Intravascular radially expandable stent and method of implant

• US 4,886,062 A
• Filed: 10/19/1987
• Issued: 12/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wiktor, Dominik M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Ralph
• Application Number:
  US07/109,686
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 128/325, 128/341-345, 128/348.1, 604/53, 604/104-106, 623/1, 623/13, 267/180, 267/182, 267/165, 267/166, 285/15, 138/97, 138/172, 24/129 C, 24/131 R, 24/131 C
• US Class Current: 606/194
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/825 having longitudinal struts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00017 Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00077 Copper or Cu-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00155 Gold or Au-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 45/008 of medical instruments, e.g. stents, corneal rings medical science A61

Abstract

A device to be used as a vascular stent comprising a cylindrical open-ended wire component made of a low memory metal such as copper alloy, titanium, or gold, providing a radial support from within a blood vessel after implantation therein. The coronary stent is characterized by its ability to be expanded radially to a larger diameter after initial implantation and means for causing said stent to expand to a larger diameter and a method for transporting, positioning and implantation of such coronary stent transluminarely to have said stent act as a permanent prosthesis to assure vascular patency. And method for simultaneous angioplasty and stent implant procedure.

Claims

1. A radially expandable stent for implantation within a body vessel, comprising

a wire formed winding in a hollow cylindrical shape,

the winding including a preformed zig-zag type pattern continuous wire formed flat band,

the flat band wound into a continuous helix the length of the stent, and

a full loop terminating both ends of zig-zag preformed wire band.

2. A stent as defined in claim 1 wherein the unexpanded stent has an outside diameter less then 0.075 inch.

3. A stent as defined in claim 2 wherein the stent is radially expandable to approximately three times its original diameter.

4. A stent as defined in claim 1 in combination with means within the wire winding for expanding the winding.

5. A radially-expandable stent for implantation within a body vessel comprising:

a stent body having a wall of generally cylindrical shape formed of a helical coil made of a wire, the body having a longitudinal axis and a first diameter;

zig-zag means in the wire for allowing radial expansion of the cylindrical stent body from the first diameter to a second larger diameter without significantly altering body length along the longitudinal axis.

6. The stent of claim 5 wherein the zig-zag pattern is a generally sinusoidal bend in the wire.

7. The stent of claim 6 wherein the sinusoidal bend lies generally within the cylindrical shape of the stent wall.

8. The stent of claim 5 wherein the wire has an end formed in a loop.

9. A method of forming a radially-expandable stent for implantation within a body vessel comprising:

bending a wire in a zig-zag pattern; and

winding the wire around a form in a coil.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of bending includes forming the zig-zag pattern in the wire generally in a plane and the step of winding the wire includes winding with the zig-zag pattern flat against the form.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

forming a loop in an end of the wire.

12. A method of forming a radially-expandable stent for implantation within a body vessel comprising:

forming a wire into a sinusoidal shape;

forming the wire into a coil having a first diameter and a first longitudinal length, so that later radial outward deformation of the cylinder to a second larger diameter does not significantly alter the longitudinal length.

13. A stent for implantation within a body vessel comprising:

a cylindrical stent body formed of a continwous wire, the stent body having a first diameter and a first length along a longitudinal axis, the wire lying generally at an acute angle to a line through the cylindrical body parallel to the longitudinal axis; and

zig-zag means in the wire for allowing radial outward expansion of the body without significantly altering the length of the body.