Stent with protruding branch portion for bifurcated vessels

• US 20060036315A1
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Stent Technologies Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Valencia, Hans, Yadin, Amnon
• Granted Patent: US 7,578,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.350
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91566 connected trough to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91583 by a bridge, whereby at least one of its ends is connected along the length of a strut between two consecutive apices within a band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 modular

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a stent for use in a bifurcated body lumen having a main branch and a side branch. The stent comprises a radially expandable generally tubular stent body having proximal and distal opposing ends with a body wall having a surface extending therebetween. The surface has a geometrical configuration defining a first pattern, and the first pattern has first pattern struts and connectors arranged in a predetermined configuration. The stent also comprises a branch portion comprised of a second pattern, wherein the branch portion is at least partially detachable from the stent body.

Claims

1. A stent for implantation in a bifurcated body lumen having a main branch vessel and a side branch vessel, wherein the stent comprises:

a main stent body with a body wall extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end to a proximal end and defining a main lumen extending therethrough; and

a branch portion comprising a branch portion wall connected to the body wall, the branch portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends of said main stent body and movable with respect to the main stent body from a first position to a second position,

wherein in the first position the branch portion wall is substantially coplanar with said body wall and in a second position the branch portion wall is offset with respect to the body wall, and

wherein the branch portion wall comprises first and second portions and in the second position an exterior surface of the first portion of the branch portion wall is configured to contact and support the branch vessel wall and an interior surface of the second portion of the branch portion wall is configured to contact and support the branch vessel wall.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein in the second position the first portion of the branch portion wall is configured to contact and support a first section of the branch vessel wall and the second portion of the branch portion wall is configured to contact and support a second section of the branch vessel wall opposite the first section.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the branch portion wall comprises a free end portion that is not connected to the body wall such that the free end portion is independently movable with respect to the main stent body.

4. The stent of claim 3, wherein the free end portion comprises a plurality of struts, each strut having at least one end free from a connector.

5. The stent of claim 1, wherein in the second position the branch portion wall is extended outwardly with respect to the body wall.

6. The stent of claim 1, wherein the main body is generally tubular.

7. The stent of claim 1, wherein the main body is generally cylindrical.

8. The stent of claim 1, wherein the main stent body is generally radially expandable.

9. The stent of claim 1, wherein the main stent body comprises a first pattern of rows of struts and connectors, wherein said rows of struts are connected to each other by said connectors.

10. The stent of claim 9, wherein said branch portion comprises a second pattern of rows of struts and connectors, wherein said second pattern has a different configuration than said first pattern.

11. A stent system for placement in a bifurcated body lumen, the system comprising:

a catheter for insertion into said body lumen;

a balloon positioned on said catheter; and

a stent positioned on said balloon, said stent comprising a main stent body with a body wall extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end to a proximal end, and a branch portion comprising a branch portion wall connected to the body wall, the branch portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends of said main stent body and movable with respect to the main stent body from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position the branch portion wall is substantially coplanar with said body wall and in a second position the branch portion wall is offset with respect to the body wall, and wherein the branch portion wall comprises first and second portions and in the second position an exterior surface of the first portion of the branch portion wall is configured to contact and support the branch vessel wall and an interior surface of the second portion of the branch portion wall is configured to contact and support the branch vessel wall.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said balloon has a protruding portion in the vicinity of said branch portion for expanding said branch portion into a branch vessel.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a side sheath positioned alongside said catheter, wherein said side sheath is positioned adjacent said branch portion for moving the branch portion from the first position to the second position.

