Medical Device Delivery Systems

• US 20070282420A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gunderson, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,152,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod

Abstract

Medical device delivery systems, and related methods and components, are disclosed. In some embodiments, an implantable medical endoprosthesis delivery system includes a catheter, a sheath at least partially surrounding the catheter, and a tip coupled to a distal end portion of the catheter. The tip can cooperate with a distal end surface of the sheath to form a gap therebetween so that there is fluid communication between an interior region of the sheath and an exterior region of the sheath.

Claims

1. An implantable medical endoprosthesis delivery system, comprising:

a catheter;

a sheath at least partially surrounding the catheter, the catheter and the sheath being configured so that an implantable medical endoprosthesis can be disposed therebetween; and

a tip coupled to a distal end portion of the catheter, the tip having a shaped surface in partial contact with a distal end surface of the sheath so that there is fluid communication between an interior region of the sheath and an exterior region of the sheath.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the shaped surface of the tip is a scalloped surface or a serrated surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tip comprises a head portion and a proximal portion, the proximal, portion of the tip being attached to the catheter, the head portion of the tip comprising the shaped surface in partial contact with the distal end surface of the sheath.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical endoprosthesis capable of being disposed between the catheter and the sheath is a stent or a stent-graft.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising the implantable medical endoprosthesis between the catheter and the sheath.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the implantable medical endoprosthesis is a self-expanding implantable medical endoprosthesis.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the implantable medical endoprosthesis is a balloon expandable implantable medical endoprosthesis.

8. An implantable medical endoprosthesis delivery system, comprising:

a catheter;

a sheath at least partially surrounding the catheter, the catheter and the sheath being configured so that an implantable medical endoprosthesis can be disposed therebetween; and

a tip coupled to a distal end portion of the catheter, a surface of the tip cooperating with a distal end surface of the sheath to form a plurality of gaps therebetween so that there is fluid communication between an interior region of the sheath and an exterior region of the sheath.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the surface of the tip comprises a plurality of projections that contact the distal end surface of the sheath at a plurality of circumferentially spaced regions.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the surface of the tip is a scalloped surface or a serrated surface.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the distal end surface of the sheath comprises a plurality of projections that contact the surface of the sheath at a plurality of circumferentially spaced regions.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the distal end surface of the sheath is a scalloped surface or a serrated surface.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the implantable medical endoprosthesis capable of being disposed between the catheter and the sheath is a stent or a stent-graft.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising the implantable medical endoprosthesis between the catheter and the sheath.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical endoprosthesis is a self-expanding implantable medical endoprosthesis.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical endoprosthesis is a balloon expandable implantable medical endoprosthesis.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the tip comprises a head portion and a proximal portion, the proximal portion of the tip being attached to the catheter, the head portion of the tip comprising a proximal end surface that cooperates with the distal end surface of the sheath to form the plurality of gaps therebetween.

18. A method, comprising passing a fluid through a space between a catheter and a sheath at least partially surrounding the catheter, the fluid exiting the space between the catheter and the sheath via gaps defined between a distal end surface of the sheath and a surface of a tip that is coupled to a distal end portion of the catheter, an implantable medical endoprosthesis being disposed between the catheter and the sheath.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the surface of the tip comprises a plurality of projections that contact the distal end surface of the sheath at a plurality of circumferentially spaced regions.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the distal end surface of the sheath comprises a plurality of projections that contact the surface of the tip at a plurality of circumferentially spaced regions.