Stent crimping mechanisms

• US 20060213049A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: McMorrow, David, Asmus, Bruce, Serrano, Gabriel Sobrino, Walch, Thomas, Aamoth, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 7,748,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/508
• 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 2/9524 Iris-type crimpers
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 39/048 using presses for radially crimping tubular elements
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 7/04 wherein pressing is effected in different directions simultaneously or in turn
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49913 by constricting outer annulus

Abstract

A system for reducing the diameter of a stent comprises a stent contracting assembly. The assembly comprises a plurality of blades, which define a diameter reduction chamber. The chamber has an open diameter configuration and a closed diameter configuration. The plurality of blades comprises active blades and floating blades, wherein each active blade is engaged to an actuation mechanism. The actuation mechanism is constructed and arranged to move each active blade from the open diameter configuration to the closed diameter configuration. Each floating blade is moved from the open diameter configuration to the closed diameter configuration only as a result of the movement of the active blades.

Claims

1. A system for reducing the diameter of a stent comprising:

a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of blades, the plurality of contracting blades defining a diameter reduction chamber, the chamber having an open diameter configuration and a closed diameter configuration, the contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive a stent into and through the chamber, wherein when the chamber is in the open diameter configuration the stent has a first diameter and when the chamber is in the closed diameter configuration the stent has a second diameter, the second diameter being less than the first diameter;

the plurality of blades comprises active blades and floating blades, each active blade being engaged to an actuation mechanism, the actuation mechanism constructed and arranged to move each active blade from the open diameter configuration to the closed diameter configuration, each floating blade not having an actuation mechanism

each floating blade being moved from the open diameter configuration to the closed diameter configuration.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein in at least the closed diameter configuration the plurality of blades are immediately adjacent to one another.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each floating blade is positioned between a pair of active blades.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of movement elements, each of the plurality of blades being operatively engaged to one of the movement elements, each movement element comprising a housing and at least one dowel pin, the housing defining a chamber and at least one opening in communication with the chamber, the at least one dowel pin engaged to one of the plurality of blades, the at least one dowel pin moveably positioned within the at least one opening and extending from the contracting blade to the chamber.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein motion of the at least one dowel pin is limited by the configuration of the at least one opening to minimize lateral movement of the dowel pin relative thereto.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the actuation mechanism comprises at least one biasing member, each biasing member being engaged to the at least one dowel pin within the chamber.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuation mechanism is a rotatable cam.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of blades is at least partially curved.

9. A system for reducing the diameter of a stent comprising:

a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of blades, the plurality of contracting blades defining a diameter reduction chamber, the chamber having an open diameter configuration and a closed diameter configuration the contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive a stent into and through the chamber, wherein when the chamber is in the open diameter configuration the stent has a first diameter and when the chamber is in the closed diameter configuration the stent has a second diameter, the second diameter being less than the first diameter;

each of the plurality of blades having an engagement surface, the engagement surface having a curved shape, at least a portion of the engagement surface constructed and arranged to contact a portion of a surface of the stent.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least a portion of the engagement surface is a tip of the blade.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the stent contracting assembly comprises less than 15 blades.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the stent contracting assembly comprises 8 blades.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the stent contracting assembly comprises less than 8 blades.

14. A method for reducing the diameter of a stent comprising:

providing a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of blades, the plurality of contracting blades defining a diameter reduction chamber, the chamber having an open diameter configuration and a closed diameter configuration, the plurality of blades comprising active blades and floating blades, each active blade being engaged to an actuation mechanism, and each floating blade not being engaged to the actuation mechanism;

inserting a stent into the chamber when the chamber is in an open diameter configuration;

actuating the actuation mechanism to move each active blade from the open diameter configuration to a closed diameter configuration, wherein when each active blade is moved from the open diameter configuration to the closed diameter configuration each floating blade is moved from the open diameter configuration to the closed diameter configuration, in the open diameter configuration the stent having an un-crimped diameter and when the chamber is in the closed diameter configuration the stent having a crimped diameter, the crimped diameter being less than the un-crimped diameter.