INTRAVASCULAR STENT

• US 20080051876A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Chi, David, Atladottir, Svava Maria, Ta, Diem Uyen, Svensson, Bjorn
• Granted Patent: US 8,882,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• 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 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0029 differing in bending or flexure capacity

Abstract

An expandable stent for implanting in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery, peripheral artery, or other body lumen. In one aspect, the stent includes a butterfly pattern to which connecting links are attached. In another aspect, the stent embodies a non-directional structure. One embodiment is a stent in which one or both ends are more flexible than the center portion. Also, the stent may have a non-uniform drug coating. Another embodiment relates to a stent having ends that are more radiopaque than the center portion.

Claims

1. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis; and

at least one link connecting adjacent cylindrical rings;

wherein at least one cylindrical ring includes an open W-pattern, the open W-pattern being connected to no more than one adjacent ring.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein each of the cylindrical rings have a plurality of first peaks, second peaks, and third peaks, each of the peaks having a height and an apex, the first peaks being taller than the second peaks, and the second peaks being taller than the third peaks.

3. The stent of claim 2, wherein each of the cylindrical rings have a plurality of first valleys, second valleys, and third valleys, each of the valleys having a depth and an apex, the first valleys being deeper than the second valleys, and the second valleys being deeper than the third valleys.

4. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent includes a plurality of links, at least one of the links being an undulating link, the undulating link having a curved portion extending transverse to the stent longitudinal axis towards the second peak and an arm being straight and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stent.

5. The stent of claim 4, wherein the at least one undulating link further includes at least one substantially straight portion connected to the curved portion, the at least one substantially straight portion being substantially perpendicular to the stent longitudinal axis.

6. The stent of claim 5, wherein the at least one substantially straight portion of the at least one undulating link is perpendicular to the stent longitudinal axis.

7. The stent of claim 3, wherein the third peaks of at least one of the cylindrical rings is connected with the second valleys of an adjacent cylindrical ring by the links.

8. The stent of claim 3, wherein the apexes of the first peaks have a first radius, and the apexes of the second peaks have a second radius, the second radius being different than the first radius.

9. The stent of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical ring includes a plurality of a first strut, a second strut, and a third strut, the first struts being longer than the second struts, and the second struts being longer than the third struts.

10. The stent of claim 9, wherein the link includes a curved portion and the link is connected to a pair of first struts.

11. The stent of claim 9, wherein the butterfly pattern is defined by a pair of third struts, one first strut and one second strut.

12. The stent of claim 9, wherein at least one of the second valleys includes a second strut connected with another second strut by the apex.

13. The stent of claim 9, wherein at least one of the second struts is of dissimilar length than at least one other of the second struts.

14. The stent of claim 9, wherein each of the second peaks includes a second strut connected with another second strut by the apex.

15. The stent of claim 3, wherein a first longitudinal orientation of the apexes of the peaks and the apexes of the valleys at the proximal end is generally reversed from a second longitudinal orientation of the apexes of the peaks and the apexes of the valleys at the distal end.

16. The stent of claim 2, wherein the apex of at least one third peak of one of the cylindrical rings is oriented towards the proximal end of the stent, and the apex of at least one other third peak on another of the cylindrical rings is oriented towards the distal end of the stent.

17. The stent of claim 2, wherein the apex of at least one third peak on one of the cylindrical rings is oriented in the opposite direction of the apex of at least one other third peak on the same cylindrical ring.

18. The stent of claim 3, wherein orientations of at least some of the peaks and some of the valleys are longitudinally reversed along the length of the stent, wherein the stent may be effectively mounted onto a stent delivery system in at least two different orientations.

19. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent includes at least two undulating links, and wherein the curved portion of at least one of the undulating links is oriented in an opposite circumferential orientation than the curved portion of the other undulating link.

20. The stent of claim 1, wherein a plurality of struts define the rings and the link, at least a portion of one strut having a variable thickness.

21. The stent of claim 1, wherein a plurality of struts define the rings and the link, at least a portion of one strut having a variable width.

22. A flexible non-directional intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis, the stent having a proximal end and a distal end,

each cylindrical ring having a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys;

at least one cylindrical ring having an open W-structure facing in a first direction and at least one cylindrical ring having an open W-structure facing in a second direction different from the first direction;

at least one link attaching each cylindrical ring to an adjacent cylindrical ring, the link having a curved portion;

wherein the proximal and distal ends of the stent are mirror images.

