Radially expandable stents

• US 20050060023A1
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fossa Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fossa Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Ro, Gloria Miran, Mitchell, Michael Edward, Tomita, Aoy
• Granted Patent: US 7,674,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/94 Stents retaining their form, i.e. not being deformable, after placement in the predetermined place
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0039 H-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0058 X-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0071 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1089 Urethra
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/008 pre-shaped, for use in the urethral or ureteral tract
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

An expandable, elongate flexible conduit is provided for placement in a tubular body structure. An exemplary conduit includes a plurality of flexible longitudinal members defining in an unexpanded state a lumen, the members being radially expandable at preselected intervals to define a longitudinally oriented array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded tubular segments, at least one of the open-sided cages having a diameter varying along its length and each of the open-sided cages having a maximum diameter larger than a diameter of the less-expanded tubular segments.

Claims

1. An expandable, elongate flexible conduit dimensionally adapted for placement in

a tubular body structure, comprising:

a plurality of flexible longitudinal members defining in an unexpanded state a lumen, the members being radially expandable at preselected intervals to define a longitudinally oriented array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded segments, at least one of the open-sided cages having a diameter varying along its length and at least one of the open-sided cages having a diameter in an expanded state larger than a diameter of the less-expanded segments; and

at least one curled end, longitudinally outward of the array of open-sided cages.

2. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the at least one open-sided cage assumes an undulating shape upon radial expansion.

3. The conduit of claim 1, wherein an external surface of the array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded tubular segments defines an undulating shape.

4. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the less-expanded segments are tubular in shape.

5. The conduit of claim 1, wherein each of the open-sided cages has a maximum diameter larger than the diameter of the less-expanded segments.

6. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the at least one curled end has a curled shape memory.

7. The conduit of claim 1, further comprising a filament secured to a distal region of the conduit and extending to a proximal region of the conduit, wherein proximal displacement of the filament transitions the conduit to the expanded state.

8. The conduit of claim 1, further comprising a filament coupled to a distal region of the conduit and extending to a proximal region of the conduit, wherein distal displacement of the filament transitions the conduit to the unexpanded state.

9. The conduit of claim 11, wherein the filament is disposed in the lumen.

10. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the conduit is fabricated from a material that can degrade or dissolve.

11. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the curled end is J-shaped.

12. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the curled end is curled through at least 180 degrees.

13. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the curled end is curled through at least 270 degrees.

14. An expandable, elongate flexible conduit dimensionally adapted for placement in a tubular body structure, comprising:

a plurality of flexible longitudinal members defining in an unexpanded state a channel, the channel being radially expandable at preselected intervals to form a longitudinal array of expanded channel segments spaced by at least one less-expanded channel segment, each of the expanded channel segments being defined by the members in a spaced-apart relationship, and each of the expanded channel segments having a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the at least one less-expanded channel segment; and

at least one curled end, longitudinally outward of the array of channel segments.

15. The conduit of claim 14, wherein at least one of the longitudinal members assumes an undulating shape upon radial expansion.

16. The conduit of claim 14, wherein an external surface of the array of expanded channel segments spaced by the at least one less-expanded channel segment defines an undulating shape.

17. An elongate, flexible conduit dimensionally adapted for placement in a tubular body structure, comprising:

at least one longitudinally oriented element extending along a length of the conduit, the element defining a longitudinal channel with an elongate longitudinal opening, the element being radially compressible into a compressed state and radially expandable from the compressed state into an expanded state, and the elongate longitudinal opening being capable of being narrowed by radial compression and widened by radial expansion; and

at least one curled end, longitudinally outward of the longitudinal opening.

18. The conduit of claim 17, wherein the element has a convex surface and a concave surface.

19. The conduit of claim 18, wherein the longitudinal channel is defined by the concave surface.

20. The conduit of claim 17, wherein the element is curved in the compressed state.

21. The conduit of claim 17, wherein the longitudinal channel is at least partially circumscribed by the element in the compressed state.

25. The conduit of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of longitudinally oriented elements.

26. The conduit of claim 25, wherein the plurality of longitudinally oriented elements are radially expandable at preselected intervals to define a longitudinally oriented array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded segments, at least one of the open-sided cages having a diameter varying along its length and at least one of the open-sided cages having a diameter in an expanded state larger than a diameter of the less-expanded segments.

27. The conduit of claim 26, wherein the at least one open-sided cage assumes an undulating shape upon radial expansion.

28. The conduit of claim 26, wherein an external surface of the array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded tubular segments defines an undulating shape.

29. The conduit of claim 26, wherein the less-expanded segments are tubular in shape.

30. The conduit of claim 26, wherein each of the open-sided cages has a maximum diameter larger than the diameter of the less-expanded segments.

31. The conduit of claim 25, wherein the longitudinal channel is radially expandable at preselected intervals to form a longitudinal array of expanded channel segments spaced by at least one less-expanded channel segment, each of the expanded channel segments being defined by the plurality of longitudinally oriented elements in a spaced-apart relationship, and each of the expanded channel segments having a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the at least one less-expanded channel segment.

32. The conduit of claim 31, wherein at least one of the longitudinally oriented elements assumes an undulating shape upon radial expansion.

33. The conduit of claim 31, wherein an external surface of the array of expanded channel segments spaced by the at least one less-expanded channel segment defines an undulating shape.

34. A method for draining fluid from an at least partially obstructed tubular body structure, comprising:

providing an expandable, elongate flexible conduit dimensionally adapted for placement in the tubular body structure, the conduit having a plurality of flexible longitudinal members defining in an unexpanded state a lumen;

inserting the conduit into the tubular body structure in an unexpanded state to bypass at least a portion of an area of obstruction;

radially expanding the members of the conduit into a spaced-apart relationship at preselected intervals to form a plurality of open-channel cages separated by less-expanded tubular cages; and

providing through the expanded conduit a drainage path in fluid communication with the fluid.