ENDOPROSTHESIS HAVING A STABLE ARCHITECTURE

• US 20090163996A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Limited (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Limited (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bregulla, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 8,920,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.160
• 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 2002/91558 connected peak to peak

Abstract

The present invention relates to an endoprosthesis having a web structure that is expandable from a contracted configuration to an expanded configuration and that includes a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings. Each of the web rings is defined by web elements disposed circumferentially around a longitudinal axis, which are adjoined one to the other at junction bends. A first junction bend in a first web ring is coupled to a second junction bend in a second web ring by a connector which includes three or more struts of essentially equal length that extend circumferentially in essentially parallel directions. The struts of the connector are adjoined in sequence by coupling segments that, in one embodiment of the invention, are arcuate in shape.

Claims

1. An endoprosthesis for delivery in a body lumen comprising:

a web structure defining an essentially tubular body expandable from a contracted configuration to an expanded configuration;

a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining the web structure; and

a plurality of sequentially adjoined web elements defining the web rings, pairs of the web elements being sequentially adjoined at junction bends,

wherein a first junction bend in a first web ring is coupled to a second junction bend in a second web ring by a connector having three or more struts of essentially equal length extending circumferentially, and

wherein the struts are essentially parallel and sequentially joined one to the other.

2. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the struts are joined one to the other by arcuate coupling segments.

3. The endoprosthesis of claim 2, wherein the connector comprises five struts of essentially equal length.

4. The endoprosthesis of claim 3, wherein the connector further comprises two struts of reduced length, and wherein one of strut of reduced length is coupled to the first junction bend and the other strut of reduced length is coupled to the second junction bend.

5. The endoprosthesis of claim 2, wherein arcuate coupling segments of a first connector are nested between arcuate coupling segments of a second circumferentially adjacent connector.

6. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the first junction bend is laterally offset in relation to the second junction bend.

7. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the interstices between the struts are narrower than the widths of the struts.

8. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the connector spans circumferentially for a distance substantially equal to the spacing between the midpoints of four adjacent junction bends in the second web ring.

9. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the connector couples a midpoint in the first junction bend to a midpoint in the second junction bend.

10. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the connector couples an endpoint in the first junction bend to an endpoint in the second junction bend.

11. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the endoprosthesis is a stent.

12. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the struts are substantially rectilinear in shape.

13. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the web elements are substantially rectilinear in shape.

14. The endoprosthesis of claim 1,

wherein each of the web elements comprises a central member having a first and a second ends,

wherein the central member is disposed essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis in the contracted configuration,

wherein the central member is connected at the first end to a first end member at a first obtuse angle, and

wherein the central member is connected at the second end to a second end member at a second obtuse angle.

15. The endoprosthesis of claim 14, wherein the first and the second obtuse angles are essentially equal.

16. The endoprosthesis of claim 14, wherein the web elements of each web ring are nested one into the other in the contracted delivery configuration, and wherein the junction bends have an arcuate shape.

17. The endoprosthesis of claim 14, wherein the web elements in the first web ring are oriented at approximately 180 degrees in relation to the web elements in the neighboring web ring.

18. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the web structure is configured to self-expand from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration.

19. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the web structure is configured to expand from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration by application of a radial pressure to an interior surface of the essentially tubular body.