23. The stent of claim 22, wherein along a length of the stent the apexes of some of the peaks are oriented towards the proximal end of the stent and the apexes of some of the peaks are oriented towards the distal end.

24. The stent of claim 22, wherein a most distal cylindrical ring includes apexes of at least some of the peaks pointing towards the proximal end of the stent and a most proximal cylindrical ring includes apexes of at least some of the peaks pointing towards the distal end of the stent.

25. The stent of claim 22, wherein a most distal cylindrical ring includes apexes of at least some of the peaks pointing towards the distal end of the stent and a most proximal cylindrical ring includes apexes of at least some of the peaks pointing towards the proximal end of the stent.

26. The stent of claim 22, wherein the most distal ring includes at least some of the valleys oriented towards the proximal end of the stent and the most proximal ring includes at least some of the valleys oriented towards the distal end of the stent.

27. The stent of claim 22, wherein a plurality of struts define the rings and the link, at least a portion of one strut having a variable thickness.

28. The stent of claim 22, wherein a plurality of struts define the rings and the link, at least a portion of one strut having a variable width.

29. A non-directional stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis and interconnected to form the stent;

at least one link attaching each cylindrical ring to an adjacent cylindrical ring, the link having a curved portion extending substantially transverse to the stent longitudinal axis;

wherein the curved transverse portion of at least one link facing in an opposite circumferential direction from the curved transverse portion of another link;

wherein a proximal end of the stent is a mirror image of a distal end of the stent.

30. The stent of claim 29, wherein the curved portions of the links facing in the opposite circumferential direction are on the same cylindrical ring.

31. The stent of claim 29, wherein the curved portions of the links facing in the opposite circumferential direction are on the adjacent cylindrical rings or different cylindrical rings.

32. The stent of claim 29, wherein a plurality of struts define the rings and the link, at least a portion of one strut having a variable thickness.

33. The stent of claim 29, wherein a plurality of struts define the rings and the link, at least a portion of one strut having a variable width.

34. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis; and

at least one link connecting adjacent cylindrical rings;

wherein the stent has a first end portion, a center portion, and a second end portion, with at least one of the end portions being more flexible than the center portion; and

the stent has a drug coating, the drug coating having greater coverage on the center portion than on at least one of the end portions.

35. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 34, wherein both ends are more flexible than the center portion.

36. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 34, wherein at least one link in one of the end portions has multiple turns.

37. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 34, wherein at least one link in each of the end portions has multiple turns.

38. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 34, wherein at least one cylindrical ring in at least one end portion comprises valleys of uniform extent.

39. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 36, wherein at least one link in the center portion has a “

U”

profile.

40. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 38, wherein at least one cylindrical ring in the center portion has at least one member with a butterfly pattern.

41. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis; and

at least one link connecting adjacent cylindrical rings;

wherein the stent has a first end portion, a center portion, and a second end portion; and

at least one of the end portions is more radiopaque than the center portion.

42. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 41, wherein the stent comprises metal, at least one of the end portions has more metal than the center portion.

43. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 41, wherein both the first end portion and the second end portion are more radiopaque than the center portion.

44. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 41, wherein at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion have a surface area density greater than the center portion.

45. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 41, wherein both the first end portion and the second end portion have a surface area density greater than the center portion.

46. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 41, wherein at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion is relatively more flexible than the center portion.

47. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 41, wherein at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion include a very flexible connecting link.

48. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 41, wherein at least one cylindrical ring in the center portion has at least one member with a butterfly pattern.

49. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis; and

at least one link connecting adjacent cylindrical rings;

wherein the stent has a first end portion, a center portion, and a second end portion; and

at least one of the end portions is more flexible than the center portion.

50. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 49, wherein the center portion has more drug coating such that the coating than the end portions.

51. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 49, wherein both ends are more flexible than the center portion.

52. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 49, wherein at least one link in one of the end portions has a multiple turns.

53. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 49, wherein at least one link in each of the end portions has a multiple turns.

54. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 49, wherein at least one cylindrical ring in at least on end portion comprises valleys of uniform extent.

55. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 49, wherein at least one link in the center portion has a “

U”

profile.

56. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 49, wherein at least one cylindrical ring in the center portion has at least one member with a butterfly pattern.