Non-foreshortening sheaths and assemblies for use

• US 20070208408A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Jan, Holman, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/368,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208408A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9662 the middle portion of the stent or stent-graft is released first
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0076 multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped

Abstract

A catheter assembly comprises a catheter shaft having a device receiving portion, an expandable balloon disposed about the device receiving portion, and a sheath. The sheath has an outer surface and an inner surface defining an inner lumen. The outer surface and inner surface has a sheath wall extending there between. The outer surface has slits therethrough which extend into the sheath wall. The sheath has an expanded state and an unexpanded state such that the sheath maintains the substantially same longitudinal length in the expanded state and the unexpanded state.

Claims

1. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter shaft having a device receiving portion;

an expandable balloon disposed about the device receiving portion; and

a sheath disposed about the balloon, the sheath having;

an inner surface defining an inner lumen;

an outer surface, the outer surface and inner surface having a sheath wall extending there between;

the outer surface having slits therethrough which extend into the sheath wall, the sheath having an expanded state and an unexpanded state, the unexpanded state having a smaller diameter than the expanded state, the sheath maintaining the substantially same longitudinal length in the expanded state and the unexpanded state.

2. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the slits extend only partially through the sheath wall.

3. The catheter assembly of claim 2 wherein the slits only extend through 80% to 90% of the thickness of the sheath wall.

4. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the slits extend through the sheath wall and inner surface.

5. The catheter assembly of claim 1 in combination with a stent.

6. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the sheath is rotatable about the balloon.

7. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein a stent is disposed about the sheath, in the unexpanded state the stent remaining engaged to the sheath, in the expanded state the stent being unengaged to the sheath.

8. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the sheath has an unexpanded state and an expanded state, in the expanded state the cells being in an opened bi-stable configuration, in the unexpanded state the cells in a closed bi-stable configuration.

9. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein an additional layer constructed of material substantially weaker than that of the sheath is applied to the interior of the sheath or to the exterior of the sheath.

10. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the sheath is formed of a plastic.

11. The catheter assembly of claim 10 wherein the cells of the sheath do not deform plastically when going from one stable configuration to another stable configuration.

12. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter shaft having a device receiving portion;

an expandable balloon disposed about the device receiving portion; and

a sheath, the sheath having;

an inner surface defining an inner lumen;

an outer surface, the outer surface and inner surface having a sheath wall extending there between;

the outer surface having slits therethrough which extend into and are defined by the sheath wall, the slits forming bi-stable cells, the bi-stable cells having a first state wherein the cell exerts a force toward an expanded stable configuration and a second state wherein the cell exerts a force toward an unexpanded stable configuration, the first state and second state such that compressive force applied to the sheath is resisted until a transformation point is reached, before the transformation point is reached the cells and sheath tends to a stable expanded state, after the transformation point is reached the cells and sheath tends to a stable unexpanded state.

13. The catheter assembly of claim 12 wherein the sheath maintains the substantially same longitudinal length during expansion of the sheath from an unexpanded state to an expanded state.

14. The catheter assembly of claim 12 wherein the cells are stable in only two positions

15. A catheter sheath comprising:

a tubular member having an inner surface defining an inner lumen and an outer surface, the outer surface and inner surface having a sheath wall extending there between;

the outer surface having slits therethrough which extend into the sheath wall, the sheath having an expanded state and an unexpanded state, the unexpanded state having a smaller diameter than the expanded state, the sheath maintaining the substantially same longitudinal length in the expanded state and the unexpanded state.

16. The catheter sheath of claim 15 wherein the slits form bi-stable cells.

17. The catheter sheath of claim 15 wherein an additional layer constructed of material substantially weaker than that of the sheath is applied to the interior of the sheath and to the exterior of the sheath.

18. The catheter sheath of claim 15 wherein the slits extend through the sheath wall and inner surface.

19. The catheter sheath of claim 15 in combination with a bifurcated stent delivery system, the bifurcated stent delivery system having an expandable balloon disposed about a catheter shaft, the sheath disposed about the balloon, a bifurcated stent disposed about the sheath, the bifurcated stent having a trunk and at least two branches.

20. The catheter sheath of claim 15 in combination with a catheter balloon, the sheath rotatable about the catheter balloon.