Medical devices including metallic films and methods for making same

• US 20060142845A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Molaei, Masoud, Obara, Robert Z., Leynov, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,632,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.220
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0041 using additional screws, bolts, dowels or rivets, e.g. connecting screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped

Abstract

Medical devices, such as endoprostheses, and methods of making the devices are disclosed. The medical device can include a stent body and a cover including a deposited metallic film. The medical device can be delivered using a delivery device along a tortuous body passage to a treatment site without damaging the medical device, delivery device, or the body passage. In some cases, the stent body is a flexible helical stent body, which may be threaded through one or more fenestrations of the cover. The cover may include longitudinally extending slits or seams, which help the cover to pass through small radii passages without buckling.

Claims

1. An endoprosthesis, comprising:

a generally tubular framework comprising at least one helical member; and

concentric with the framework, a deposited metallic film, the metallic film having a thickness of less than about 50 μ

m.

2. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the deposited metallic film comprises deposited nickel and titanium.

3. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the tubular framework and the metallic film are secured together at substantially only one distance from an end of the endoprosthesis.

4. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the metallic film comprises at least one fenestration, the helical member passing through the fenestration so that a first portion of the helical member is internal to the cover and a second portion of the helical member is external to the cover.

5. The endoprosthesis of claim 4, wherein the metallic film comprises a plurality of fenestrations spaced apart along a length of the endoprosthesis, the helical member passing through each of the fenestrations.

6. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the helical member has a length, at least ⅔

of the length of the helical member being internal to the cover.

7. An endoprosthesis, comprising:

a generally tubular framework; and

concentric with the framework, a cover comprising at least one deposited metallic film defining a thickness of about 50 μ

m or less, the cover defining a length and a plurality of slits, each slit defining a length and extending generally along a longitudinal axis of the endoprosthesis, the length of each slit being at least about 30% as long as the length of the cover.

8. The endoprosthesis of claim 7, wherein the deposited metallic film comprises deposited nickel and titanium.

9. The endoprosthesis of claim 7, wherein the cover comprises a plurality of cover portions, each cover portion comprising a respective deposited metallic film defining a thickness of about 50 μ

m or less, each cover portion having a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that defines less than a complete circumference, a cross section of the cover perpendicular to the longitudinal axis defining an essentially complete circumference.

10. The endoprosthesis of claim 8, wherein each deposited metallic film comprises deposited nickel and titanium.

11. The endoprosthesis of claim 9, wherein at least some of the slits extend for less than 80% of the length of the cover.

12. An endoprosthesis, comprising:

a generally tubular metallic film comprising first and second end portions and a central portion, the metallic film of the central portion having a thickness of less than about 25 μ

m, the metallic film of the end portions having a thickness greater than the central portion and less than about 50 μ

m.

13. The endoprosthesis of claim 12, wherein the deposited metallic film comprises deposited nickel and titanium.

14. The endoprosthesis of claim 12, wherein the thickness of at least one of the end portions is at least 3 times greater than the thickness of the central portion.

15. The endoprosthesis of claim 14, wherein the end portions are configured to exert an outward radial force against body passage, the outward radial force sufficient to maintain a position of the endoprosthesis.

16. The endoprosthesis of claim 14, wherein each of the end portions and the central portion have a respective length, the length of each end portion being at least 10% of the length of the central portion.

17. An endoprosthesis defining a longitudinal axis and configured to have a radially compacted state within a delivery device and a radially expanded state when deployed within a body passage, the endoprosthesis comprising:

a generally tubular metallic film defining a thickness of about 50 μ

m or less, the metallic film comprises a plurality of first apertures and a plurality of second apertures, the first and second apertures oriented generally perpendicular to one another, each first aperture is configured to (a) define an opening when the catheter is in the radial compacted state and (b) define a slit when the catheter is in the radially expanded state, each second aperture is configured to (a) define a slit when the catheter is in the radial compacted state and (b) define an opening when the catheter is in the radially expanded state.

18. The endoprosthesis of claim 17, wherein the deposited metallic film comprises deposited nickel and titanium.

19. The endoprosthesis of claim 17, wherein the metallic film defines a plurality of sets of apertures, each set of apertures comprising (a) at least one of the first apertures, (b) at least one of the second apertures, and (c) at least one fenestration, the fenestration defining an elongated opening generally aligned with the longitudinal axis when the metallic film is in the radially compacted state and an elongated opening generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the metallic film is in the radially expanded state.

20. The endoprosthesis of claim 19, wherein each set of apertures comprises at least two of the first apertures and at least two of the second apertures, the at least two first apertures of each set spaced apart by the fenestration of the set and the at least two second apertures of each set spaced apart by the fenestration of the set.