Expandable stent having a dissolvable portion

• US 20070073381A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Codman & Shurtleff Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Codman & Shurtleff Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Jones, Donald
• Application Number:
  US11/593,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0059 temporary

Abstract

An expandable stent having a covering which exhibits the characteristic of upon being activated by applying an agent to the covering, dissolving to expose a portion of the underlying stent. The stent may be placed across the neck of an aneurysm to seal the aneurysm and thereafter a selected region of the covering may be dissolved by an activating agent to permit blood to flow to adjacent vessels.

Claims

1. An aneurysm treatment device comprising:

an expandable stent which takes the form of a small diameter skeletal tubular member having a thin wall, said wall of said skeletal tubular member including a plurality of cells which are formed by a plurality of interconnected strut members; and

,

a covering extending over a portion of the expandable stent, said covering exhibiting the characteristic of, upon being activated by applying an agent to said covering, dissolving to expose a portion of the expandable stent.

2. An aneurysm treatment device as defined in claim 1, wherein the covering is formed of a material which is dissolvable when it comes into contact with an activating agent.

3. An aneurysm treatment device as defined in claim 2, wherein said expandable stent takes the form of a metallic skeletal tubular member and said covering is formed from a polymer.

4. An aneurysm treatment device as defined in claim 3, wherein said covering takes the form of ethylene vinyl alcohol and the activating agent takes the form of dimethylsulfoxide.

5. An aneurysm treatment device as defined in claim 4, wherein the covering takes the form of a thin film of ethylene vinyl alcohol disposed on an outer surface of said expandable stent.

6. An aneurysm treatment device comprising:

an expandable tubular member having a thin wall, said wall of said tubular member is formed of a material exhibiting the characteristic that when an activating agent is applied to a portion of the wall of said tubular member said portion of the wall dissolves to provide a passageway through the wall.

7. An aneurysm treatment device as defined in claim 6, wherein the wall of said expandable tubular member takes the form of ethylene vinyl alcohol and the activating agent takes the form of dimethylsulfoxide.

8. An aneurysm treatment device as defined in claim 7, wherein said expandable tubular member takes the form of a thin film of ethylene vinyl alcohol.