Stent for implantation in a blood vessel, especially in the region of the aortic arch

• US 20060195177A1
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jotec Gmbh (Cryolife Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Jotec Gmbh (Cryolife Incorporated)
• Inventors: Muller, Hardy, Geis, John, Braun, Michael, Kaufmann, Ralf, Lesmeister, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 8,668,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/828 Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure

Abstract

A stent for implantation in a blood vessel is disclosed, especially in the region of the aortic arch. The stent is comprising rings which are disposed successively in the stent'"'"'s longitudinal direction and which are made up of meandering circumferential supports. The stent further comprises a prosthesis material which is fixed to the rings and which connects them, thereby forming a hollow cylindrical body with a jacket which is substantially closed on the circumference thereof. At least one connecting support is provided between the last ring and the penultimate ring at the proximal end of the stent and connects these two rings to one another.

Claims

1. A stent for implantation in a blood vessel comprising rings, which are disposed successively in its longitudinal direction and which are made up of meandering circumferential supports, and comprising a prosthesis material which is fixed to the rings and which connects them, said prosthesis material forming a hollow cylindrical body with a jacket which is substantially closed on the circumference thereof, wherein only between the last ring and the penultimate ring at the proximal end of the stent at least one connecting support is provided and connects these two rings to one another.

2. The stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein a jacket area substantially free of prosthesis material is braced between the last ring and the penultimate ring in the area of the connecting support.

3. The stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting support is V-shaped.

4. The stent as claimed in claim 3, wherein the jacket area substantially free of prosthesis material widens in a wedge shape toward the proximal end of the stent.

5. The stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supports have a Z-shaped profile with pointed arches pointing alternately toward the proximal end and distal end of the stent, which pointed arches are connected to one another by support portions extending obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction.

6. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the proximal pointed arches of the last ring are spaced apart from the proximal pointed arches of the penultimate ring by a distance which is greater than the distance between the proximal pointed arches of the penultimate ring and the proximal pointed arches of the third last ring.

7. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the proximal pointed arches of the last ring are spaced apart from the distal pointed arches of the penultimate ring by a distance which is greater than the distance between the origin of the left subclavian artery and the origin of the common carotid artery from the aortic arch.

8. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein a pointed arch of the penultimate ring pointing toward the distal end of the stent is in contact with a pointed arch of the connecting support.

9. The stent as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pointed arch of the penultimate ring pointing toward the distal end of the stent is formed at least partially by the pointed arch of the connecting support.

10. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the connecting support has two legs which at their proximal end are each in contact with a support portion of the last ring.

11. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the connecting support has two legs which at their distal end are each in contact with a support portion of the penultimate ring.

12. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the number of pointed arches of the last ring is smaller than the number of pointed arches of the penultimate ring.

13. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least two further connecting supports are provided which, with their proximal end, are each in contact with a support portion of the last ring and which, with their distal end, are each in contact with a support portion of the penultimate ring.

14. The stent as claimed in claim 13, wherein the connecting supports are in contact via their respective proximal end and respective distal end with the support portions of the last ring and penultimate ring in such a way that the connecting supports intersect at a point.

15. The stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the last ring and the connecting support are formed integrally with one another.

16. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the respective support portion of the last ring or penultimate ring and a portion of the at least one connecting support situated in contact with said supporting portion are connected to one another by a crimp sleeve.

17. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pointed arches of the last ring which point toward the proximal end of the stent are bent outward in relation to its pointed arches pointing toward the distal end of the stent.

18. The stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supports and the at least one connecting support are made of a wire-like, elastic material.

19. The stent as claimed in one claim 1, wherein a distal marker is disposed on the jacket at a position in the distal direction from a distal pointed arch of the connecting support.

20. The stent as claimed in claim 5, wherein a proximal marker is disposed on the jacket at a position in the distal direction from a support portion of the last ring.

21. The stent as claimed in claim 19, wherein the marker is an X-ray marker.

22. The stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prosthesis material is composed of a textile material or of film.

23. The stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prosthesis material is fixed on the supports and on the at least one connecting support by sewing, gluing or melting in.

24. A stent for implantation in a blood vessel, especially in the region of the aortic arch, with rings which are disposed successively in its longitudinal direction and which are made up of meandering circumferential supports, and with a prosthesis material which is fixed to the rings and which connects them, said prosthesis material forming a hollow cylindrical body with a jacket which is substantially closed on the circumference thereof, wherein at least one connecting support is provided between the last ring and the penultimate ring at the proximal end of the stent and connects these two rings to one another.