Apparatus for a stent or other medical device having a bistable spring construction
First Claim
1. A stent comprising a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell comprising a first segment having proximal and distal ends and a substantially sinusoidal shape, and a second segment having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the first segment coupled to the proximal end of the second segment, the distal end of the first segment coupled to the distal end of the second segment, the second segment being more flexible than the first segment, wherein the unit cell has a stable contracted state in which the second segment substantially conforms to the sinusoidal shape of the first segment, and a deployed state in which the second segment has a convex shape bowed away from the first segment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stent is described comprising a unit cell having a negative spring rate and a bistable function. The unit cell comprises first and second segments, the first segment being more rigid than the second segment. The second segment is coupled to the first segment, and the first segment comprises a substantially fixed sinusoidal shape. In the contracted state, the second segment is held stable in a sinusoidal shape, but when a force is applied the second segment bends out to a stable, convex-shaped deployed state. The second segments withstand the application of radial forces in the convex-shaped deployed state, and diametral recoil of the stent is minimized.
10 Citations
28 Claims
- 1. A stent comprising a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell comprising a first segment having proximal and distal ends and a substantially sinusoidal shape, and a second segment having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the first segment coupled to the proximal end of the second segment, the distal end of the first segment coupled to the distal end of the second segment, the second segment being more flexible than the first segment, wherein the unit cell has a stable contracted state in which the second segment substantially conforms to the sinusoidal shape of the first segment, and a deployed state in which the second segment has a convex shape bowed away from the first segment.
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21. A method for deploying a stent having two substantially stable states, the method comprising:
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providing a stent comprising a plurality of unit cells in a contracted state, wherein each unit cell comprises a first segment having proximal and distal ends and a substantially sinusoidal shape, and a second segment having a proximal end that is coupled to the proximal end of the first segment and a distal end that is coupled to the distal end of the first segment, the second segment being more flexible than the first segment, wherein the second segment substantially conforms to the sinusoidal shape of the first segment in the contracted state; and
deploying at least one of the unit cells of the stent by causing the second segment of the unit cell to deploy to a convex shape bowed away from the first segment of the unit cell. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification