Deployment system for an expandable stent

• US 20080288042A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MED Institute, Inc. (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Purdy, James D., Stewart, Joseph M. IV
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means

Abstract

A deployment system and method for an expandable stent are described. The deployment system includes an expandable stent in an unexpanded state and a first tubular sheath having one or more first flaps extending from a distal end thereof. The one or more first flaps overlie one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent. A second tubular sheath may overlie the first tubular sheath. The deployment method includes advancing a deployment system including an expandable stent in an unexpanded state to a treatment site in a body vessel. At the treatment site, one or more second longitudinal portions of the stent are radially expanded to partially deploy the stent, and then one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent are radially expanded to fully deploy the stent. Each of the first and second longitudinal portions preferably extends from a proximal end to a distal end of the stent.

Claims

1. A deployment system for an expandable stent comprising:

an expandable stent in an unexpanded state;

a first tubular sheath comprising one or more first flaps extending from a distal end thereof, wherein the one or more first flaps overlie one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent.

2. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first flaps has a length at least as long as a length of the stent, and wherein each of the one or more first longitudinal portions extends entirely along the length of the stent but only partway about a circumference thereof.

3. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first flaps has a length in the range of from about 20 mm to about 150 mm.

4. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first flaps includes a reinforcement structure at least partially embedded therein.

5. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein the first tubular sheath comprises two first flaps disposed in opposition to each other.

6. The deployment system of claim 1, further comprising a distal cap overlying a distal portion of the one or more first flaps.

7. The deployment system of claim 1, further comprising a second tubular sheath overlying the first tubular sheath, wherein a distal portion of the second tubular sheath overlying the one or more first flaps comprises an annular cross-section.

8. The deployment system of claim 1, further comprising a second tubular sheath overlying the first tubular sheath, the second tubular sheath including one or more second flaps extending from a distal end thereof, the one or more second flaps overlying one or more second longitudinal portions of the stent and being disposed alternately with the first flaps in a circumferential direction.

9. The deployment system of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more second flaps has a length in the range of from about 20 mm to about 150 mm.

10. The deployment system of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more second flaps includes a reinforcement structure at least partially embedded therein.

11. The deployment system of claim 8, wherein the second tubular sheath comprises two second flaps disposed in opposition to each other.

12. The deployment system of claim 8, further comprising a third tubular sheath overlying the second tubular sheath, wherein a distal portion of the third tubular sheath overlying the one or more first flaps and the one or more second flaps comprises an annular cross-section.

13. The deployment system of claim 8, wherein a distal cap overlies a distal portion of the one or more second flaps.

14. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein the first tubular sheath comprises two first flaps disposed in opposition to each other, the first flaps having a length in the range of from about 20 mm to about 150 mm and including a reinforcement structure at least partially embedded therein, wherein a second tubular sheath overlies the first tubular sheath, and further comprising a distal cap overlying a distal portion of the two first flaps.

15. The deployment system of claim 14, wherein the second tubular sheath comprises two second flaps extending from a distal end thereof and overlying two second longitudinal portions of the stent, the two second flaps having a length in the range of from about 20 mm to about 150 mm and including a reinforcement structure at least partially embedded therein, wherein the two second flaps are disposed in opposition to each other and disposed alternately with the two first flaps in a circumferential direction, and further comprising a third tubular sheath overlying the second tubular sheath, wherein a distal portion of the third tubular sheath overlying the one or more first flaps and the one or more second flaps comprises an annular cross-section, and wherein the distal cap overlies a distal portion of the two second flaps.

16. A method of deploying an expandable stent, the method comprising:

advancing a deployment system including an expandable stent in an unexpanded state to a treatment site in a body vessel;

radially expanding one or more second longitudinal portions of the stent to partially deploy the stent at the treatment site, one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent remaining undeployed during the expanding; and

radially expanding the one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent to fully deploy the stent at the treatment site, wherein each of the first and second longitudinal portions extends from a proximal end to a distal end of the stent.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the deployment system comprises a first tubular sheath comprising one or more first flaps extending from a distal end thereof, the one or more first flaps overlying the one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent prior to deployment thereof, and wherein radially expanding the one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent comprises retracting the first tubular sheath, and further comprising a second tubular sheath overlying the first tubular sheath, wherein radially expanding the one or more second longitudinal portions of the stent comprises retracting the second tubular sheath.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second tubular sheath comprises one or more second flaps extending from a distal end thereof and overlying the one or more second longitudinal portions of the stent prior to deployment thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising retracting a third tubular sheath overlying the first and second tubular sheaths prior to retracting the first and second tubular sheaths.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the deployment system comprises a first tubular sheath comprising one or more first flaps extending from a distal end thereof, the one or more first flaps overlying the one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent prior to deployment thereof, and wherein radially expanding the one or more first longitudinal portions of the stent comprises retracting the first tubular sheath, and further comprising a second tubular sheath overlying the first tubular sheath and comprising one or more second flaps extending from a distal end thereof, the one or more second flaps overlying the second longitudinal portions of the stent prior to deployment thereof, wherein radially expanding the one or more second longitudinal portions of the stent comprises retracting the second tubular sheath, and further comprising retracting a third tubular sheath overlying the first and second tubular sheaths prior to retracting the first and second tubular sheaths.