14. A method of stenting a vessel bifurcation, the method comprising:

providing a stent system for placement in a bifurcated body lumen, wherein the system includes;

a catheter for insertion into the vessel,

a balloon positioned on said catheter, and

a stent positioned on said balloon, said stent comprising a main stent body with a body wall extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end to a proximal end, and a branch portion comprising a branch portion wall connected to the body wall, the branch portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends of said main stent body and movable with respect to the main stent body from a first position to a second position;

advancing said stent system into a main vessel until the stent system is just proximal to the bifurcation;

expanding said balloon so as to expand said stent body wall to a first position to contact and support the main branch vessel wall, wherein in the first position the branch portion wall is substantially coplanar with said body wall; and

moving said branch portion into a second position wherein the branch portion wall is offset with respect to the body wall so that said branch portion extends into the branch vessel to contact and support at least a portion of the branch vessel wall, and

wherein the branch portion wall comprises first and second portions and in the second position an exterior surface of the first portion of the branch portion wall is configured to contact and support the branch vessel wall and an interior surface of the second portion of the branch portion wall is configured to contact and support the branch vessel wall.

15. A stent for implantation in a bifurcated body lumen having a main branch vessel and a side branch vessel, wherein the stent comprises:

a main stent body with a body wall extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end to a proximal end, the body wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a main lumen extending through the main stent body,

wherein a portion of the interior surface of the body wall is configured to contact and support a vessel wall.

16. A stent for implantation in a bifurcated body lumen having a main branch vessel and a side branch vessel, wherein the stent comprises:

a main stent body with a body wall comprising a plurality of ring portions, the wall extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end to a proximal end and defining a main lumen extending therethrough; and

a branch portion comprising a branch portion wall connected to the body wall, the branch portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends of said main stent body and movable with respect to the main stent body from a first position to a second position,

wherein in the first position the branch portion wall is substantially coplanar with said body wall and in a second position the branch portion wall is offset with respect to the body wall, and

wherein the branch stent portion comprises a proximal branch portion and a distal branch portion, the proximal branch portion comprising a plurality of proximal branch portion struts and the distal branch portion comprising a plurality of distal branch portion struts; and

wherein each of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts comprise two substantially parallel strut portions connected by a curved portion and each of the plurality of distal branch portion struts comprise two substantially non-parallel strut portions connected by a curved portion.

17. The stent of claim 16, wherein a first of the plurality of distal branch portion struts is connected to a first of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts and a last of the plurality of distal branch portion struts is connected to a last of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts.

18. The stent of claim 16, wherein the plurality distal branch portion struts are configured in a W shape.

19. The stent of claim 16, wherein a number of the plurality of distal branch portion struts is different than the number of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts.

20. The stent of claim 16, wherein the distal branch portion is connected to a distally adjacent ring portion of the main stent body by at least one connector.

21. The stent of claim 16, wherein the plurality distal branch portion struts are offset laterally from the proximal branch portion struts.

22. The stent of claim 16, wherein a first of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts and a last of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts are longer than the rest of the plurality of branch portion struts.

23. A stent for implantation in a bifurcated body lumen having a main branch vessel and a side branch vessel, wherein the stent comprises:

a main stent body with a body wall extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end to a proximal end and defining a main lumen extending therethrough; and

a branch portion comprising a branch portion wall comprising a plurality of ring portions, the wall connected to the body wall, the branch portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends of said main stent body and movable with respect to the main stent body from a first position to a second position,

wherein in the first position the branch portion wall is substantially coplanar with said body wall and in a second position the branch portion wall is offset with respect to the body wall,

wherein each of the plurality of distal branch portion struts comprise two substantially parallel strut portions connected by a curved proximal portion and each of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts comprise two substantially parallel strut portions connected by a curved distal portion and wherein the plurality of distal branch struts are connected to each other by curved distal portions and the plurality of proximal branch struts are connected to each other by curved proximal portions, and

wherein in the first position the plurality of distal branch portion struts are nested within the plurality of proximal branch portion struts.

24. The stent of claim 23, wherein nesting comprises having the plurality of distal branch portion struts laterally offset from the proximal branch portion struts and the curved proximal portions of the plurality of distal branch portion struts substantially adjacent to the proximal curved portion of the proximal branch portion struts.

25. The stent of claim 23, wherein a first of the plurality of distal branch portion struts is connected to a first of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts and a last of the plurality of distal branch portion struts is connected to a last of the plurality of proximal branch portion struts.

26. The stent of claim 23, wherein the distal branch portion is connected to a distally adjacent ring portion of the main stent body by at least one connector.