Instrumented implantable stents, vascular grafts and other medical devices

• US 20060129050A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IZEX Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IZEX Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Martinson, James B., Hanson, Timothy J.B., Stark, John G., Backes, Steven J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,308,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/505
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0068 the pharmaceutical product being in a reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis

Abstract

Several different smart stent structures are described for placement in vessel of a mammal. The stents can be advantageously used to perform measurements of the conditions in the vessel and transmit the measurements wireless out from the patient. In some embodiments, the stent performs therapy within the vessel and may be controlled with a microprocessor, which may or may not communicate wirelessly. Some implantable devices comprise a drug delivery system based, for example, on either a microelectromechanical structure or a cover that opens upon application of an electrical current. Smart devices can be used, for example, the detect deposits in a vessel, aneurysms in the vessel or other modifications of flow in the vessel.

Claims

1. A stent comprising a support structure comprising a biocompatible material with a structure suitable for placement within a mammalian vessel without significantly blocking flow, a sensor attached to the support structure and an implantable wireless communication system operably connected to the sensor in which values from the sensor can be transmitted with the wireless communication system.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein the supports structure comprises an expandable structure with a generally cylindrical shape.

3. The stent of claim 1 wherein the supports structure comprises a structure with fasteners that can attach to a vessel wall.

4. The stent of claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises a metal.

5. The stent of claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises a polymer.

6. The stent of claim 1 wherein the communication system comprises an antenna assembled onto a chip.

7. The stent of claim 1 wherein the communication system is attached to the support structure.

8. The stent of claim 1 further comprising a microprocessor with memory operably connected to the sensor and the communication system.

9. The stent of claim 8 further comprising a drug delivery device with a delivery rate controlled through the microprocessor.

10. A stent comprising a support structure comprising a biocompatible material with a structure suitable for placement within a mammalian vessel without significantly blocking flow, a reservoir of a bioactive agent attached to the support structure, and a control system that is operably connected to the reservoir to control the release of the bioactive agent from the reservoir.

11. The stent of claim 10 wherein the control system comprises a microprocessor with memory and a microelectromechanical device operably connected to the processor and mechanically controlling access to a port into the reservoir.

12. A method for performing measurements within a mammalian vessel, the method comprising transmitting from an implanted device a measurement of a sensor within the vessel wherein the implanted device does not have any external physical connections.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the sensor is associated with a stent.

14. A biocompatible vessel suitable for implantation comprising a generally tubular structure having a central lumen and a wireless communication system operably connected with the generally tubular structure.

15. The biocompatible vessel of claim 14 further comprising a sensor operably connected to the wireless communication system.

16. The biocompatible vessel of claim 14 further comprising a microprocessor operably connected with the wireless communication system.

17. The biocompatible vessel of claim 14 further comprising a reservoir of a bioactive agent attached to the generally tubular structure and microelectromechanical device configured to control the release of the bioactive agent from the reservoir.

18. The biocompatible vessel of claim 14 wherein the generally tubular structure comprises tissue.

19. A central server comprising a processor connected to a communication channel wherein the communication channel is connected to an instrumented stent implanted within a patient.

20. The central server of claim 20 wherein the processor is connected to a database comprising a range of acceptable performance parameters for the stent.