Device for treating a blood vessel and a method of preparing the device

• US 20050119722A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: Cormove
• Inventors: Wen, Ning, Styrc, Mikolaj
• Granted Patent: US 9,314,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9505 having retaining means other than an outer sleeve, e.g. male-female connector between stent and instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires

Abstract

The device comprises a tubular endoprosthesis (11) and a hollow prop (13) provided in the vicinity of a distal end with at least one transverse retaining opening (23A). The device includes a releasable retaining member (31). It also includes filamentary line (33A) which forms and eyelet (41) around the retaining member (31), and a tightening loop (43) around the endoprosthesis (11), and which includes traction means (45) extending the tightening loop (43). The traction means (45) extend at least as far as a control end in the vicinity of a proximal end of the prop (13) and can be moved relative to the prop (13) towards the distal end of the prop (13) to a position in which the endoprosthesis (11) is in an expanded state. The invention is applicable to releasing endoprostheses in a blood vessel.

Claims

1. A device for treating a blood vessel, the device being of the type comprising:

at least one tubular endoprosthesis (11) that is deployable between a retracted state and an expanded state;

a hollow prop (13) which extends longitudinally between a proximal end (21) and a distal end (19), which prop (13) is provided in the vicinity of its distal end (19) with at least one transverse retaining opening (23A;

23B;

85);

at least one releasable filamentary line (33;

33A;

33B;

33C;

33D) forming at least one tightening loop (43;

43A;

43B;

43C;

43D) which surrounds at least part of the endoprosthesis (11), the tightening loop (43;

43A;

43B;

43C;

43D) extending through the retaining opening (23A;

23B;

85) to an eyelet (41;

41A;

41B;

41C;

41D) and being engaged through a tightening opening (23A;

23B;

87) formed transversely in the prop (13);

the filamentary line (33;

33A;

33B;

33C;

33D) further comprising traction means (45) which extend the tightening loop (43;

43A;

43B;

43C;

43D) from the tightening opening (23A;

23B;

87), the traction means (45) extending inside the prop (13) at least to a control end (57) actuatable from the proximal end (21) of the prop (13); and

at least one releasable retaining member (31;

31C;

31D), the eyelet (41;

41A;

41B;

41C;

41D) being engaged releasably on the retaining member (31;

31C;

31D);

the device being characterized in that the traction means (45) can be moved relative to the prop (13) towards the distal end (19) of the prop (13) from a position under tension in which the endoprosthesis (11) is in its retracted state, to a relaxed position in which the endoprosthesis (11) is in its expanded state, at least in the vicinity of the tightening loop (43;

43A;

43B;

43C;

43D).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the traction means (45) are displaceable relative to the prop (13) towards the proximal end (21) of the prop (13) from the relaxed position to the position under tension.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that a control passage (27) is formed in the prop (13) in the vicinity of its proximal end (21), the traction means (45) comprising a portion (59) projecting beyond the prop (13) through the control passage (27), the length of the projecting portion (59) when the endoprosthesis (11) is in its retracted state being greater than the length of said projecting portion (59) when the endoprosthesis (11) is in the expanded state.

4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the filamentary line (33A;

33B) comprises a single strand, the eyelet (41;

41A;

41B) being deformable and being disposed at a distal end of the strand.

5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tightening opening (87) and the retaining opening (85) are distinct, and in that it includes two filamentary lines (33C, 33D) forming two tightening loops (43C;

43D) engaged in the tightening and retaining openings (85;

87), the tightening loops (43C;

43D) extending on either side of a longitudinal midplane of the prop (13).

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining member (31;

31C;

31D) comprises at least one retaining rod (31;

31C;

31D) disposed to move inside the prop (13) between a retaining position in which an active portion (35) of the rod is in register with the retaining opening (23A;

23B;

85) and the eyelet (41;

41A;

41B;

41C;

41D) is engaged around the active portion (35), and a release position in which the active portion (35) of the rod is spaced apart from the retaining opening (23A;

23B;

85), the rod (31;

31C;

31D) including actuation means (37) extending at least between the active portion (35) and the proximal end (21) of the prop (13) in the retaining position.

7. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a single prop (13) having at least two retaining openings (23A;

23B) that are longitudinally offset, the distance between the retaining openings (23A;

23B) being constant, regardless of the state of the endoprosthesis (11).

8. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the longitudinal distance between the two retaining openings (23A;

23B) is substantially equal to the length of the endoprosthesis (11) while in its retracted state, measured in a longitudinal direction of the endoprosthesis (11).

9. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the retaining openings (23A;

23B) extend on either side of a longitudinal midplane of the prop (13).

10. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the device includes a filamentary line (33A;

33B) for each retaining opening (23A;

23B), each control end (57) being engaged in a distinct control passage (27) formed in the prop (13) in the vicinity of its proximal end (21).

11. A device for treating a blood vessel according to claim 1, the device being characterized in that it includes two endoprostheses (11A;

11B) that are longitudinally offset along the prop (13), each endoprosthesis (11A;

11B) being surrounded by at least one filamentary line (33A, 33B;

33C, 33D) associated with a retaining opening (23A, 23B;

23C, 23D) in the hollow prop (13).

12. A method of preparing a device according to claim 1 prior to being implanted in a blood vessel, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

a) the endoprosthesis (11) is conserved in its expanded state; and

then

b) the traction means (45) are moved towards the proximal end (21) of the prop so as to bring the endoprosthesis (11) into its retracted state, for implantation purposes.

13. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that a control passage (27) is formed in the prop (13) in the vicinity of its proximal end (21), the traction means (45) comprising a portion (59) projecting beyond the prop (13) through the control passage (27), the length of the projecting portion (59) when the endoprosthesis (11) is in its retracted state being greater than the length of said projecting portion (59) when the endoprosthesis (11) is in the expanded state.

14. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the filamentary line (33A;

33B) comprises a single strand, the eyelet (41;

41A;

41B) being deformable and being disposed at a distal end of the strand.

15. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the filamentary line (33A;

33B) comprises a single strand, the eyelet (41;

41A;

41B) being deformable and being disposed at a distal end of the strand.

16. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the tightening opening (87) and the retaining opening (85) are distinct, and in that it includes two filamentary lines (33C, 33D) forming two tightening loops (43C;

43D) engaged in the tightening and retaining openings (85;

87), the tightening loops (43C;

43D) extending on either side of a longitudinal midplane of the prop (13).

17. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the tightening opening (87) and the retaining opening (85) are distinct, and in that it includes two filamentary lines (33C, 33D) forming two tightening loops (43C;

43D) engaged in the tightening and retaining openings (85;

87), the tightening loops (43C;

43D) extending on either side of a longitudinal midplane of the prop (13).

18. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the tightening opening (87) and the retaining opening (85) are distinct, and in that it includes two filamentary lines (33C, 33D) forming two tightening loops (43C;

43D) engaged in the tightening and retaining openings (85;

87), the tightening loops (43C;

43D) extending on either side of a longitudinal midplane of the prop (13).

19. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the retaining member (31;

31C;

31D) comprises at least one retaining rod (31;

31C;

31D) disposed to move inside the prop (13) between a retaining position in which an active portion (35) of the rod is in register with the retaining opening (23A;

23B;

85) and the eyelet (41;

41A;

41B;

41C;

41D) is engaged around the active portion (35), and a release position in which the active portion (35) of the rod is spaced apart from the retaining opening (23A;

23B;

85), the rod (31;

31C;

31D) including actuation means (37) extending at least between the active portion (35) and the proximal end (21) of the prop (13) in the retaining position.

20. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the retaining member (31;

31C;

31D) comprises at least one retaining rod (31;

31C;

31D) disposed to move inside the prop (13) between a retaining position in which an active portion (35) of the rod is in register with the retaining opening (23A;

23B;

85) and the eyelet (41;

41A;

41B;

41C;

41D) is engaged around the active portion (35), and a release position in which the active portion (35) of the rod is spaced apart from the retaining opening (23A;

23B;

85), the rod (31;

31C;

31D) including actuation means (37) extending at least between the active portion (35) and the proximal end (21) of the prop (13) in the retaining position.