Coiled stent delivery system and method

• US 20060136033A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LeMaitre Vascular, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vascular Architects Incorporated
• Inventors: Hermann, George D., Tsuruda, Marshall, Olson, Jonathan M.
• Application Number:
  US11/018,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136033A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires

Abstract

A coiled endoluminal prosthesis delivery assembly includes a catheter and a generally helical endoluminal prosthesis. The endoluminal prosthesis is placeable in a radially contracted state on the catheter. The assembly also comprises means for engaging proximal, intermediate and distal portions of the endoluminal prosthesis to maintain it in the first state, and means for controllably releasing the proximal, distal and intermediate portions to permit the endoluminal prosthesis to move towards a radially expanded state in a controlled manner. A method controllably releases the endoluminal prosthesis from the catheter within a hollow body structure. The method may include permitting at most 50%, and more preferably at most 25%, of the length of the endoluminal prosthesis to simultaneously move to the radially expanded state in contact with the hollow body structure.

Claims

1. A coiled endoluminal prosthesis delivery assembly comprising:

a catheter,

a generally helical endoluminal prosthesis having proximal and distal portions separated by an intermediate portion, the endoluninal prosthesis being placeable in a radially contracted, first state on the catheter;

means for engaging each of the proximal, intermediate and distal portions thereby maintaining the endoluminal prosthesis in the first state; and

means for controllably releasing the proximal, distal and intermediate portions to permit the endoluminal prosthesis to move towards a radially expanded, second state.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the controllably releasing means comprises means for releasing the portions one at a time.

3. The assembly according to claim 2 wherein the releasing means comprises means for releasing the portions in order from a chosen one of the proximal and distal ends towards the other of the proximal and distal ends.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the controllably releasing means comprises means for releasing the intermediate portion after the proximal and distal portions.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein the controllably the releasing means comprises means for simultaneously releasing the proximal and distal portions.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the engaging means comprises a release wire, the intermediate portion of the endoluminal prosthesis passing between the release wire and the catheter at least one position along the intermediate portion.

7. A coiled endoluminal prosthesis delivery assembly comprising:

a catheter comprising an outer surface, a lumen, and a number of openings extending from the outer surface to the lumen;

a release wire extending along a release wire path;

the release wire path comprising internal release wire path segments defined within the lumen and external release wire path segments external of the catheter, and

a generally helical endoluminal prosthesis having proximal and distal portions separated by an intermediate portion, the endoluninal prosthesis being maintained in a radially contracted condition by the release wire engaging the proximal, distal and intermediate portions of the endoluminal prosthesis at least three of the external release wire path segments;

whereby the coiled endoluminal prosthesis is releasable from the catheter when the release wire is moved along the release wire path.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 wherein the outer surface is an interrupted surface comprising a number of recessed surfaces with at least some of the openings extending from the recessed surfaces to the lumen.

9. The assembly according to claim 8 wherein the recessed surfaces are sized for housing a portion of a turn of the endoluminal prosthesis.

10. The assembly according to claim 9 wherein the recessed surfaces have a longitudinal length oversized with respect to the portion of the turn of the endoluminal prosthesis housed therein.

11. The assembly according to claim 10 wherein the longitudinal length of the recessed surfaces are about 2 mm oversized with respect to the endoluminal prosthesis housed therein.

12. The assembly according to claim 8 wherein the recessed surfaces comprise cutout surfaces.

13. The assembly according to claim 11 wherein the outer surface is a generally uninterrupted surface so that the release wire path comprises a woven release wire path.

14. A coiled endoluminal prosthesis delivery assembly comprising:

a catheter comprising a release wire lumen, the release wire lumen comprising a series of axially spaced-apart lumen segments, each lumen segment comprising an entrance and exit;

a release wire extending along a release wire path;

the release wire path comprising internal release wire path segments defined by the lumen segments and external release wire path segments extending between the exit of one lumen segment and the entrance of another lumen segment;

a generally helical endoluminal prosthesis having proximal and distal portions separated by an intermediate portion, the endoluminal prosthesis being maintained in a radially contracted condition with;

the intermediate portion passing between the catheter and the release wire at at least one of the external release wire path segments; and

the proximal and distal portions of the endoluminal prosthesis having release wire engagement parts with which the release wire releasably engages;

whereby the coiled endoluminal prosthesis is releasable from the catheter when the release wire is moved along the release wire path.

15. A coiled endoluminal prosthesis delivery assembly comprising:

a catheter comprising an outer surface, a main lumen, a release wire lumen, and a number of openings extending from the outer surface to the release wire lumen;

a release wire extending along a release wire path;

the release wire path comprising internal release wire path segments defined within the release wire lumen and external release wire path segments external of the catheter; and

a generally helical endoluminal prosthesis having proximal and distal portions separated by an intermediate portion, the endoluminal prosthesis being maintained in a radially contracted condition by the release wire engaging the endoluminal prosthesis at at least two of the external release wire path segments;

whereby the coiled endoluminal prosthesis is releasable from the catheter when the release wire is moved along the release wire path.

16. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the release wire lumen has an other-than-circular cross-sectional shape.

17. The assembly according to claim 16 wherein the release wire comprises first and second release wire segments engaging different portions of the endoluminal prosthesis.

18. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the catheter comprises a first tube defining the main lumen and a second tube defining the release wire lumen.

20. A method for controllably releasing a generally helical endoluminal prosthesis from a catheter within a body lumen of a hollow body structure, the endoluminal prosthesis being mounted onto the catheter in a radially contracted, first state, comprising:

placing the endoluminal prosthesis, carried by the catheter, at a target location within a body lumen, the endoluminal prosthesis comprising proximal, distal and intermediate portions, each of which is temporarily retained in the radially contracted, first state;

releasing one or more of the distal, intermediate and proximal portions to move towards a radially expanded, second state in contact with the hollow body structure while maintaining the unreleased portions in the radially contracted, first state;

the releasing step comprising permitting a portion of the endoluminal prosthesis to move to the radially expanded, second state in contact with the hollow body structure;

thereafter selectively releasing the remaining one or ones of the proximal, distal and intermediate portions to permit the entire endoluminal prosthesis to move to the radially expanded, second state in contact with the hollow body structure; and

removing the catheter from the body lumen.

20-1. The method of according to claim 19 wherein the releasing and selectively releasing steps are carried out to release all portions of the endoluminal prosthesis one at a time.

21. The method of according to claim 19 wherein the releasing and selectively releasing steps are carried out to release the distal portion a chosen one of first, second and last.

22. The method of according to claim 21 wherein the releasing and selectively releasing steps are carried out to release the at least part of the intermediate portion second.

23. The method of according to claim 21 wherein the releasing and selectively releasing steps are carried out to release the proximal portion a chosen one of first, second and last.

24. The method of according to claim 19 wherein the releasing and selectively releasing steps are carried out to simultaneously release two or more of the distal portion, proximal portion and a part of the intermediate portion.

25. The method of according to claim 19 wherein the releasing step comprises permitting at most 50% of the length of the endoluminal prosthesis to simultaneously move to the radially expanded, second state in contact with the hollow body structure.

26. The method of according to claim 19 wherein the releasing step comprises permitting at most 25% of the length of the endoluminal prosthesis to simultaneously move to the radially expanded, second state in contact with the hollow body structure.

27. The method of according to claim 19 wherein the releasing step is carried out to release:

one or both of the distal and proximal portions to move towards a radially expanded, second state while maintaining the unreleased portions in the radially contracted, first state;

or

at least a part of the intermediate central portion to move towards a radially expanded, second state while maintaining the unreleased portions in the radially contracted, first state.