STENT

• US 20100249903A1
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Haas, Thomas, Wack, Thilo
• Granted Patent: US 8,551,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.160
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/002 Designing or making customized prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/42 Plastics B23K2103/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/38 by boring or cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/402 involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators

Abstract

A radially expansible annular stent is disclosed. The stent comprises a plurality of stenting turns around a lumen centred on a longitudinal axis. Adjacent turns of the stent are joined by connector struts. The stent annulus has a wall thickness related to the material from which it is formed. The radial thickness of the connector struts is smaller than that of the stent annulus. A method of making such a stent is also disclosed. The method includes cutting the connector struts from a tubular workpiece with a laser beam. The laser beam is aimed so as to be offset from a longitudinal axis of the workpiece to provide the reduced radial thickness of the connector struts.

Claims

1. A radially-expansible annular stent comprising a plurality of stenting turns around a lumen centered on a longitudinal axis, with adjacent turns being joined by connector struts, the stent annulus having a wall thickness related to the material of which it is formed,

the connector struts having a thickness smaller than the wall thickness of the stent annulus.

2. The stent according to claim 1, wherein portions of the stenting turns immediately adjacent to the connector struts themselves have a thickness smaller than the wall thickness of the stent annulus.

3. The stent according to claim 1, wherein the stent is made from a seamless tubular workpiece.

4. The stent according to claim 1, wherein the stenting turns are formed from stenting struts interspersed by points of inflection.

5. The stent according to claim 4, wherein the struts display a zig-zag appearance.

6. The stent according to claim 4, wherein the luminally extending side walls of the struts of the stenting turns extend in a plane which intersects the longitudinal axis.

7. The stent according to claim 1, wherein the stent is a self-expanding stent made of a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy.

9. The stent according to claim 1, wherein the transverse cross-section of each connector strut extends luminally toward the longitudinal axis only as far as a distance further from the longitudinal axis than the luminal surface of the stent annulus.

10. The stent according to claim 1, wherein the transverse cross-section of each connector strut extends abluminally away from the longitudinal axis only as far as a lesser distance from the longitudinal axis than the abluminal surface of the stent annulus.

11. The stent according to claim 1, in which the connectors have a transverse cross-section that includes a luminal apex at the intersection of two straight lines, the apex being the closest approach of the connector to the longitudinal axis.

12. The stent according to claim 1, in which the connectors have a transverse cross-section that includes an abluminal apex at the intersection of two straight lines, the apex being the point on the connector furthest away from the longitudinal axis.

13. The stent according to claim 1, in which a transverse cross-section through the connector reveals a lack of mirror symmetry about a plane that includes the length direction of the connector and the longitudinal axis of the stent annulus.

14. The stent according to claim 1, wherein the connectors are substantially straight struts.

15. The stent according to claim 1, wherein at least one luminally extending side wall of the connector struts extends in a plane which is offset from the longitudinal axis of the stent.

8. (canceled)

16. A method of making a radially-expansible annular stent that comprises a plurality of stenting turns around a lumen that is centered on a longitudinal axis, with adjacent turns being joined by connector struts, the stent annulus having a wall thickness that is related to the material of which it is formed, comprising:

forming the connector struts out of the annulus material such that the struts have a thickness smaller than the wall thickness of the stent annulus.

17. The method according to claim 16, comprising forming the stenting turns and the connector struts from a seamless tubular workpiece by cutting the workpiece with a laser beam.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein portions of the stenting turns immediately adjacent to the connector struts are themselves formed to have a thickness smaller than the wall thickness of the stent annulus.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the laser beam is aimed to be offset from the longitudinal axis in cutting luminally extending side walls of the connector struts.

23. The method according to claim 17, comprising cutting the annulus material with the laser beam to form stenting struts interspersed by points of inflection, the stenting turns being formed of the stenting struts, wherein the laser beam is aimed to pass through the longitudinal axis in cutting luminally extending side walls of the stenting struts.

26. The method according to claim 16, including the step of cutting the respective cut surfaces at different angles, such that a transverse cross-section through the connector reveals a lack of mirror symmetry about a plane that includes the length direction of the connector and the longitudinal axis of the stent annulus.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)