SHAPE MEMORY TUBULAR STENT WITH GROOVES

• US 20100100170A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Tan, Francisca, Clerc, Claude O.
• Application Number:
  US12/580,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100170A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.180
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/844 folded prior to deployment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• 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 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/041 Bile ducts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0029 differing in bending or flexure capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

An implantable, radially distensible stent includes a tubular structure having opposed open ends. The wall of the stent is made from a shape memory polymeric material. Grooves may be disposed within an outer surface of stent wall to improve flexibility and drainage of the stent.

Claims

1. An implantable, radially distensible device comprising:

a tubular structure having an open first end and an opposed open second end, the tubular structure having a wall between said first open end and said second end to define an open lumen therethrough, the wall having an outer surface and an opposed inner surface defining a wall thickness therebetween;

the wall comprising a shape memory polymeric material;

wherein the tubular structure is a self-supporting wall structure.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the tubular structure has a substantially solid wall and has a plurality of grooves disposed within the outer surface of said wall.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the grooves are present in the wall when the device is in a radially contracted state and in a radially expanded state.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the grooves are selected from the group consisting of a semicircular groove, a truncated circular groove, a semicircular groove with rounded surfaces, a groove having a flat bottom portion and smoothly rounded sides, a triangular-shaped groove, a groove having a flat bottom portion and sloped sides, a square-shaped groove, a rectangular-shaped groove, and combinations thereof.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the grooves are a plurality of radially orientated grooves.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the grooves are a plurality of helically orientated grooves.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the grooves are a plurality of interconnected helically orientated grooves having a first helical pattern and a second helical pattern.

8. The device of claim 11, wherein the grooves are crisscrossed helical grooves.

9. The device of claim 2, wherein the grooves are interconnected grooves.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the shape memory polymeric material of the wall of the device comprises shape memory polymeric polycyclooctene.

11. The device of claim 2, wherein the grooves comprise a depth and wherein the depth the grooves are from about 5% to about 50% of the wall thickness.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least two tubular structures and a graft engaging the at least two tubular structures,

wherein the at least two tubular structures are spaced apart from one and the other.

13. A method of making a stent, comprising:

providing a shape memory polymer;

forming the shape memory polymer into a tubular structure having an open first end and an opposed open second end, the tubular structure having a wall between said first open end and said second end to define an open lumen therethrough, the wall having an outer surface and an opposed inner surface defining a wall thickness therebetween; and

disposing grooves within the outer surface of the wall.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of providing the shape memory polymer further comprises providing shape memory polymeric polycyclooctene.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of forming the shape memory polymer into the tubular structure is selected from the group consisting of molding the shape memory polymer, casting the shape memory polymer, extruding the shape memory polymer, and combinations thereof

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of disposing grooves within the outer surface of the wall is selected from the group consisting of mechanically forming the grooves, milling the outer surface of the wall, grinding the outer surface of the wall, cutting the outer surface of the wall, laser cutting the outer surface of the wall, etching the outer surface of the wall, masking the outer surface of the wall, removing a sacrificial layer or filament from the outer surface, molding the grooves within the outer surface of the wall, and combinations thereof.

17. A method for intraluminal delivery of a stent, comprising providing an assembly, comprising:

a delivery device having an elongate tube; and

a radially distensible stent comprising;

a tubular structure having an open first end and an opposed open second end, the tubular structure having a wall between said first open end and said second end to define an open lumen therethrough, the wall having an outer surface and an opposed inner surface defining a wall thickness therebetween;

the wall comprising a shape memory polymeric material; and

grooves disposed within the outer surface of said wall;

wherein the stent is disposed in a contracted state on the elongate tube of the delivery device;

advancing the assembly to a site within a bodily lumen;

radially expanding the stent within the bodily lumen; and

withdrawing the delivery device to leave the stent within the bodily lumen.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of radially expanding the stent within the bodily lumen further comprises supplying heat from a heat source to the stent to radially expand the stent.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of radially expanding the stent within the bodily lumen further comprises providing an expandable member to mechanically radially expand the stent.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing an expandable member to mechanically expand the stent.