REPOSITIONABLE ENDOLUMINAL SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND ITS APPLICATIONS

• US 20110245918A1
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences CardiAQ LLC (Edwards Lifesciences Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences CardiAQ LLC (Edwards Lifesciences Corporation)
• Inventors: WHITE, Jennifer K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,259,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2409 Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2421 with non-pivoting rigid closure members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/243 Deployment by mechanical expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2469 with resilient valve members, e.g. conical spiral
• 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 2/844 folded prior to deployment
• 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 2210/0076 multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0041 using additional screws, bolts, dowels or rivets, e.g. connecting screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0004 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/001 for adjusting a diameter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An endoluminal support structure includes strut members interconnected by swivel joints to form a series of linked scissor mechanisms. The structure can be remotely actuated to compress or expand its shape by adjusting the scissor joints within a range of motion. In particular, the support structure can be repositioned within the body lumen or retrieved from the lumen. The support structure can be employed to introduce and support a prosthetic valve within a body lumen.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising a plurality of strut members wherein each of the plurality of strut members comprises an articulation with three other strut members and wherein none of the three other strut members articulate with each other.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the articulation is a pivot joint.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein the pivot joint comprises a rotation axis with an orientation substantially normal to an outer surface of the medical device.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the articulation is a swivel joint.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of strut members comprises strut openings.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, further comprising a valve attached to the plurality of strut members using the strut openings.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a valve attached to the plurality of strut members.

13. The implantable frame of claim 1, wherein the plurality of strut members comprises at least six strut members.

14. The implantable frame of claim 1, wherein the plurality of strut members comprises eighteen strut members.

8. An implantable medical device, comprising a plurality of struts and a plurality of pivoting articulations between the plurality of struts, wherein the plurality of pivoting articulations is greater in number than the plurality of struts.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of pivoting articulations comprises a first group of end articulations, a second group of end articulations, and a group of middle articulations.

10. An implantable frame, comprising inner struts, outer struts, and scissor joints formed between the inner struts and outer struts.

11. The implantable frame of claim 10, wherein the inner struts and outer struts form an uninterrupted loop configuration.

12. The implantable frame of claim 10, further comprising end joints formed between the inner struts and outer struts.

15. An implantable frame, comprising a plurality of strut members wherein each of the plurality of strut members articulates with three other strut members but wherein none of the three other strut members articulate with each other.

16. An implantable frame, comprising a plurality of strut members wherein each of the plurality of strut members articulates with at least two other strut members but wherein none of the at least two other strut members articulate with one another, and wherein each strut member articulates with another strut member at a strut location spaced apart from an end of the implantable frame.

17. The implantable frame of claim 16, wherein the plurality of strut members comprises a plurality of inter-strut pivoting articulations.

18. The implantable frame of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of strut members articulates with no more than three other strut members.

19. The implantable frame of claim 16, wherein the plurality of strut members comprises a plurality of inner strut members and a plurality of outer strut members.

20. The implantable frame of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of inner strut members only articulates with the plurality of outer strut members.

21. The implantable frame of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of outer strut members only articulates with the plurality of inner strut members.

22. An implantable medical device, comprising a stent configured to selectively expand and collapse in a substantially uniform fashion using a non-uniform force applied to the stent.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising a valve attached to the stent.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the non-uniform force is a rotational force.

25. An implantable medical device kit, comprising:

a tubular frame comprising a first opening, a second opening, and a longitudinal axis therebetween;

an adjustment mechanism fixedly attached to the frame, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to selectively expand and collapse the frame and is asymmetrically located relative to a cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame; and

a catheter configured to releasably couple to the adjustment mechanism.

26. The kit of claim 25, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to generate a longitudinal force from a rotational force.

27. The kit of claim 26, wherein the catheter is configured to impose a rotational force onto the adjustment mechanism.

28. The kit of claim 25, wherein the catheter comprises a rotatable shaft.

29. The kit of claim 25, wherein the catheter is further configured with a fixed coupling interface and a movable coupling interface.

30. The kit of claim 29, wherein the fixed coupling interface is configured to counteract movement at the movable coupling interface.

31. The kit of claim 30, wherein the movable coupling interface comprises a rotatable drive head and the fixed coupling interface a protruding sheath member comprising a complementary configuration to the adjustment mechanism.

32. The kit of claim 25, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a worm gear.

33. The kit of claim 25, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a rack and pinion mechanism.

34. The kit of claim 25, further comprising a valve attached to the frame.