Delivery system for endoluminal implant

• US 20050131514A1
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifeport Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fionnan Friel, Lukas J. Hijlkema, Michael Mcmahon
• Inventors: Hijlkema, Lukas J., Friel, Fionnan, McMahon, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,632,298 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 2002/9665 with additional retaining means

Abstract

A delivery system for delivering an endoluminal implant to a distal deployment location inside a body lumen from a proximal access location outside the lumen. The system comprises the implant, a catheter, and a slidable sheath having an advanced position in which the sheath covers the implant and a retracted position in which the implant is exposed. The catheter comprises a stabilizer having a distal end adjacent the implant proximal end and/or a catheter tip attached to a central core slideably disposed relative to the implant and having a proximal end adjacent the implant distal end. The catheter tip proximal end and/or the stabilizer distal end comprises a docking section adapted to releasably engage a portion of the implant. Each docking section has an engagement geometry comprising a flared engagement surface that extends inside a short axial length of the implant or a pocket having a bottleneck geometry.

Claims

1. A delivery system for delivering an endoluminal implant to a distal deployment location inside a body lumen from a proximal access location outside the body lumen, the delivery system comprising:

the implant having a proximal end and a distal end;

a catheter comprising at least one of a stabilizer, a catheter tip, or a combination thereof, the stabilizer having a distal end located adjacent the implant proximal end, the catheter tip attached to a central core slideably disposed relative to the implant and having a proximal end located adjacent the implant distal end;

at least one of the catheter tip proximal end or the stabilizer distal end comprising a docking section adapted to releasably engage a portion of the implant, each docking section comprising an engagement geometry for engaging the implant, and;

a slidable sheath having an advanced position in which the sheath covers the implant and a retracted position in which the implant is exposed;

each docking section engagement geometry comprising a flared engagement surface that extends inside a short axial length of the implant or a pocket having a bottleneck geometry.

2. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the docking station comprises a member adapted to contact a complete circumferential portion of the implant.

3. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the sheath cooperates with the docking section to keep the implant in a compressed configuration, the docking section adapted to release engagement of the portion of the compressed implant upon retraction of the sheath beyond a location at which the sheath at least partially overlies the docking section.

4. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the docking section comprises a plurality of members each adapted to engage a limited portion of the implant.

5. The delivery system of claim 4, wherein the limited portion of the implant comprises a partial circumferential portion.

6. The delivery system of claim 4, wherein the docking section comprises a plurality of fingers.

7. The delivery system of claim 6, wherein each finger has an end portion with a different cross-sectional area than a reminder of the finger.

8. The delivery system of claim 7, wherein the different cross-sectional area comprises an inward radial protrusion.

9. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the endoluminal implant comprises a self-expanding stent.

10. A system for retaining a portion of a medical implant on a delivery member until performance of a predetermined release action, the system comprising:

the delivery member comprising an outer sheath and an inner tubular member for engaging a portion of the implant, the sheath having an advanced position in which the sheath covers the implant, and a retracted position in which the implant is exposed, the inner tubular member having an axis and one or more flexible fingers, the one or more flexible fingers having an unrestrained configuration with the sheath in the retracted configuration in which the fingers are biased angularly outward from the inner tubular member axis, and a restrained configuration with the sheath in the advanced configuration in which the fingers are adapted to engage a portion of the implant, each finger comprising an end member having a different cross sectional geometry than a remainder of the finger.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the different cross sectional geometry of the end member comprises an inward radial protrusion.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined release action comprises retraction of the sheath.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the tubular member is adapted to engage the implant at a proximal end of the implant.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the tubular member is adapted to prevent axial movement of the engaged portion of the implant until the predetermined release action is performed.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivery member comprises a catheter comprising a stabilizer located adjacent the proximal end of the implant, wherein the tubular member is connected to the stabilizer.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivery member comprises a catheter tip located adjacent the distal end of the implant, wherein the tubular member is connected to the catheter tip.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the implant comprises a stent.

18. A delivery system for delivering an endoluminal implant to a distal deployment location inside a body lumen from a proximal access location outside the body lumen, the delivery system comprising:

the implant having a proximal end and a distal end;

a catheter comprising at least one of a stabilizer, a catheter tip, or a combination thereof, the stabilizer having a distal end located adjacent the implant proximal end, the catheter tip having a proximal end located adjacent the implant distal end and attached to a central core slideably disposed relative to the implant;

at least one of the catheter tip proximal end or the stabilizer distal end comprising a docking section adapted to releasably engage a portion of the implant, the docking section comprising a pocket adapted to releasably contain a limited length of one end of the compressed implant inserted therein, the pocket comprising an annular pocket having an inner wall located radially inward of the compressed implant and an outer wall located radially outward of the compressed implant, the inner wall and the outer wall both terminating at a substantially same axial location relative to the implant.

19. The delivery system of claim 18, wherein the docking section is integral to the stabilizer or catheter tip.

20. The delivery system of claim 18, wherein the docking section is an attachment to the stabilizer or catheter.

21. The delivery system of claim 18 wherein the docking section comprises a set of fingers comprising an inner set of fingers that extend inside a short axial length of the stent, and an outer set of fingers that extend over a short axial length of the stent forming an annular region between inner and outer sets of fingers.

22. A delivery system for delivering an endoluminal implant to a distal deployment location inside a body lumen from a proximal access location outside the body lumen, the delivery system comprising:

the implant having a proximal end and a distal end;

a catheter comprising at least one of a stabilizer, a catheter tip, or a combination thereof, the stabilizer having a distal end located adjacent the implant proximal end, the catheter tip attached to a central core slideably disposed relative to the implant and having a proximal end located adjacent the implant distal end;

at least one of the catheter tip proximal end or the stabilizer distal end comprising a docking section adapted to releasably engage a portion of the implant, the docking section comprising an engagement geometry for engaging the implant, and;

a slidable sheath having an advanced position in which the sheath covers the implant and a retracted position in which the implant is exposed;

the docking section engagement geometry comprising (a) a pocket having an outer wall located radially outward of the compressed implant and (b) a radial protrusion that engages the implant.

23. The delivery system of claim 22, wherein the docking section radial protrusion protrudes inward from the pocket outer wall.

24. The delivery system of claim 23, wherein the docking section pocket comprises a flared end rim radially biased outward relative to the compressed stent and adapted for the inward protrusion to releasably grip a limited length of the proximal end of the stent in pushing engagement therewith when the flared end rim is inwardly compressed by the sheath to a non-flared diameter.