Bifurcation stent delivery system

• US 20070118200A1
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Jan, Eidenschink, Tracee, Jagger, Karl
• Application Number:
  US11/282,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels

Abstract

A catheter assembly includes a catheter, a balloon, a plurality of guidewire housings, and a stent. The stent is disposed about the balloon. At least a portion of each of the guidewire housings is positioned between the stent and the balloon.

Claims

1. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter, the catheter comprising a catheter shaft and a balloon, the catheter shaft having a longitudinal axis therethrough, the catheter shaft defining an inflation lumen, the inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon, the balloon being expandable from and between a reduced diameter configuration and an expanded diameter configuration, the balloon comprising an external surface;

a stent, the stent being expandable from a reduced stent state to an expanded stent state, in the reduced stent state the stent being disposed about the balloon;

a first guidewire housing, the first guidewire housing defining a first guidewire lumen for passage of a first guidewire therethrough, at least a portion of the first guidewire housing positioned between the stent and the balloon; and

a second guidewire housing, the second guidewire housing defining a second guidewire lumen for passage of a second guidewire therethrough, at least a portion of the second guidewire housing positioned between the stent and the balloon.

2. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the first guidewire housing and second guidewire housing being positioned on substantially opposite portions of the balloon.

3. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first guidewire housing and the second guidewire housing is engaged to the catheter through an engagement mechanism.

4. The catheter assembly of claim 3 wherein the engagement mechanism comprises crimping the at least a portion of the first guidewire housing and the at least a portion of the second guidewire housing underneath the stent to the balloon.

5. The catheter assembly of claim 4 wherein at least one of the first guidewire housing and the second guidewire housing is fixedly engaged to the catheter shaft.

6. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the catheter shaft defines an opening, the opening in fluid communication with the inflation lumen, wherein the balloon is disposed about the opening.

7. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first guidewire housing and second guidewire housing are substantially round in cross-sectional shape.

8. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first guidewire lumen and second guidewire lumen are at least partially defined by the external surface of the balloon.

9. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first guidewire housing and second guidewire housing are substantially crescent-shaped in cross section.

10. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the catheter shaft is disposed about a support tube, the support tube being independently moveable within the inflation lumen.

11. The catheter assembly of claim 10 wherein the support tube comprises a substantially elongate shape which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft.

12. The catheter assembly of claim 11 wherein the support tube comprises a substantially spiral shape.

13. The catheter assembly of claim 11 wherein the support tube is substantially curvilinear.

14. The stent of claim 1 wherein the stent defines a proximal end, a distal end, and a flow path therebetween, the stent comprising members, the members defining cell openings, the cell openings in fluid communication with the flow path, at least one cell opening having a shape different than that of adjacent cell openings, the at least one cell opening positioned between the proximal end and the distal end.

15. The stent of claim 14 wherein the first guidewire extends through and beyond the distal end, the second guidewire extending through and beyond the at least one cell opening.

16. The stent of claim 14 wherein the second guidewire housing extends distally beyond the at least one cell opening.

17. The stent of claim 14 wherein the first guidewire housing extends beyond the distal end.

18. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter, the catheter comprising a catheter shaft and a balloon, the catheter shaft defining an inflation lumen and an opening, the opening in fluid communication with the inflation lumen, the balloon disposed about the opening, the balloon being expandable from and between a reduced diameter configuration and an expanded diameter configuration;

a stent, the stent being expandable from a reduced stent state to an expanded stent state, in the reduced stent state the stent being disposed about the balloon;

a first guidewire housing, the first guidewire housing defining a first guidewire lumen for passage of a first guidewire therethrough, at least a portion of the first guidewire housing positioned between the stent and the balloon;

a second guidewire housing, the second guidewire housing defining a second guidewire lumen for passage of a second guidewire therethrough, at least a portion of the second guidewire housing positioned between the stent and the balloon, the first guidewire housing and second guidewire housing being positioned on substantially opposite portions of the balloon;

a support tube, the catheter shaft being disposed about the support tube, the support tube being independently moveable within the inflation lumen, the support tube comprising a substantially spiral shape.

19. A method of placing a stent at a bifurcation comprising the steps of:

advancing a first guidewire through a body lumen to a first branch of a vessel bifurcation;

advancing a second guidewire through a body lumen to a second branch of a vessel bifurcation;

advancing a first catheter assembly to the vessel bifurcation along the first guidewire and a second guidewire, the first catheter assembly comprising;

a balloon disposed about at least a portion of the catheter assembly;

a first guidewire housing engaged to the external surface of the balloon, the first guidewire housing being disposed about the first guidewire;

a second guidewire housing engaged to the external surface of the balloon, the second guidewire housing being disposed about the second guidewire, the first guidewire housing and second guidewire housing being positioned on substantially opposite portions of the balloon;

a stent, the stent being disposed about at least a portion of the balloon, the stent being further disposed about at least a portion of each of the first guidewire housing and the second guidewire housing, the first guidewire passing through the region defined by the first guidewire housing, the second guidewire passing through the region defined by the second guidewire housing; and

expanding the balloon to expand the stent.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

retracting the first guidewire from the body lumen;

advancing a third guidewire through a body lumen to the first branch of the vessel bifurcation;

advancing a second catheter assembly, through the expanded stent to the first branch of the vessel bifurcation along the third guidewire, the second catheter assembly comprising;

a balloon disposed about at least a portion of the second catheter assembly;

a guidewire housing engaged to the external surface of the balloon, the guidewire housing being disposed about the third guidewire;

a stent, the stent being disposed about at least a portion of the balloon, the stent being further disposed about at least a portion of the guidewire housing, the third guidewire passing through the region defined by the guidewire housing; and

expanding the balloon to expand the stent.