System to Deliver a Bodily Implant

• US 20130211493A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Wubbeling, Martin, Dietrich, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,801,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• 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 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod

Abstract

A catheter system with a proximal end and a distal end means at the proximal end to actuate a device at the distal end of the system, and an actuator element (32) that runs the length of the system, from the actuator means to the device and actuates the device by transmitting a physical force from the proximal end to the distal end and characterized by a pre-tensioner (40) near the distal end of the system, that can be set in a pre-tensioning disposition prior to actuation of the device, the pre-tensioner thereby reducing the magnitude of the said physical force that must be transmitted from the proximal end when acutation of the device is required.

Claims

1. A transluminal catheter type system to deliver a bodily implant, the system comprising:

a proximal end with an implant release means and a distal end that carries the implant radially confined within a sheath which, to release the implant, is pulled proximally from the proximal end of the system by the release means to translate the sheath proximally relative to the implant to release the implant from its radial confinement, progressively, starting at the distal end of the implant;

a pre-tensioner which is actuable, prior to actuation of the implant release means, to set the pre-tensioner in a tensioning disposition in which it imposes on at least a portion of the sheath a tension which pulls the portion in a proximal direction, thereby to reduce the force which the release means must impose on the proximal end of the sheath to initiate the said proximal translation of the sheath to begin said release of said implant, wherein the pre-tensioner takes the form of a tube located proximal of the sheath, with the distal end of the tube joined to the proximal end of the sheath; and

a casing tube with a distal end joined to the proximal end of the pre-tensioner tube and a proximal end that can be pulled proximally from the proximal end of the system to deform the pre-tensioner tube elastically while stretching its length.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-tensioner tube is made of a urethane polymer.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-tensioner tube has a wall thickness of the order of 0.2 mm, or less, in a relaxed disposition.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the implant release means comprises a pull wire proximal of the sheath.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an anchoring means for anchoring the casing tube once it has been pulled proximally, thereby retaining the pre-tensioner in a pre-tensioned disposition.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the anchoring means involves the casing tube being anchored to a core tube, the core tube being radially inside the casing tube and running all the way to the proximal end of the system.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the anchoring means takes the form of anchoring holes being provided in the casing tube and core tube that align in a pre-tensioned disposition such that a pin can be placed therethrough preventing relative axial movement of the casing tube and core tube.

8. A transluminal catheter type system to deliver a bodily implant, the system comprising:

a proximal end with an implant release means and a distal end that carries the implant radially confined within a sheath which, to release the implant, is pulled proximally from the proximal end of the system by the release means to translate the sheath proximally relative to the implant to release the implant from its radial confinement, progressively, starting at the distal end of the implant; and

a pre-tensioner which is actuable, prior to actuation of the implant release means, to set the pre-tensioner in a tensioning disposition in which it imposes on at least a portion of the sheath a tension which pulls the portion in a proximal direction, thereby to reduce the force which the release means must impose on the proximal end of the sheath to initiate the said proximal translation of the sheath to begin said release of said implant, wherein the pre-tensioner takes the form of an outer sheath that covers said sheath, present as an inner sheath that has two long edges held together by stitches that run lengthwise along the implant, the pre-tensioner bonded to the inner sheath, or contiguous with the inner sheath around the circumference at the distal end of the inner sheath, and arranged to be put into end-wise tension, whilst the inner sheath is not in end-wise tension.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the stitches run the full axial length of the implant.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is configured to deliver an implant which is a stent.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the stent is a self-expanding stent.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is an “

over the wire”

system.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is a “

rapid exchange”

system.

14. The system according to claim 8, further comprising an implant, radially confined within the sheath.

15. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a device for catheter sheath retraction having a housing connectable to the proximal end of the catheter system, wherein the catheter sheath retraction device includes a mover associated with the housing of the catheter sheath retraction device for actuating the catheter system via the actuating means of the catheter system.