MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20100094403A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veryan Medical Limited (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Veryan Medical Limited (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Mullins, Liam, Heraty, Kevin, Burke, Martin, Gilson, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,597,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/068 Modifying the blood flow model, e.g. by diffuser or deflector
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3008 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30289 helically-coiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1011 Multiple balloon catheters

Abstract

A stent deployment device comprises an elongate catheter shaft (2), and an inflatable balloon (3). The inflatable balloon (3) is movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. In the expanded configuration part of the longitudinal axis of the balloon (3) is curved in three-dimensional space, and part of the balloon (3) is helically shaped. A stent (6) is movable from a collapsed delivery configuration to a partially expanded intermediate configuration, and subsequently from the intermediate configuration to a fully expanded deployed configuration. In the delivery configuration the longitudinal axis of the stent (6) is straight. The longitudinal axis of the stent (6) may be straight or curved in three-dimensional space in the intermediate configuration. In the deployed configuration the longitudinal axis of the stent (6) is curved in three-dimensional space. The balloon (3) in the expanded configuration exerts force on the stent (6). In the deployed configuration the stent (6) in turn exerts force on the internal wall of a blood vessel (5) causing the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel (5) to curve in three-dimensional space.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

an expandable element for location in a blood vessel,

the expandable element being movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration,

in the expanded configuration at least part of the longitudinal axis of the expandable element being curved in three-dimensional space.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein in the expanded configuration the expandable element is configured to exert force on the internal wall of a blood vessel causing the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel to curve in three-dimensional space.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 herein the device comprises a single expandable element.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein in the collapsed configuration at least part of the longitudinal axis of the expandable element is substantially straight.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein in the expanded configuration at least part of the expandable element is substantially helically shaped.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein in the expanded configuration at least part of the expandable element is substantially spiral shaped.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the expandable element comprises an inflatable element.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the expandable element is configured to at least partially expand a stent.

15. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device comprises one or more alignment elements to align the expandable element with a stent.

19. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein in the expanded configuration the expandable element is configured to contact the internal wall of a blood vessel directly.

21. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device comprises an elongate element upon which the expandable element is mounted.

23. A medical system comprising:

a medical device as claimed in claim 1, and

a stent suitable for deployment in a blood vessel to support at least part of the internal wall of the blood vessel.

24. A system as claimed in claim 23 wherein the stent is movable between a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration.

25. A system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the stent is collapsed in the delivery configuration.

26. A system as claimed in claim 24 wherein in the delivery configuration at least part of the longitudinal axis of the stent is substantially straight.

27. A system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the stent is expanded in the deployed configuration.

28. A system as claimed in claim 24 wherein in the deployed configuration at least part of the longitudinal axis of the stent is curved in three-dimensional space.

30. A system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the stent is movable between the delivery configuration and an intermediate configuration, and between the intermediate configuration and the deployed configuration.

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35. A method for treating a blood vessel, the method comprising the steps of:

locating an expandable element in the blood vessel, and

moving the expandable element from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration in which at least part of the longitudinal axis of the expandable element is curved in three-dimensional space.

36. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the expandable element exerts force on the internal wall of the blood vessel causing the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel to curve in three-dimensional space.

37. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the step of moving the expandable element from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration at least partially expands a stent.

42. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the method comprises the step of aligning the expandable element with a stent.

43. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the expandable element contacts the internal wall of the blood vessel directly.

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