APPARATUS FOR IMPLANTING A DEVICE

• US 20140257454A1
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vascutek Limited (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vascutek Limited (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: McGee, Graham
• Granted Patent: US 9,622,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• 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 2/9517 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

The apparatus has a delivery shaft 30 bearing a tubular device constrained within a moveable sheath 36, and a handle comprising a hollow shaft 124 with a static grip 126 and a grip slider 122 movable proximally or distally. The grip slider is connected to a slider block 24 fixed to a sheath hub 6 to which the sheath is fastened. A retraction wheel 120 has a spool 2 for winding a retraction wire 121 connected to a retraction block 20 in contact with the slider block enabling the slider block to be pushed as the retraction block is retracted distally. Initial incremental movement of the retraction block by winding of the retraction wire, moves the slider block and retraction block simultaneously. Subsequently the slider block is movable independently of the retraction block using the grip slider, leaving the retraction block behind.

Claims

1. Apparatus (10) suitable for placement of a tubular prosthetic device within a natural body lumen, wherein said apparatus comprises a flexible elongate member (30) for positioning of the tubular device, a sheath (36) for holding the tubular prosthetic device in a first configuration upon the flexible member, a handle for manipulating the flexible elongate member, said handle comprising first and second control means (120, 122) operable independently to effect movement of the sheath with respect to the flexible member by use of respective first and second sheath sliders (20, 24) wherein the first control means (120) is configured for effecting a rotation about an axis, and the second control means (122) is configured for translation along an axis, wherein the first control means is operably connected by means of a draw wire (121) to the first sheath slider (20) which in a first position is contiguous with the second sheath slider (24), and said second sheath slider is selectively separable from said first sheath slider by means of the second control means (122), and said first and second sheath sliders are slidable along a common axis, the second sheath slider being operably connected to the sheath for displacement thereof relative to the flexible elongate member.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheath sliders are mounted within the handle and the control means are mounted upon an outer surface of the handle.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first control means comprises a wheel (120) and spool (2), whereby turning of the wheel in a first direction winds the draw wire (121) onto the spool.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein locking means, e.g. a ratchet mechanism (23) or brake is provided for maintaining tension in the wire by inhibiting reverse rotation of the wheel once it has been turned.

5. A stent graft delivery system comprising apparatus according to claim 1, and a stent graft constrained between the sheath and the flexible elongate member of said apparatus, said stent graft having peak and valley portions, and wherein the handle of said apparatus houses stent graft configuration control means, said configuration control means including pull wires releasably connected to the peak and valley portions of the stent graft.

6. A method of introducing a stent graft to a lumen using a stent graft delivery system comprising apparatus according to claim 1, and a stent graft constrained between the sheath and the flexible elongate member of said apparatus, wherein the method comprises the step of initially retracting the sheath by rotation of control means operably connected by means of a draw wire to a first slider, and thereby effecting a linear displacement of the first slider in abutment with a second slider to which the sheath is connected, and optionally, subsequently retracting the sheath by further linear displacement of the second slider away from the first slider by direct sliding movement of second control means connected to the second slider.