Surgical stent method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for preventing arterial restenosis after angioplasty, comprising the steps of:
- winding a plastic material filament into a helical base coil having a cross-section of substantially uniform given diameter;
said providing step comprising the step of inducing in said filament an elastic memory that provides an inherent tendency for said base coil to return to said given diameter after any distortion thereof;
forming from said base coil a helical coil stent with a cross-section having a substantially uniform predetermined diameter substantially less than said given diameter;
releasably coupling said coil stent to an elongated delivery device adapted to pass through a blood carrying vessel;
inserting said coil stent and delivery device into a vessel;
manipulating said delivery device within the vessel so as to position said coil stent at a desired location therein;
decoupling said coil stent from said delivery device;
removing said delivery device from the vessel; and
allowing said elastic memory to expand said coil stent into contact with the inner walls of the vessel and to a diameter substantially greater than said predetermined diameter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for preventing arterial restenosis after angioplasty and including the steps of providing from a plastic material filament a base coil of a substantially uniform given diameter, inducing in the base coil an elastic memory that provides an inherent tendency thereof to return to the given diameter after any distortion, forming from the base coil a coil stent with a substantially uniform predetermined diameter substantially less than the given diameter, releasably coupling the coil stent to an elongated delivery device adapted to pass through a blood carrying vessel, inserting the coil stent and delivery device into a vessel, and manipulating the delivery device within the vessel so as to position the coil stent at a desired location therein. After placement, the coil stent is decoupled from the delivery device which is removed from the vessel, and the elastic memory is allowed to expand the coil stent into contact with the inner walls of the vessel and to the diameter substantially greater than the predetermined diameter. The use of an inherently expandable plastic coil stent permits the effective prevention of restenosis in small arteries typically found in the area of the heart.
540 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for preventing arterial restenosis after angioplasty, comprising the steps of:
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winding a plastic material filament into a helical base coil having a cross-section of substantially uniform given diameter;
said providing step comprising the step of inducing in said filament an elastic memory that provides an inherent tendency for said base coil to return to said given diameter after any distortion thereof;forming from said base coil a helical coil stent with a cross-section having a substantially uniform predetermined diameter substantially less than said given diameter; releasably coupling said coil stent to an elongated delivery device adapted to pass through a blood carrying vessel; inserting said coil stent and delivery device into a vessel; manipulating said delivery device within the vessel so as to position said coil stent at a desired location therein; decoupling said coil stent from said delivery device; removing said delivery device from the vessel; and allowing said elastic memory to expand said coil stent into contact with the inner walls of the vessel and to a diameter substantially greater than said predetermined diameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification