SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING STRUCTURAL DEFECTS WITHIN A STENT

• US 20140341251A1
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises Limited (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises Limited (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Diederichs, Christoph, Stockert, Gunther
• Application Number:
  US14/237,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20140341251A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/10 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/72 Investigating presence of flaws

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (1) for detecting defects (12) within a structure of struts (2) forming a stent (3), the system comprising a power supply (8) for applying an electrical potential to a proximal end (9) and to a distal end (10) of said stent (3) in order to establish an electrical current flow between said proximal end (9) and said distal end (10), and a temperature sensor (7) such as a infrared camera, adjacent to said stent (3) for detecting a defect (12) within said structure of struts (2), said temperature sensor (7) being adapted to measure a temperature profile of said stent (3). Further, the invention relates to a respective method for detecting those defects (12).

Claims

1. A system for detecting defects within a structure of struts forming a stent, comprising:

a power supply for applying an electrical potential to a proximal end and to a distal end of said stent in order to establish an electrical current flow between said proximal end and said distal end, and

a temperature sensor, adjacent to said stent for detecting a defect within said structure of struts, said temperature sensor being adapted to measure a temperature profile of said stent.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor is an infrared camera.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a clamping tool for holding the stent.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said clamping tool provides at both sides of said clamping tool a connector for said electrical power supply.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein said clamping tool comprises a drive mechanism for rotating said stent.

6. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a loader for automatically loading said stent into said clamping tool adapted for an automatic operation of said system.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor is mounted to a mounting fixture adapted to rotate the temperature senor around the stent.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said struts are made of biocompatible materials.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said biocompatible material is nitinol.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said applied electrical potential is a D.C. voltage.

11. A method of detecting defects within a structure of struts forming a stent, said method comprising:

establishing an electrical current flow between a proximal end and a distal end of said stent by applying an electrical potential to said proximal end and said distal end of said stent;

measuring a temperature of the stent with a temperature sensor, and

detecting said defect within said structure of struts by locating a spot within said structure of struts dissipating a differing temperature compared to an adjacent area within said structure of struts.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said temperature sensor is an infrared camera.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor and the stent are rotated relative to each other.

14. A system for detecting defects within a structure of struts forming a stent, comprising:

a power supply for applying a D.C. voltage to a proximal end and to a distal end of said stent in order to establish an electrical current flow between said proximal end and said distal end;

a clamping tool to hold the stent, said clamping tool including a drive mechanism for rotating the stent;

a connector connected to said clamping tool and said power supply;

an automatic loader adapted to automatically load the stent into said clamping tool; and

an infrared camera, adjacent to said stent for detecting a defect within said structure of nitinol struts, said temperature sensor being adapted to measure a temperature profile of said stent.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said temperature sensor is mounted to a mounting fixture adapted to rotate the temperature senor around the stent.