Endovascular stent and delivery system

• US 5,041,126 A
• Filed: 09/14/1988
• Issued: 08/20/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cook Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gianturco, Cesare
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Ralph A.
• Application Number:
  US07/244,669
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 128/341, 128/343, 128/344, 604/96, 604/8, 604/104, 606/191-200, 623/1, 623/12, 623/900
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/885 comprising a coil including a plurality of spiral or helical sections with alternate directions around a central axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 45/008 of medical instruments, e.g. stents, corneal rings medical science A61

Abstract

A wire stent for insertion and expansion into a passageway comprises a plurality of curved sections that are formed into a generally circular configuration. Adjacent curved sections are joined by a bend or cusp, so that a series of alternating opposing loops are formed. The wire stent as formed has a cylindrical shape with a longitudinal opening through which a folded balloon catheter is inserted. The opposing loops are tightly contracted about the catheter so that the cylindrical shape has an overlapping region in which portions of adjacent loops longitudinally overlap. The loops are arranged so that when the balloon catheter is inflated, adjacent loops diverge circumferentially relative to each other, thereby decreasing the overlapping region while increasing the diameter of the cylindrical shape. As the diameter of the cylindrical shape increases, the wire stent contacts the surface of a passageway in which the stent is inserted.

Claims

1. A method for inserting a stent which comprises:

(a) engaging a stent, having a longitudinal length, around a balloon catheter,

(b) locating the catheter and stent within a passageway, and

(c) inelastically expanding the stent, while maintaining the longitudinal length of the stent, by inflating the balloon catheter within the stent to inelastically deform the stent until the stent engages the passageway.

2. An apparatus for intraluminally reinforcing the lumen of a body passageway, comprising:

a tubular shaped stent formed by a plurality of connected elongate members having a first diameter which permits delivery of the tubular shaped stent into the lumen of the body passageway;

at least a portion of said tubular shaped stent having a second, expanded diameter, said portion being formable to said second diameter, without any change in length of said tubular shaped stent, upon application from the interior of said tubular shaped stent of an outwardly extending force, to expand said lumen and to retain said portion of said tubular shaped stent with said second, expanded diameter within said body passageway upon removal of said outwardly extending force.

3. A method for expanding the lumen of a body passageway comprising the steps of:

(a) inserting an endovascular stent, having a longitudinal length, disposed upon a catheter into the body passageway until it is disposed adjacent the lumen; and

(b) expanding a portion of the catheter to expand the endovascular stent outwardly into contact with the body passageway, by inelastically deforming a portion of the endovascular stent, while maintaining the longitudinal length of the stent, until the lumen has been expanded.

whereby the endovascular stent prevents the body passageway from collapsing and the endovascular stent remains in the body passageway.