AXIALLY NESTED SLIDE AND LOCK EXPANDABLE DEVICE

• US 20090030501A1
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: REVA Medical Inc.
• Original Assignee: REVA Medical Inc.
• Inventors: Sheriff, Jeffrey, Felkins, Brandon, Morris, Andrew, Schmid, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.150
• 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 2/92 Stents in the form of a rolled-up sheet expanding after insertion into the vessel , e.g. with a spiral shape in cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/93 circumferentially expandable by using ratcheting locks
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/94 Stents retaining their form, i.e. not being deformable, after placement in the predetermined place
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91591 Locking connectors, e.g. using male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/001 for adjusting a diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

The inventions relate generally to expandable medical implants for maintaining support of a body lumen and, in particular, to an axially nested, diametrically expandable, slide and lock vascular device for enlarging an occluded portion of a vessel. The axially nested vascular device desirably achieves both competitive crossing profiles while maintaining other key features, such as, for example, radial strength and luminal patency. The collapsed profile can also be made very thin without compromising radial strength. Thus, the vascular device can advantageously be deployed in small and difficult to reach areas or vessels. The axial nesting substantially eliminates radial overlap between mating structural elements thereby desirably allowing for a low, uniform profile.

Claims

1. An axially nested stent being expandable from an axially nested unexpanded state to an expanded state, the stent comprising a tubular member having longitudinal and circumferential axes, the tubular member comprising:

a plurality of elongate linkage sections being circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis, each linkage section comprising at least one engagement aperture disposed in the linkage section, the engagement aperture being disposed through the linkage section in a circumferential direction; and

at least one interconnector module extending intermediate the engagement apertures of at least two linkage sections, the interconnector module being generally aligned with the circumferential axis of the tubular member, the interconnector module being configured to allow one-way slidable movement of the linkage sections relative to the interconnector module during expansion of the stent from the axially nested unexpanded state to the expanded state.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein each linkage section comprises a plurality of link elements interconnected via flexible sections, the link elements each defining proximal and distal ends, the flexible sections extending intermediate the proximal end of a given link element and the distal end of another given link element to interconnect the plurality of link elements in an end-to-end manner, wherein the at least one engagement aperture is disposed in at least one link element of the linkage section, the engagement aperture being disposed through the link element in a circumferential direction.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein at least first, second, and third elongate linkage sections are circumferentially spaced apart from each other and connected via a plurality of interconnector modules, the interconnector modules connecting the first and second elongate linkage sections being longitudinally spaced apart from the interconnector modules connecting the second and third elongate linkage sections.

4. An axially nested stent being expandable from an axially nested unexpanded state to an expanded state, the stent comprising a tubular member having longitudinal and circumferential axes, the tubular member comprising:

a plurality of elongate linkage sections being circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis, each linkage section comprising;

a plurality of link elements defining proximal and distal ends;

a flexible section extending intermediate the proximal end of a given link element and the distal end of another given link element to interconnect the plurality of link elements in an end-to-end manner; and

at least one engagement aperture disposed in at least one link element of the linkage section, the engagement aperture being disposed through the link element in a circumferential direction; and

at least one interconnector module extending intermediate the engagement apertures of at least two linkage sections, the interconnector module being generally aligned with the circumferential axis of the tubular member, the interconnector module being configured to allow one-way slidable movement of the linkage sections relative to the interconnector module during expansion of the stent from the axially nested unexpanded state to the expanded state.

5. The stent of claim 4, wherein the elongate linkage sections are formed separately from the interconnector modules.

6. The stent of claim 4, wherein at least first, second, and third elongate linkage sections are circumferentially spaced apart from each other to form the tubular member, wherein the tubular member comprises respective interconnector modules being at least partially circumferentially interposed between respective circumferentially adjacent elongate linkage sections.

7. The stent of claim 6, wherein the interconnector modules connecting the first and second elongate linkage sections and the interconnector modules connecting the second and third elongate linkage sections at least partially define an outer surface of the tubular member.

8. The stent of claim 4, wherein in the expanded state, an end of each interconnector module is at least partially received into each respective engagement aperture.

9. The stent of claim 4, wherein in the expanded state, an end of each interconnector module is substantially fixed relative to each respective engagement aperture.

10. The stent of claim 4, wherein in the radially nested unexpanded state, the interconnector modules are circumferentially nested within the tubular member.

11. The stent of claim 4, further comprising at least one interlink being circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis of the tubular member and being interposed between adjacent linkage sections, the interlink having an elongate interlink body being configured with an interconnector module extending from a first side of the interlink body.

12. The stent of claim 11, wherein the interlink is configured with at least one interconnector module extending from a second side thereof.

13. The stent of claim 4, wherein the interconnector module comprises a plurality of teeth disposed along at least one of top and bottom surfaces thereof to engage the engagement aperture of the link element for facilitating one-way expansion of the stent.

14. The stent of claim 13, wherein the teeth comprise a flexible oblique projection extending from the top surface of the interconnector module.

15. The stent of claim 14, wherein the teeth comprise paddles having a free end and a fixed end being coupled to the interconnector module, the paddles being operative to deflect during passage of the interconnector module through the engagement aperture and to return to an engaged position upon exiting the engagement aperture to facilitate one-way expansion of the stent.

16. The stent of claim 4, wherein the interconnector module interconnects two adjacent linkage sections, and wherein a length of the interconnector module defines a maximum distance between the linkage sections.

17. The stent of claim 4, wherein the interconnection member comprises a stop member for limiting expansion of the stent.

18. The stent of claim 17, wherein the engagement aperture of the linkage section defines a first passing profile and the stop member defines a second passing profile being greater than the first passing profile.

19. An axially nested stent being expandable from an axially nested unexpanded state to an expanded state, the stent comprising a tubular member having longitudinal and circumferential axes, the tubular member comprising:

a plurality of elongate linkage sections being circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis, each linkage section comprising;

a plurality of link modules defining an A-frame and opposing lateral wings;

a flexible section extending intermediate the lateral wing of a given link module and the lateral wing of another given link module to interconnect the plurality of link modules in an end-to-end manner; and

at least one engagement aperture disposed in the A-frame of the link module of the linkage section, the engagement aperture being disposed through the link module in a circumferential direction; and

a plurality of interconnector modules being circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis with a respective interconnector module being interposed between adjacent linkage sections, the interconnector module comprising a plurality of interconnection members extending intermediate the engagement apertures of the adjacent linkage sections, the interconnection members being generally aligned with the circumferential axis of the tubular member, the interconnection members being configured to allow one-way slidable movement of the linkage sections relative to the interconnection member during expansion of the stent from the axially nested unexpanded state to the expanded state.

20. The stent of claim 19, wherein the interconnection member includes a plurality of teeth disposed along at least one side surface thereof to engage the engagement aperture of the link module for facilitating one-way expansion of the stent.

21. The stent of claim 20, wherein the teeth comprise a flexible oblique projection extending from the both side surfaces of the interconnection member.

22. The stent of claim 21, wherein the teeth comprise paddles having a free end and a fixed end being coupled to the interconnection member, the paddles being operative to deflect during passage of the interconnection member through the engagement aperture and to return to an engaged position upon exiting the engagement aperture to facilitate one-way expansion of the stent.

23. The stent of claim 19, wherein the interconnector modules comprise first and second sides, wherein the number of interconnection members extending from the first side is double the number of interconnection members extending from the second side.

24. The stent of claim 19, wherein the link modules of a given linkage section are generally longitudinally aligned with the link modules of another given linkage section.