CONICAL CRIMPER

• US 20130030418A1
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Inventors: Oba, Travis Z., Taft, Rob
• Granted Patent: US 10,010,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2433 using balloon catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9525 using a funnel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0065 toroidal, e.g. ring-shaped, doughnut-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical

Abstract

Embodiments of crimping devices for crimping stented prosthetic valves and other medical devices from a larger, expanded diameter to a smaller, crimped diameter are disclosed. Some crimping devices utilize a conical surface extending out-of-plane from the direction of crimping, where motion of the conical surface in the out-of-plane direction causes in-plane radially crimping. Other crimping devices comprise a funnel-shaped rigid body having a tapered inner lumen that compresses a medical device moving therethrough. Some funnel-shaped embodiments have slotted sides that allow portions of the medical device to project therethrough. Other funnel-shaped embodiments are used with a tubular sock to pull the medical device through the tapered lumen. Other crimping devices utilize rotating rollers that compress a medical device while the medical device spins between the rollers.

Claims

1. A crimping device comprising:

an annular outer frame comprising a central opening that defines a central axis extending through the central opening;

an inner frame extending through the central opening of the outer frame, the inner frame comprising a first axial end portion, a second axial end portion, and a plurality of jaw guides extending between the first axial end portion and the second axial end portion, wherein the radial distance from the central axis to the jaw guides increases moving axially along the inner frame from the first axial end portion toward the second axial end portion, and wherein the inner frame defines a central opening extending axially through the inner frame and centered on the central axis; and

a plurality of jaws operatively coupled to the inner frame and the outer frame, each jaw having an inner portion positioned within the central opening of the inner frame;

wherein relative axial motion between the outer frame and the inner frame causes radial motion of the jaws for crimping a prosthetic device positioned within the central opening of the inner frame.

2. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein the radial position of the jaws varies as a function of the axial position of the inner frame relative to the outer frame.

3. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein relative axial motion between the outer frame and the inner frame causes engagement portions of the jaws to slide along the jaw guides.

4. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein the inner portions of the jaws define an iris between them and relative axial motion between the outer frame and the inner frame causes the iris to change in radial size.

5. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein the radial position of the jaws is based on the radial distance from the central axis to the jaw guides at an axial position where the jaws are engaged with the jaw guides.

6. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein relative axial motion between the outer frame and the inner frame causes the jaws to move radially in unison.

7. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein the crimping device is configured to transfer an axial force imparted on the inner frame into a radial compressive force imparted from the inner portions of the jaws to a prosthetic device positioned between the jaws, wherein the axial force is proportional to the radial force.

8. The crimping device of claim 7, wherein a mechanical advantage of the crimping device is a function of a slope of the jaw guides, the slope being a ratio of change in radial dimension to change in axial dimension.

9. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein the inner frame comprises a generally frustoconical shape.

10. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein the inner frame comprises an annular wall that extends angularly around the central opening of the inner frame and the jaw guides comprise slots extending radially through the wall.

11. The crimping device of claim 10, wherein an engagement portion of each jaw comprises a neck positioned within a respective one of the slots of the inner frame, the slots being narrower in angular width than the portions of the jaws immediately adjacent to the neck.

12. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein each jaw guide comprises an inclined guiderail extending between the first and second axial end portions of the inner frame.

13. The crimping device of claim 12, wherein each jaw comprises an engagement portion comprising an opening positioned fittingly around a respective one of the guiderails and configured to slide along the guiderail with relative axial motion between the outer frame and the inner frame.

14. The crimping device of claim 5, wherein the iris is fully contracted when the first axial end portion of the inner frame is adjacent to the jaws, and the iris is fully dilated when the second axial end portion of the inner frame is adjacent to the jaws.

15. The crimping device of claim 1, wherein the outer frame comprises a plurality of radially extending jaw support holes spaced angularly around the outer frame, an outer portion of the each of the jaws being positioned at least partially within a respective one of the jaw support holes such that the jaws can move radially relative to the outer frame but are restricted from axial or angular motion relative to the outer frame.

16. The crimping device of claim 15, wherein relative axial motion between the outer frame and the inner frame causes the outer portions of the jaws to slide axially within the jaw support holes.

17. A method of compressing a prosthetic device, comprising:

positioning a prosthetic device between jaws of a crimping device, the jaws being arranged in a plane around a central axis that is perpendicular to the plane; and

moving a driver of the crimping device in a first axial direction relative to the jaws and thereby causing jaws of the crimping device to move radially inward toward the central axis to compress the prosthetic device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising moving the driver in a second axial direction opposite of the first axial direction and thereby causing the jaws to move radially away from the prosthetic device to release the prosthetic device after it has been compressed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the driver is generally conical and symmetrical about the central axis.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the driver decreases in radial dimension from a smaller first end portion toward a larger second end portion, and wherein moving the driver of the crimping device in the first axial direction comprises moving the driver in a direction extending from the first end portion toward the second end portion.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the driver comprises inclined jaw guides extending between the first and second end portions of the driver, the jaw guides being slidably engaged with the jaws, such that axial motion of the jaw guides relative to the jaws causes the jaws to move radially.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the jaw guides comprise slots in the driver.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the jaw guides comprise guiderails coupling the first and second end portions of the driver.