Controlled Deployment Delivery System

• US 20080021538A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wright, Michael, Ruiz, Alex, Lostetter, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,815,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9505 having retaining means other than an outer sleeve, e.g. male-female connector between stent and instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means

Abstract

A controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system (10 50 or 900) includes a stent-graft (30 or 63), a retractable primary sheath (40) containing the stent-graft in a first constrained diameter configuration, an outer tube (18) within the retractable primary sheath and within the stent-graft, and an inner tube (20) within the outer tube, where the inner tube and the outer tube both axially move relative to the retractable primary sheath and to each other. The system further includes a cap (15) coupled to a distal end of the inner tube and configured to retain at least a portion of a proximal area of the stent-graft in a radially compressed configuration. A distal assembly (100) provides controlled relative axial movement between the outer tube and the inner tube enabling the release of the proximal end (65, 67, 68, and 69) of the stent-graft from the cap and from the radially compressed configuration.

Claims

1. A controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system, comprising:

a stent-graft;

a retractable primary sheath containing said stent-graft in a first constrained diameter configuration;

an outer tube within the retractable primary sheath and within the stent-graft;

an inner tube within the outer tube, wherein the inner tube and the outer tube both axially can move relative to the retractable primary sheath and to each other;

a retention mechanism configured to retain at least a portion of a proximal portion of the stent-graft in a radially compressed configuration after said primary sheath has been retracted, wherein a controlled relative axial movement between the outer tube and the inner tube releases the proximal end of the stent-graft from the retention mechanism and from the radially compressed configuration.

25. The controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system of claim 1, wherein the proximal spring apices at said proximal end of said stent graft are latched and captured on splines of said retention mechanism.

26. The controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system of claim 1, wherein a threaded collar coupled to the inner tube and a mating threaded shaft coupled to the outer tube enables the relative axial movement between the inner tube and the outer tube for controlled deployment of the stent-graft.

27. The controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system of claim 1 further comprising a proximal lock attached to a first of said inner and outer tubes, wherein the stent-graft has a plurality of proximal spring apices at the proximal end of the stent-graft that remain latched onto the proximal lock in the radially compressed configuration while the plurality of spring apices remain within a cap of said retention mechanism.

28. The controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system of claim 27, wherein the proximal lock further comprises a plurality of ribs for retaining a plurality of apices of the proximal spring of the stent-graft.

29. The controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of ribs are each tapered to aid in the process of re-introducing the proximal lock into the retractable primary sheath after deployment of the stent-graft.

2-24. -24. (canceled)

30. A controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system, comprising:

a retractable primary sheath;

an outer tube within the retractable primary sheath;

an inner tube within the outer tube, wherein the inner tube can move axially relative to the outer tube; and

a retention mechanism including splines and a cap axially fixed to a distal end of the delivery system retaining a proximal end of a stent-graft in a constrained diameter configuration while proximal spring apices at a proximal end of the stent graft are still located latched on said splines and captured by said cap while still enabling axial and radial movement of the stent-graft.

31. The controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system of claim 30, wherein the retention mechanism enables a partial deployment of a remaining distal portion of the stent-graft while maintaining the proximal end of the stent-graft in the constrained diameter configuration

32. A method for controlled deployment of a stent-graft, comprising the steps of:

constraining a proximal end of a stent-graft radially to a distal end of a delivery mechanism by having proximal springs at a proximal end of the stent graft latched and captured on splines a distal end of a delivery system while partially deploying a remaining portion of the stent-graft comprising the step of constraining proximal springs of the stent-graft between a shroud area and splines of said distal end of said delivery mechanism;

adjusting at least one of the axial and radial positions of the stent-graft after the partial deployment the remaining portion; and

releasing the proximal area of the stent-graft by controlled coaxial relative movement between an inner tube and an outer tube to release the proximal springs from said splines.

33. A controlled stent-graft deployment delivery system, comprising:

a self expanding stent-graft compressed on a delivery system, the stent graft having a proximal spring having apices extending proximally therefrom;

a proximal lock fixed to a first tube of said delivery system, said proximal lock having protrusions over which said apices extend at the proximal end of the stent graft a shroud fixed to a distal end of a second tube of said delivery system and capturing at least a portion of a proximal portion of apices of a spring of the stent-graft in a radially compressed configuration and in close proximity to the radial ends of the protrusions so that the stent graft spring apices are prevented from releasing, wherein a controlled relative axial movement between the first tube and the second tube releases the proximal end of the stent-graft from the shroud.

34. A controlled stent-graft deployment delivery method comprising:

inserting a self expanding stent graft inside a stent graft delivery system into a vessel passage;

performing a partial deployment of the stent graft;

releasing the proximal end of the stent graft captured on splines of said delivery system, from said splines by moving a first tube axially with respect to a second tube.