Stent with flexible elements

• US 20050240277A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishtala, Vasu, Aliski, Peter, Tremaglio, Anthony, Shia, Benedict
• Granted Patent: US 7,507,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/23.700
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/008 pre-shaped, for use in the urethral or ureteral tract

Abstract

In accordance with the invention, there are provided medical devices for providing a fluid passage between two areas in the body. An embodiment of the present invention relates to a stent comprising a tubular member comprising a distal transition region and a proximal transition region adapted to provide the ability for the stent to accommodate the dynamic urinary tract anatomy that stretches and relaxes. The distal transition region and the proximal transition region is adapted to exhibit a physical property that provides both longitudinal elasticity, allowing for stretch and recoil, as well as radial elasticity, allowing for bending and recovery.

Claims

1. A stent comprising:

an elongated tubular member having a body portion, a proximate end portion, and a distal end portion, the tubular member having an axial lumen therein adapted to provide fluid communication from the distal end portion to the proximal end portion, the tubular member further comprising a resilient distal transition region coupling the distal end portion to the body portion.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein the tubular member further comprises:

a resilient proximal transition region coupling the proximal end portion to the body portion.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein the distal transition region comprises a material exhibiting a physical property that provides both longitudinal elasticity, allowing for stretch and recoil, as well as radial elasticity, allowing for bending and recovery.

4. The stent of claim 1, wherein the resilient distal transition region is characterized as a region comprising a more compliant material than that comprising the body portion and/or the distal end portion.

5. The stent of claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a wall having a first wall thickness, the resilient distal transition region having a wall with a second wall thickness less than the first wall thickness.

6. The stent of claim 1, wherein the resilient distal transition region comprises a resilient coupling member adapted to couple the body portion to the distal end portion.

7. A stent comprising:

an elongated member having a body portion, a proximate end portion, and a distal end portion, the elongated member formed into a helical coil defining an axial lumen therein adapted to provide fluid communication from the distal end portion to the proximal end portion, the elongated member comprising a resilient material.

8. The stent of claim 7, wherein the elongated member comprises a material exhibiting shape-memory properties wherein the elongated member tends to return to a predetermined configuration when stretched or otherwise deformed.

9. The stent of claim 7, further comprising a structural member coupled to and along substantially the length of the body portion, the structural member adapted to impart and resiliently retain a predetermined configuration to the body portion when stretched or otherwise deformed.

10. The stent of claim 7, wherein the distal end portion further comprises:

a guidewire-coupling fixture adapted to removably couple with an end of a guidewire providing a means for the guidewire to push the distal end portion into anatomy.

11. A ureteral stent for maintaining drainage between a kidney and a bladder comprising:

an elongated tubular member having a body portion, a proximate end portion, and a distal end portion, the tubular member having an axial lumen therein adapted to provide fluid communication from the distal end portion to the proximal end portion, the tubular member further comprising a resilient distal transition region coupling the distal end portion to the body portion, the proximal end portion adapted for placement in the bladder, the distal end portion including retention means adapted for retaining the distal end portion in the kidney.

12. The ureteral stent of claim 11, wherein the distal transition region comprises a material exhibiting a physical property that provides both longitudinal elasticity allowing for stretch and recoil as well as radial elasticity allowing for bending and recovery.

13. The stent of claim 11, wherein the resilient distal transition region is characterized as a region comprising a more compliant material than that comprising the body portion and/or the distal end portion.

14. The stent of claim 11, wherein the body portion comprises a wall having a first wall thickness, the resilient distal transition region having a wall with a second wall thickness less than the first wall thickness.

15. The stent of claim 11, wherein the resilient distal transition region comprises a resilient coupling member adapted to couple the body portion to the distal end portion.

16. A ureteral stent for maintaining drainage between a kidney and a bladder comprising:

an elongated member having a body portion, a proximate end portion, and a distal end portion, the elongated member formed into a helical coil defining an axial lumen therein adapted to provide fluid communication from the distal end portion to the proximal end portion, the elongated member comprising a resilient material, the proximal end portion adapted for placement in the bladder, the distal end portion including retention means adapted for retaining the distal end portion in the kidney.

17. The stent of claim 16, wherein the elongated member comprises a material exhibiting shape-memory properties wherein the elongated member tends to return to a predetermined configuration when stretched or otherwise deformed.

18. The stent of claim 16, further comprising a structural member coupled to and along substantially the length of the body portion, the structural member adapted to impart and resiliently retain a predetermined configuration to the body portion when stretched or otherwise deformed.

19. The stent of claim 16, wherein the distal end portion further comprises:

a guidewire-coupling fixture adapted to removably couple with an end of a guidewire providing a means for the guidewire to push the distal end portion into anatomy.

20. A method for placing a stent comprising:

inserting a body portion into a ureter, a distal end portion into a kidney, and a proximal end portion into a bladder, the stent comprising;

an elongated member having a body portion, a proximate end portion, and a distal end portion, the elongated member formed into a helical coil defining an axial lumen therein adapted to provide fluid communication from the distal end portion to the proximal end portion, the elongated member comprising a resilient material, the distal end portion further comprising a guidewire-coupling fixture adapted to removably couple with an end of a guidewire providing a means for the guidewire to push the distal end portion into anatomy.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

inserting a guidewire into the lumen of the stent and removably coupling an end of the guidewire with the guidewire-coupling fixture; and

pushing the distal end portion into the ureter using the guidewire.