Medical Implant Maintaining Gaps upon Crimping, Method and Delivery Device

• US 20130096664A1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Venus Medtech (Hangzhou), Inc.
• Original Assignee: Transcatheter Technologies Gmbh
• Inventors: Goetz, Wolfgang, Lim, Hou-Sen
• Granted Patent: US 10,292,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• 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 2/2439 Expansion controlled by filaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/844 folded prior to deployment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

An implant, intended to be detachably fixed or crimped on a portion or an outer surface of a catheter for being delivered to an implantation site, includes a longitudinal axis, or an inner space or inner volume longitudinally extending within the implant, and a radial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, space or volume. The implant includes a first structural element having a first portion, a second structural element having a second portion, and one or more interconnecting elements arranged between the first and the second structural elements. In the implant, the first portion and/or the second portion is/are located less radially as regards the longitudinal axis, inner space, or volume than a third portion of the one or more interconnecting elements.

Claims

1. An implant, intended to be detachably fixed or crimped on a portion or an outer surface of a catheter for being delivered to an implantation site, the implant having a longitudinal axis, or an inner space or inner volume longitudinally extending within the implant, and having a radial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, space or volume, wherein the implant comprises:

a first structural element having a first portion and a second structural element having a second portion; and

at least one interconnecting element arranged between the first and the second structural elements,

wherein at least one of the first portion the second portion is located less radially as regards the longitudinal axis, the inner space or volume than a third portion of the at least one interconnecting element.

2. An implant according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting elements are at least two equally spaced posts.

3. An implant according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting element is a mesh.

4. An implant according to claim 1, wherein the at least one interconnecting element interconnect the first and the second structural elements with each other.

5. An implant according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting elements are posts arranged within the implant such that in at least one state of the implant they extend in parallel to the longitudinal axis, the inner space or volume.

6. An implant according to claim 1, at least one of the first structural element and the second structural element of the implant having at least a fourth portion located more radially as regards the longitudinal axis or the inner space or volume than a third portion of the at least one interconnecting element.

7. An implant according to claim 1, wherein the third portion is provided more radially as regards to the longitudinal axis, inner space or volume than the first and/or the second portion in a state in which the diameter or the radial expansion of the inner space or volume is reduced due to external pressure put on the implant.

8. An implant according claim 7, wherein the state in which the diameter or the radial expansion of the inner space is reduced due to external pressure put on the implant is one of a fully crimped state or a state in which the implant has been crimped or would be crimped upon crimping for being implanted.

9. An implant according claim 7, wherein the state in which the diameter or the radial expansion of the inner space is reduced due to external pressure put on the implant is a crimped state of the implant in which at least one of the first and the second portions contact an outer surface of the catheter.

10. An implant according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first structural element and the second structural element is a guiding structure for guiding strings for amending the diameter of the implant within a part of a body vessel or a part of the patient'"'"'s heart.

11. An implant according to claim 1, designed such that in a crimped state on the catheter or in its delivery state there remains a first gap between one, more or all of the interconnecting elements and an outer surface of the catheter.

12. An implant according to claim 1, designed such that in a crimped state on the catheter there remains a second gap between one, more or all of the interconnecting elements and an inner surface of a sleeve covering the implant.

13. An implant according to claim 12, comprising a sleeve.

14. An implant according to claim 1, being or comprising a heart-valve.

18. A catheter or a catheter portion carrying an implant according to claim 1.

15. A method to be carried out upon preparing an implant on a catheter for its implantation, comprising the step:

crimping the implant such that there remains a first gap between one, more or all of the interconnecting elements and an outer surface of the catheter.

16. A method, preferably according to claim 15, to be carried out upon preparing an implant on a catheter for its implantation, comprising the step:

covering the crimped implant with a sleeve such that there remains a second gap between one, more or all of the interconnecting elements and an inner surface of a sleeve covering the implant.

17. A method according to claim 15, comprising the step:

using an implant.