections have a second width relative to the circumference of the tubular body, wherein the second width is about twice the first width.

8. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein at least three webs define an S-shaped structure between said at least two transition sections.

9. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein each web includes at least one substantially straight section.

10. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the webs are generally bowl-like.

11. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the generally bowl-like webs include at least one substantially straight section.

12. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the generally bowl-like webs include three substantially straight sections.

13. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein at least three generally bowl-like webs define an S-shaped structure between the at least two transition sections.

14. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the connection sections are rounded.

15. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein at least one of the generally H-shaped structures is disposed at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the prosthesis.

16. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the at least two transition sections are separated by at least two connection sections.

17. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the tubular body is formed from a tubular member.

18. The prosthesis of claim 17, wherein the web patterns are formed in the tubular member by either laser-cutting or chemical etching.

19. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the tubular body comprises a tubular material.

20. The prosthesis of claim 19, wherein the tubular material is chosen from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium and nickel-titanium alloy.

21. The prosthesis of claim 19, wherein the tubular material is supperelastic.

22. The prosthesis of claim 1, further including a radiopaque feature.

23. The prosthesis of claim 1, further including a coating on the web structure that comprises a therapeutic agent.

24. The prosthesis of claim 23, wherein the therapeutic agent is chosen from the group consisting of therapeutic agents that retard thrombus formation, therapeutic agents that retard restenosis, and therapeutic agents for systemic or local delivery via the blood stream.

25. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein all of the transition sections are separated by at least one generally bowl-like web.

26. A system for stenting a vessel comprising:

a stent including a tubular body having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therebetween, and a wall defining a web structure, wherein the web structure includes a plurality of neighboring web patterns extending around the wall, each web pattern defined by a plurality of webs interconnected by connection sections, neighboring web patterns arranged in alternating, side-by-side fashion and interconnected by at least two generally H-shaped transition sections, the at least two transition sections of the neighboring web patterns separated by at least one connection section to provide an absence of interconnection between adjoining webs in neighboring web patterns; and

a catheter configured to accept the tubular body, the catheter configured to transition the tubular body from a collapsed delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the catheter comprises a balloon catheter.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the stent is compressed onto the balloon of the balloon catheter in the collapsed state.

29. A prosthesis comprising:

a tubular body having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therebetween, and a wall defining a web structure,

wherein the web structure includes a plurality of neighboring web patterns extending around the wall, each web pattern defined by a plurality of webs interconnected by connection sections with at least one of the webs in a web pattern having a generally concave shape, and neighboring web patterns interconnected and separated by at least one connection section.

30. The prosthesis of claim 29 wherein the neighboring web patterns are interconnected by at least two transition sections.

31. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein the interconnected webs have an absence of interconnection between adjoining webs in a neighboring web pattern.

32. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein neighboring web patterns have alternating concavity that extend circumferentially around the wall.

33. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein neighboring web patterns are arranged in alternating, side-by-side fashion.

34. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein the webs in a web pattern are orientated having either a concave or convex orientation in alternating, side-by-side fashion.

35. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein each web includes at least one substantially straight section.

36. The prosthesis of claim 30, wherein at least three webs define an S-shaped structure between the at least two transition sections.

37. The prosthesis of claim 30, wherein the webs are generally bowl-like.

38. The prosthesis of claim 37, wherein the generally bowl-like webs include at least one substantially straight section.

39. The prosthesis of claim 37, wherein the generally bowl-like webs include three substantially straight sections.

40. The prosthesis of claim 37, wherein at least three generally bowl-like webs define an S-shaped structure between the at least two transition sections.

41. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein the connection sections are rounded.

42. The prosthesis of claim 30, wherein the transition sections define generally H-shaped structures.

43. The prosthesis of claim 42, wherein at least one of the generally H-shaped structures is disposed at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the prostheses.

44. The prosthesis of claim 30, wherein the at least two transition sections are separated by at least two connection sections.

45. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein neighboring web patterns are interconnected by at least two connection elements.

46. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein the tubular body is formed from a tubular member.

47. The prosthesis of claim 46, wherein the web patterns are formed in the tubular member by either laser-cutting or chemical etching.

48. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein the tubular body comprises a tubular material.

49. The prosthesis of claim 48, wherein the tubular material is chosen from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium and nickel-titanium alloy.

50. The prosthesis of claim 48, wherein the tubular material is supperelastic.

51. The prosthesis of claim 29, further including a radiopaque feature.

52. The prosthesis of claim 29, further including a coating on the web structure that comprises a therapeutic agent.

53. The prosthesis of claim 52, wherein the therapeutic agent is chosen from the group consisting of therapeutic agents that retard thrombus formation, therapeutic agents that retard restenosis, and therapeutic agents for systemic or local delivery via the blood stream.

54. The prosthesis of claim 30, wherein all of the transition sections are separated by at least one generally bowl-like web.

55. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein the tubular body defines a stent.

56. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein the prostheses is a balloon-expandable stent.

57. The prosthesis of claim 29, wherein the prostheses is a self-expandable stent.

58. A system for stenting a vessel comprising:

a stent including a tubular body having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therebetween, and a wall defining a web structure,

wherein the web structure includes a plurality of neighboring web patterns extending around the wall, each web pattern defined by a plurality of webs interconnected by connection sections with at least one of the webs in a web pattern having a generally concave shape, and neighboring web patterns interconnected and separated by at least one connection section; and

a catheter configured to accept the tubular body, the catheter configured to transition the tubular body from a collapsed delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the catheter comprises a balloon catheter.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the stent is compressed onto the balloon of the balloon catheter in the contracted state.