Medical devices including metallic films and methods for loading and deploying same

• US 20060142838A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Molaei, Masoud, Correa, Beren W., Leynov, Alexander, Henry, William S., Hui, Delilah Yin
• Application Number:
  US11/025,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20060142838A1
• 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 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9526 using a mandrel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means

Abstract

A method of handling an endoprosthesis includes providing an endoprosthesis having a deposited metal film with a thickness of about 50 microns or less and reducing the diameter of the endoprosthesis by sequentially collapsing different portions of the prosthesis. The collapsed endoprosthesis can be positioned with a lumen of an endoprosthesis delivery device. Different portions of the endoprosthesis can be sequentially and radially collapsed. For example, the endoprosthesis can be disposed within a hollow form of varying diameter.

Claims

13. A method of handling an endoprosthesis, comprising:

providing an endoprosthesis including a deposited metal film having a thickness of about 50 microns or less, and

reducing the diameter of the endoprosthesis by disposing the endoprosthesis in a polymer tube, and

reducing the diameter of the tube.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the tube is heat-shrinkable.

15. The method of claim 13 comprising disposing the prosthesis in reduced diameter condition onto a delivery catheter.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising, tearing opposed portions of the polymer tube apart to advance the endoprosthesis into the delivery catheter.

17. A method of handling an endoprosthesis, comprising:

providing a stent,

reducing the diameter of the stent,

providing a stent cover, the stent cover including deposited metal film having a thickness of about 50 microns or less,

disposing the stent cover over the stent with the stent in a reduced diameter form, and

disposing the covered stent in a collapsed condition to a delivery catheter.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising:

providing the stent cover as a sheet and wrapping the sheet over the endoprosthesis.

19. A method for delivering an endoprosthesis, comprising:

providing a stent and a stent cover, wherein at least one of the stent and stent cover includes a deposited metal film having a thickness of about 50 microns or less, and sequentially deploying the stent and stent cover in a body lumen.

1. A method of handling an endoprosthesis, comprising:

providing an endoprosthesis including a deposited metal film having a thickness of about 50 microns or less, and

reducing the diameter of the endoprosthesis by sequentially collapsing different portions of the prosthesis.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sequentially collapsing adjacent portions of the prosthesis from one end to the other end to a target diameter.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

collapsing adjacent portions by disposing the endoprosthesis in a hollow form of varying diameter.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the hollow form has a portion of continuously varying diameter.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

collapsing a portion of the prosthesis remote from the ends, prior to collapsing the end portions of the prosthesis.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising collapsing the endoprosthesis by winding a filament-form about the endoprosthesis.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising disposing the endoprosthesis in reduced diameter condition onto a delivery catheter.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the delivery catheter includes a hollow tube and inserting the endoprosthesis into the hollow tube.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the endoprosthesis is a self-expanding endoprosthesis.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the endoprosthesis is an aneurysm-treatment endoprosthesis.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the film has fenestrations.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal has shape memory or superelastic properties.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the stent and stent cover are in series along the length of the catheter.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the stent cover is deployed within the body lumen and the stent is deployed subsequently within the stent cover.

20. The method of clam 19 wherein the stent and stent cover are loaded into a common delivery catheter.

21-1. The method of claim 19 wherein the stent and stent cover are deployed concentrically within the body lumen.

23. An apparatus for handling an endoprosthesis, comprising:

a support mandrel including a series of protrusions and an endoprosthesis including a deposited metal film having a thickness of about 50 microns or less, the protrusions supporting the film.