STENTS FOR PROSTHETIC HEART VALVES AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME

• US 20100268324A1
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Eberhardt, Carol E., Kalam, Faisal
• Granted Patent: US 8,500,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2415 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0023 triangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 37/065 starting from a specific blank, e.g. tailored blank
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 37/157 Perforations
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 31/00 Other methods for working sheet metal, metal tubes, metal profiles deforming one surface of tubes helically by rolling B21H3/00; upsetting B21J5/08; working metal by removing material therefrom B23; embossing B44B

Abstract

A single piece stent construction having a plurality of commissure posts, each of which extends upwardly from a solid ring along a bend line and generally along a central longitudinal axis of the stent.

Claims

1. A tubular stent having a single-piece construction, the stent comprising:

a solid ring having a central opening; and

a plurality of shaped members extending upwardly from the ring along a bend line and spaced from each other around a circumference of the ring, wherein an outer circumference of the tubular stent comprises the plurality of shaped members.

2. The stent of claim 1, further comprising at least one wire structure spaced from the ring and having a first end extending from a first shaped member and a second end extending from a second shaped member that is spaced from and adjacent to the first shaped member.

3. The stent of claim 2, wherein the wire structure comprises a sinusoidal pattern.

4. The stent of claim 2, further comprising at least one support member extending between the ring and the wire structure.

5. The stent of claim 4, wherein each of the support members extends upwardly from the ring along a bend line between the ring and the support member.

6. The stent of claim 1, wherein each of the shaped members comprises at least one aperture.

7. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a prosthetic valve attached to each of the shaped members and positioned within an interior area of the tubular stent, wherein the valve comprises a leaflet extending between each pair of shaped members.

8. The stent of claim 1, wherein each of the shaped members extends in a direction that is generally parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the tubular stent.

9. A tubular stent having a single-piece construction and a longitudinal axis, the stent comprising:

at least two angled members spaced from and extending generally along the longitudinal stent axis;

at least one upper connecting member extending between two adjacent angled members; and

at least one lower connecting member spaced from the upper connecting member along the longitudinal stent axis and extending between two adjacent angled members.

10. The stent of claim 9, further comprising three angled members and three upper and lower connecting members, wherein each of the upper and lower connecting members extend between two adjacent angled members.

11. The stent of claim 10, wherein a circumference of the tubular stent comprises the three angled members and three upper and lower connecting members.

12. The stent of claim 9, wherein each of the angled members comprises a V-shaped portion and a second portion extending from each of the ends of the V-shaped portion, and wherein the second portions are moveable relative to the V-shaped portion.

13. A method of forming a tubular stent having a single-piece construction, comprising the steps of:

providing a generally flat stent blank comprising a solid ring and a plurality of shaped members extending outwardly from the ring;

applying heat to the stent blank while bending each of the shaped members upwardly along a bend line toward a central longitudinal axis that extends through a central point of the ring.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the stent blank comprises a shape memory material.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the stent blank comprises stainless steel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of applying heat to the stent blank comprises deep forming the stent into a tubular shape.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the stent blank further comprises at least one wire structure spaced from the ring and having a first end extending from a first shaped member and a second end extending from a second shaped member that is adjacent to the first shaped member, and wherein the step of applying heat to the stent blank comprises forming the wire structure toward the central longitudinal axis of the stent.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the wire structure comprises a sinusoidal pattern.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of attaching a valve to each of the shaped members within an interior area of the stent, wherein the valve comprises a leaflet extending between each pair of shaped members.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of cutting the stent blank from a solid sheet of material prior to applying heat to the stent blank.