Implant Delivery System

• US 20100268204A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microvention Incorporated (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microvention Incorporated (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: Morita, Hideo, Nguyen, Helen, Tieu, Tai D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,717,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12113 within an aneurysm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12154 having stretch limiting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12068 detachable by heat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/01 Filters implantable into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9505 having retaining means other than an outer sleeve, e.g. male-female connector between stent and instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0071 breakable or frangible

Abstract

A system and method of delivering and detaching an implant within a body of a patient is described. A tether connects an implant with a delivery device. The delivery device includes a heater coil through which the tether passes. The inner diameter of the heater coil is about the same size or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tether, allowing the tether to more efficiently break the tether during delivery.

Claims

1. A delivery system for an implant comprising:

an elongated member having a distal end and a proximal end;

said distal end of said elongated member operable to hold said implant;

a tether member connectable to said elongated member and to said implant; and

,

a heating member disposed on said elongated member;

said heating member having a hollow passage in which at least a portion of said tether member resides;

said tether member being the only item residing in said hollow passage of said heating member.

2. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein said heating member comprises a first region having a first diameter and a second region having a second diameter.

3. The delivery system of claim 2, wherein said second region is positioned closer to said tether member.

4. The delivery system of claim 3, wherein said tether has an external diameter of about 0.004 inch, said first diameter is about 0.007 inch and said second diameter is about 0.005.

5. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein said heating member is an electrically actuated heating coil that is fixed along a side of said elongated member.

6. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein said implant is a stent having a plurality of cells and wherein said tether member is positioned through at least one of said plurality of cells.

7. The delivery system of claim 6, wherein said tether member passes through multiple cells of said plurality of cells.

8. The delivery system of claim 7, wherein said tether member maintains said stent in a compressed configuration.

9. A delivery system for an implant comprising:

a pusher member having an elongated shape;

a distal end of said pusher member connectable to said implant;

a tether for connecting said pusher member to said implant;

a heating element mounted over said tether, said heating element having an internal diameter that is substantially the same as an outer diameter of said tether;

wherein said heating element is controllable to generate a temperature increase that causes breakage of said tether.

10. The delivery system of claim 9, wherein said heating element has a tubular shape.

11. The delivery system of claim 10, wherein said heating element has a first region having a first diameter and a second region having a second diameter.

12. The delivery system of claim 11, wherein said second region is positioned closer to said tether than said first region.

13. The delivery system of claim 12, wherein said tether has an external diameter of about 0.004 inch, said first diameter is about 0.007 inch and said second diameter is about 0.005.

14. The delivery system of claim 9, wherein said tether comprises at least three tether strands and wherein each of said at least three tether strands are fixed to said implant.

15. The delivery system of claim 9, wherein said implant is a stent having a plurality of cells and wherein said tether is located through at least some of said plurality of cells.

16. The delivery system of claim 15, wherein said tether maintains said stent in a compressed configuration.

17. An implant delivery system comprising:

an elongated member sized for insertion into a vascular system of a patient;

a heater disposed on said elongated member, said heater having an interior passage comprising a first region having a first diameter and a second region having a second diameter;

a flexible tether member positioned through said interior passage of said heater;

said flexible tether being connectable to said implant so as to hold said implant to said elongated member.

18. The implant delivery system of claim 17, wherein said interior passage of said heater is sized to enclose only said tether.

19. The implant delivery system of claim 17, wherein said tether has an external diameter of about 0.004 inch, said first diameter is about 0.007 inch and said second diameter is about 0.005.

20. The implant delivery system of claim 17, wherein an outer surface of said heater is fixed to said elongated member.

21. A delivery system for an implant comprising:

an elongated member sized for insertion into a vascular system of a patient;

a heater disposed on said elongated member, said heater having an interior passage comprising a first region having a first diameter and a second region having a second diameter;

a plurality of tether members positioned through said interior passage of said heater;

said plurality of tether members being connectable to said implant so as to hold said implant to said elongated member.

22. The delivery system of claim 21, wherein said plurality of tether members are connectable to a plurality of different locations of said implant.

23. A method of releasing an implant comprising:

providing a delivery device sized for insertion into a vascular system;

activating a heater near a distal end of said delivery device where said implant is connected to said delivery device with a tether;

heating said tether by contacting a circumferential region of said tether with an interior passage of said heater.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said heating of said tether further comprises heating a first region of said heater having a first diameter and second region of said heater having a second diameter.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising contacting said circumferential region of said tether with only said first region of said heater.