Stenting Ring with Marker

• US 20100070021A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Supper, Wolfgang, Wack, Thilo
• Granted Patent: US 8,475,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.160
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91591 Locking connectors, e.g. using male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

A stenting ring made of a tube or rolled-up sheet that has a characteristic wall thickness. The ring defines a lumen and is equipped with at least one marker made of a material different from that of the ring. The ring is expansible from a radially compact disposition with a relatively small circumference to a radially expanded disposition with a relatively large circumference. The ring exhibits in the compact disposition a serpentine arrangement of succeeding struts lying in alternate opposite directions to the longitudinal axis of the lumen. The marker has a thickness in the radial direction of the ring that is less than the characteristic wall thickness, and has a width that extends circumferentially around an arc of the ring. The marker is attached to the ring at a zone located at a point intermediate in the extent of said arc. The marker overlaps with a respective one of said struts, at each end of its circumferential arc, when the ring is in the compact disposition, the respective struts moving away from each other, and from the marker, when the ring expands towards said radially expanded disposition.

Claims

1. A stenting ring made of a tube or roiled-up sheet that has a characteristic wall thickness, the ring defining a lumen and being equipped with at least one marker made of a material different from that of the ring, the ring being expansible from a radially compact disposition with a relatively small circumference to a radially expanded disposition with a relatively large circumference, the ring exhibiting in the compact disposition a serpentine arrangement of succeeding struts lying in alternate opposite directions to the longitudinal axis of the lumen, wherein

the marker has a thickness in the radial direction of the ring that is less than the characteristic wall thickness, and has a width that extends circumferentially around an arc of the ring, wherein

the marker is attached to the ring at a zone located at a point intermediate in the extent of said arc, and wherein

the marker overlaps with a respective one of said struts, at each end of its circumferential arc, when the ring is in the compact disposition, the respective struts moving away from each other, and from the marker, when the ring expands towards said radially expanded disposition.

2. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the overlaps are such that the marker overlies the struts when viewed from outside the ring.

3. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the at least one marker comprises a marker located at one end of the lumen.

4. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the at least one marker comprises a marker located at an intermediate point between the opposite ends of the lumen.

5. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the marker is attached to the ring by weld metal.

6. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the marker is attached to the ring at a facing, form-fitting interface.

7. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the marker is attached to the ring at an attachment interface backed by ring and marker material exhibiting elastic strain.

8. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the marker is attached at a node connecting two struts.

9. The stenting ring according to claim 8, wherein the node is axially extended as compared to other nodes in the ring.

10. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the marker includes axially extending portions, each axially extending portion tapering as it extends towards the longitudinal axis and wherein the node to which the marker is attached and the respective struts include mating surfaces so that the portions can extend into the wall of the stent.

11. The stenting ring according to claim 1, wherein the marker includes a hole into which attachment material is introduced to attach the marker to the ring.

12. The stenting ring according to claim 1, which has an axial length and which is a component part of a stent, which stent exhibits a lumen and an axial length which is longer than the axial length of the ring.

13. The stenting ring according to claim 12, the stent apart from the ring exhibiting a matrix of struts, which matrix has a characteristic pattern, which pattern is not shared by the ring.

14. The stenting ring according to claim 12, wherein the stent, apart from the ring has a pattern that is in the form of a helix that winds around the axis of the stent.

15. A stent, comprising:

a plurality of stenting rings including an end stenting ring, the end stenting ring including a plurality of nodes, each node formed by two struts joined together at an end thereof, the struts forming the nodes lying adjacent one another generally parallel with a longitudinal axis of the stent in a stent radially compact configuration; and

a marker attached to a marker node, the marker having a thickness in a radial direction of the end stenting ring that is less than a wall thickness thereof, the marker overlapping each of the nodes adjacent to the marker node in the stent radially compact configuration.

16. The stent according to claim 15, wherein the marker includes two frusto-conical radially extending portions, each of the portions including side surfaces that taper toward one another from an outer surface of the marker to an inner surface thereof.

17. The stent according to claim 16, wherein the marker node and the nodes adjacent thereto include surfaces generally mating with the tapered side surfaces of the marker radially extending portions.

18. The stent according to claim 15, wherein the marker node is axially extended relative to the nodes adjacent thereto.

19. The stent according to claim 18, wherein the marker includes a hole positioned over the marker node into which attachment material is introduced.

20. The stent according to claim 15, wherein marker node includes a slit extending axially along the longitudinal axis of the stent.