ANGIOPLASTY STENTS

• US 20100004736A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sorin Biomedica Cardio Srl (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Sorin Biomedica Cardio Srl (LivaNova Plc)
• Inventors: Vallana, Franco, Rolando, Giovanni, Gaschino, Paolo, Cerise, Osvaldo
• Application Number:
  US12/559,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• 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 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91566 connected trough to trough

Abstract

An angioplasty stent comprises a body comprising a plurality of successive segments connected in pairs by bridge means so that the successive segments can be oriented relative to one another for the purposes of bending of the body in any direction defined by a linear combination of respective orientation axes defined by the bridge connection means. During the radial expansion of the stent, the axial contraction of the segments resulting from the opening-out of the respective loops is compensated by axial projection of the bridge elements from the respective concave portions. The wall of the body comprises arms for supporting a lumen as well as regions which are selectively deformable during the expansion of the stent, the arms and the selectively deformable regions having different cross-sections and/or cross-sectional areas. At least one portion of the body may have a substantially reticular structure, the branches of which define geometrical figures identifiable as fractals.

Claims

1. An angioplasty stent comprising a body which has a generally tubular envelope and can be expanded in use from a radially contracted condition towards a radially expanded condition, said body comprising a plurality of successive segments connected in pairs by bridge means, each of the bridge means defining a connecting relationship between two of the segments with a capability for relative orientation identified by at least one respective orientation axis, so that the successive segments can be oriented relative to one another for the purposes of bending of the body in any direction defined by a linear combination of respective orientation axes defined by the bridge connection means.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein in the body, adjacent segments are interconnected by pairs of diametrally-opposed bridge elements the line on which the diametrally-opposed bridge elements are aligned identifying the at least one respective orientation axis.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein the successive segments are interconnected in sequence by bridge means which identify successive distinct orientation axes in the sequence.

4. The stent of claim 3, wherein, in the sequence, the orientation axes are perpendicular to one another.

5. The stent of claim 4, wherein the sequence is an ordered and alternating sequence of perpendicular orientation axes.

6. The stent of claim 3, wherein the segments are short in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of the stent so that the successive orientation axes in the sequence are disposed in close proximity to one another.

7. The stent of claim 6, wherein the segments have lengths of the order of about 2 mm.

8. The stent of claim 1, wherein the bridge means extend consecutively along at least one generatrix of the body so as to form at least one respective spine comprising successive loops which can be deformed in the sense of a variation of the length of the spine, so that each of the bridge means included in a respective spine can perform, at the connection between two successive segments, a relative orientation about two distinct orientation axes, as a result of a bending of the bridge means and as a result of a variation of the length of the bridge means along the axes of the respective spine, respectively.

9. An angioplasty stent comprising a body which has a generally tubular envelope and can be expanded in use from a radially contracted condition towards a radially expanded condition, wherein:

the body comprises a plurality of generally annular segments, the wall of each segment being defined by a plurality of loops, and

at least some of the segments are interconnected by bridge elements extending in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of the stent and having at least one end connected to the concave or inside portion of a respective loop so that, during the radial expansion of the stent, the axial contraction of the segments resulting from the opening-out of the respective loops is compensated by axial projection of the bridge elements from the respective concave portions.

10. The stent of claim 9, wherein the bridge elements have opposite ends aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the stent, and in that the two opposite ends are connected to respective concave portions of respective loops of the two segments connected by each bridge element.

11. The stent of claim 9, wherein all of the bridge elements connecting respective pairs of segments are connected, at least at one end, to the concave portion of a respective loop.

12. The stent of claim 10, wherein all of the bridge elements connecting respective pairs of segments are connected at both of their opposite ends, to concave portions of respective loops.

13. An angioplasty stent comprising a body which has a generally tubular envelope and can be expanded in use from a radially contracted position towards a radially expanded condition in which the stent supports the wall of a lumen, wherein the wall of the body comprises arms for supporting the lumen, as well as regions which are selectively deformable during the expansion of the stent, and in that the arms and the selectively deformable regions have different cross-sections and/or cross-sectional areas.

14. The stent of claim 13, wherein the wall of the body comprises a plurality of loops each having a concave portion from which two lateral arms extend, and in that the concave portion and the arms differ in at least one of the cross-section and the cross-sectional area so that, during the radial expansion of the stent, the concave portion and the arms adopt different behaviours.

15. The stent of claim 14, wherein the arms have a shape which is generally flattened in the general plane of the wall so that the outer faces of the arms define respective broad support surfaces for the wall of the lumen.

16. The stent of claim 13, wherein the concave portion has a substantially circular cross-section.

17. The stent of claim 13, wherein the wall of the body comprises at least one bent wire element.

18. The stent of claim 17, wherein the wall comprises adjacent portions of wire firmly connected to one another.

19. The stent of claim 18, wherein adjacent portions of wire are connected to one another by one of welding, brazing, gluing, crimping or combinations thereof.

20. An angioplasty stent comprising a body which has a generally tubular envelope and can be expanded in use from a radially contracted condition towards a radially expanded condition, wherein:

the body comprises a plurality of successive radially expandable segments interconnected by bridge elements extending substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the stent so that the bridge elements are substantially unaffected by the radial expansion of the segments and the bridge elements are generally deformable in the direction of the longitudinal axis so that the length of the stent along the axis can change substantially independently of the radial expansion.

21. The stent of claim 20 wherein the bridge elements are arranged along at least one spine extending along a respective generatrix of the imaginary cylindrical envelope of the body.

22. The stent of claim 21, wherein there are two diametrally-opposed spines.

23. The stent of claim 20, wherein the bridge elements are arranged along at least one spine extending along at least one respective generatrix of the imaginary cylindrical envelope of the body, the at least one spine having a shape comprising a succession of loops together defining a serpentine shape.

24. The stent of claim 23, wherein the at least one spine extends along a generally sinusoidal path.

25. The stent of claim 23, wherein each segment comprises a succession of loops each comprising a concave portion and two lateral arms extending from the concave portion, and wherein successive portions of the at least one spine extend like bridges to connect pairs of adjacent segments, with adjacent portions of the at least one spine extending to connect concave portions of respective pairs of loops of adjacent segments without interruption of the serpentine path.

26. An angioplasty stent comprising a body which has a generally tubular envelope and can be expanded in use from a radially contracted condition towards a radially expanded condition, wherein at least one portion of the body has a substantially reticular structure, the branches of which define geometrical figures identifiable as fractals.

27. The stent of claim 26, wherein the body consists of branches defining geometrical figures identifiable as fractals.

28. The stent of claim 26, wherein the body comprises a plurality of successive segments connected in pairs by bridge means, and wherein at least some of the segments and the bridge means define respective geometrical figures identifiable as fractals.