Stent apparatus and method for making

• US 5,116,365 A
• Filed: 02/22/1991
• Issued: 05/26/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hillstead, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRITTINGHAM, DEBRA
• Application Number:
  US07/660,127
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 604/96
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• 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 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable

Abstract

A stent for reinforcing a vessel wall is disclosed. The stent is constructed from two elongated wires which are each bent into a series of tight bends. The two wires are permanently adhered at a first interconnection junction. The two wires are then wrapped around a mandrel repeatedly forming two opposing series of interconnections. The two wires are then permanently adhered at a second interconnection junction after a desired stent length is obtained. The completed stent forms a cylindrical form which can be expanded from an initial diameter to a larger implanted diameter by application of a radially outward force from a balloon catheter or the like.

Claims

1. A stent for use within a subject vessel comprising

a cylindrical support defining a fluid flow through passage, said support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel and having opposite first and second end portions, said support characterized by:

a) said support being constructed from at least one elongated flexible filament defining a plurality of relatively tightly spaced bends;

b) said filament being interlocked together at a first interlocking junction located at said first end portion of said cylindrical support;

c) said filament being intertwined together at a first set of junctions substantially aligned along a portion of said stent;

d) said filament being intertwined together at a second set of junctions substantially aligned along an opposite portion of said stent; and

,

e) said filament being permanently adhered together at a second interlocking junction at said second end portion of said cylindrical support.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein said support comprises two elongated filaments, said filaments being permanently adhered at said first and second interlocking junctions.

3. The stent of claim 1 wherein gaps are left along a length portion of said stent to accommodate branches in the vessel so that said stent does not block off fluid flow through said branch.

4. The stent of claim 1 wherein said stent is radially expandable from a first outer diameter which fits within said vessel to a second increased diameter which contacts an inner wall surface of said vessel to reinforce said inner wall.

5. The stent of claim 1 wherein an inner diameter of said stent is adapted to frictionally engage a non-inflated balloon catheter and be carried by said non-inflated catheter into a blood vessel.

6. A stent for use within a subject vessel comprising

a cylindrical support defining a fluid flow through passage, said support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel and having opposite first and second end portions, said support characterized by:

a) said support being constructed from two elongated flexible filaments, each filament defining a plurality of series of relatively tightly spaced bends;

b) said filaments being permanently adhered together at a first interlocking junction located at said first end portion of said cylindrical support;

c) said filaments being interconnected together at a first set of junctions substantially aligned along a portion of said stent;

d) said filaments being interconnected together at a second set of junctions substantially aligned along an opposite portion of said stent;

e) said filaments being permanently adhered together at a second interlocking junction at said second end portion of said cylindrical support;

wherein said stent is radially expandable from a first outer diameter which fits within said vessel to a second increased diameter which contacts an inner wall surface of said vessel to reinforce said inner wall, sand

wherein an inner diameter of said stent is adapted to frictionally engage a non-inflated balloon catheter and be carried by said non-inflated catheter into a blood vessel.

7. The stent of claim 6 wherein gaps are left along a length portion of said stent to accommodate branches in the vessel so that said stent does not block off fluid flow through said branches.

8. A cylindrically shaped support for use in a subject vessel comprising a flexible elongated filament bent at a midpoint to define two filament portions that diverge in two directions away from one end of the support along curved segments to define a cylindrical form wherein said curved segments extend along areas that meet at a sequence of junctions along the length of the cylindrical form, overlap other segments and are reoriented to traverse a given section of the cylindrical form;

said curved segments meeting at a second end of the support.

9. The support of claim 8 wherein each curved segment bounds a semi-cylindrical section of the cylinder.

10. The support of claim 8 comprising two filaments each bent at a midpoint to form end positions on opposite sections at one end of the cylindrical form and each curved segment traverses one quadrant of said cylinder.

11. A stent for use within a subject vessel comprising a cylindrical support defining a fluid flow through passage, said support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel and having opposite first and second end portions, said support characterized by:

a) said support being constructed from at least one elongated flexible filament, said filament defining a plurality of series of relatively tightly spaced bends;

said support being interlocked together at a first interlocking junction located at said first end portion of said cylindrical support;

c) said support being intertwined together at a first set of junctions substantially aligned along a portion of said stent;

d) said support being intertwined together at a second set of junctions substantially aligned along an opposite portion of said stent; and

,

e) said support being permanently adhered together via welding at a second interlocking junction at said second end portion of said cylindrical support.

