Centering for a TAA

• US 20100274187A1
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Argentine, Jeffery
• Granted Patent: US 8,876,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/96.10
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9517 handle assemblies therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/015 Details of the distal fixation of the movable mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

A stent graft is deployed by a steerable catheter delivery system having a integral tip capture release mechanism. The steering mechanism provides for a locked interference with a distal lock at the distal end of the delivery catheter. The configuration allows for selective circumferentially distributed release of one half or less of the number of crowns of a proximal spring which are captured by a tip capture mechanism so that new positioning of the stent graft can be verified and assured before full release of all proximal spring crowns is done. In this way, one or more steering elements of a catheter can be maintained in tension until catheter position is verified and acceptable stent graft position is achieved. This apparatus and method is particularly useful for deploying stent graft in curved passages such a thoracic aorta.

Claims

1. A prosthesis delivery catheter comprising:

a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end having a distal anchor;

a steering member extending along said catheter shaft from said distal anchor to a handle at said proximal end of said catheter shaft;

a release member extending along said catheter shaft from said distal anchor to a handle at said proximal end of said catheter shaft;

wherein said release member in a lock position has a distal end disposed to prevent a distal end of a steering member from separating from a steering member opening in said distal anchor, wherein when a steering member release element is moved to a release position said distal end of said steering member is not prevented from separating from said distal anchor.

2. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 1,

wherein said distal anchor has a steering member receiving opening therein;

wherein when said steering member release element is moved to a release position said distal end of said steering member is not prevented from separating from said steering member opening in said distal anchor.

3. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 2,

wherein said steering member and said release member extend through a spline capturing an endoluminal prosthesis element in a proximal capture space between:

said catheter shaft, said distal anchor, said spline, and at least one of said steering member and said release member.

4. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 3,

wherein the said spline has a through hole therein through which at least one of said steering member and said release member are configured to pass.

5. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 3,

wherein the said spline has at least one side hook preventing release of at least one of said steering member and said release member from said proximal capture space.

6. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 3,

wherein said endoluminal prosthesis element has a proximal spring element.

7. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 6,

wherein said endoluminal prosthesis element is part of a stent.

8. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 6,

wherein said endoluminal prosthesis element is part of a stent graft.

9. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 3,

wherein said steering member is a tube.

10. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 9,

wherein steering member tube has an expandable locking element at a distal end thereof.

11. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 10,

wherein said release member is a wire or a tube.

12. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 11

wherein said lock position is created when said release member configured as said wire or tube is positioned within said expandable locking element of said steering member tube, and said release position is created when said release member configured as said wire or tube is not positioned within said expandable locking element of said steering member tube.

13. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 11,

wherein said wire or tube has an enlarged end locking portion.

14. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 3,

wherein said steering member is a wire.

15. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 14,

wherein the wire has an enlarged end portion.

16. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 15,

wherein said release member is a wire.

17. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 16,

wherein said wire has an enlarged end locking portion.

18. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 1,

wherein the release member extends beyond the distal anchor to act as barrier capturing an endoluminal prosthesis element in a distal capture space between said catheter shaft extending beyond said distal anchor and said release member.

19. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 18,

where the distal anchor is configured as a rib in which said steering member is anchored and around which a portion of said endoluminal prosthesis element extending from said distal capture space can be positioned.

20. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 19,

wherein said endoluminal prosthesis element has a proximal spring element.

21. The prosthesis delivery catheter of claim 19,

wherein said steering member is a tube;

wherein steering member tube has an expandable locking element at a distal end thereof;

wherein said release member is a wire or a tube;

wherein said lock position is created when said release member configured as said wire or tube is positioned within said expandable locking element of said steering member tube, and said release position is created when said release member configured as said wire or tube is not positioned within said expandable locking element of said steering member tube.

22. A method of delivering a stent graft comprising:

positioning a catheter at a treatment location;

manipulating the catheter laterally at the treatment location to improve the chance of symmetric deployment;

deploying approximately half the crowns of a spring equally distributed around the perimeter at a proximal end of a stent graft;

deploying previously undeployed crowns of the spring at the proximal end of the stent graft;

wherein the step of manipulating involves manipulation of a releasable steering member, wherein the step of deploying approximately half the crowns involves moving a release members from a crown captured position to a crown released position, and wherein the step of deploying previously undeployed crowns involves moving a steering member release wires from a lock position to a release position and moving the steering member from a crown captured position to a crown released position

23. The method of delivering a stent graft of claim 22,

wherein the step of manipulating involves manipulation of one of at least two or more releasable steering members.

24. The method of delivering a stent graft of claim 22,

wherein the step of manipulating involves manipulation of one of at least three releasable steering members.

25. The method of delivering a stent graft of claim 22,

herein the step of manipulating involves manipulation of one of at least four releasable steering members.