12. A stent for use within a subject vessel comprising a cylindrical support defining a fluid flow through passage, said support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel and having opposite first and second end portions, said support characterized by:

a) said support being constructed from at least one elongated flexible filament, said filament defining a plurality of series of relatively tightly spaced bends;

b) said support being interlocked together at a first interlocking junction located at said first end portion of said cylindrical support;

c) said support being intertwined together at a first set of junctions substantially aligned along a portion of said stent;

d) said support being intertwined together at a second set of junctions substantially aligned along an opposite portion of said stent; and

,

e) said support being permanently adhered together via soldering at a second interlocking junction at said second end portion of said cylindrical support.

13. A stent for use within a subject vessel comprising a cylindrical support defining a fluid flow through passage, said support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel and having opposite first and second end portions, said support characterized by:

a) said support being constructed from at least one elongated flexible filament, said filament defining a plurality of series of relatively tightly spaced bends;

b) said support being interlocked together at a first interlocking junction located at said first end portion of said cylindrical support;

c) said support being intertwined together at a first set of junctions substantially aligned along a portion of said stent;

d) said support being intertwined together at a second set of junctions substantially aligned along an opposite portion of said stent; and

,

e) support being permanently adhered together via tying or suturing at a second interlocking junction at said second end portion of said cylindrical support.

14. The stent of claim 13 wherein the material used for the tying or suturing is bio-degradable.

15. A stent for sue within a subject vessel comprising:

a) a cylindrical support defining a fluid flow through passage, said support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel;

b) said support being constructed from two elongated flexible filaments, each filament defining a plurality of series of relatively tightly spaced bends;

c) said filaments being permanently adhered together at a first interlocking junction located at said first end portion of said cylindrical support;

d) said filaments being interconnected together at a first set of junctions substantially aligned along a portion of said stent;

e) said filaments being interconnected together at a second set of junctions substantially aligned along an opposite portion of said stent;

f) said filaments being permanently adhered together via welding at a second interlocking junction at said second end portion of said cylindrical support;

wherein said stent is radially expandable from a first outer diameter which fits within said vessel to a second increased diameter which contacts an inner wall surface of said vessel to reinforce said inner wall, and

wherein an inner diameter of said stent is adapted to frictionally engage a non-inflated balloon catheter and be carried by said non-inflated catheter into a blood vessel.

16. A stent for use within a subject vessel comprising:

a) a cylindrical support defining a fluid flow through passage, said support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel;

b) said support being constructed from two elongated flexible filaments, each filament defining a plurality of series of relatively tightly spaced bends;

c) said filaments being permanently adhered together at a first interlocking junction located at said first end portion of said cylindrical support;

d) said filaments being interconnected together at a first set of junctions substantially aligned along a portion of said stent;

e) said filaments being interconnected together at a second set of junctions substantially aligned along an opposite portion of said stent;

f) said filaments being permanently adhered together via soldering at a second interlocking junction at said second end portion of said cylindrical support;

wherein said stent is radially expandable from a first outer diameter which fits within said vessel to a second increased diameter which contacts an inner wall surface of said vessel to reinforce said inner wall, and

wherein an inner diameter of said stent is adapted to frictional engage a non-inflated balloon catheter and be carried by said non-inflated catheter into a blood vessel.

17. A stent for use within a subject vessel comprising:

a) a cylindrical support defining a fluid flow through passage, said support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel;

b) said support being constructed from two elongated flexible filaments, each filament defining a plurality of series of relatively tightly spaced bends;

c) said filaments being permanently adhered together at a first interlocking junction located at said first end portion of said cylindrical support;

d) said filaments being interconnected together at a first set of junctions substantially aligned along a portion of said stent;

e) said filaments being interconnected together at a second set of junctions substantially aligned along an opposite portion of said stent;

f) said filaments being permanently adhered together via typing or suturing at a second interlocking junction at said second end portion of said cylindrical support;

wherein said stent is radially expandable from a first outer diameter which fits within said vessel to a second increased diameter which contacts an inner wall surface of said vessel to reinforce said inner wall, and

wherein an inner diameter of said stent is adapted to frictionally engage a non-inflated balloon catheter and be carried by said non-inflated catheter into a blood vessel.

18. The stent of claim 17 wherein the material used for the tying or suturing is bio-degradable.