Endovascular stent and method

• US 5,135,536 A
• Filed: 02/05/1991
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1991
• 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): Frinks, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US07/650,699
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 606/108, 606/191-195, 623/1, 623/12, 604/96
• US Class Current: 606/195
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 a single elongated wire. The wire is first bent into a series of tight bends. The wire is then rolled around a mandrel to create junctions of wire which are permanently adhered. 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 placement within a subject vessel comprising a support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said subject vessel including an elongated flexible filament having a plurality of transverse portions each defined by a series of at least three bends, said transverse portions being rolled to create a cylindrical shape having closely spaced filament portions permanently adhered together to form junctions that prevent unrolling of said filament.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein said junctions are welded.

3. The stent of claim 1 wherein said junctions are soldered.

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 dimensioned to frictionally engage a noninflated balloon catheter and be carried by said noninflated catheter into a blood vessel.

6. The stent of claim 1 wherein said junctions are regularly spaced along a length portion of said stent and are permanently adhered and aligned along said length portion of said stent to form a relatively straight backbone to said stent.

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

8. A stent for placement within a subject vessel comprising a support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said subject vessel including an elongated flexible filament defining a series of bends extending along a series of transverse portions that are rolled to create a cylindrical shape having closely spaced filament portions permanently adhered together by tying or suturing to form junctions that prevent unrolling of said filament.

9. A stent for placement within a subject vessel comprising a support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said subject vessel including an elongated flexible filament defining a series of bends extending along a series of transverse portions that are rolled to create a cylindrical shape having closely spaced filament portions adhered together by tying or suturing with a biodegradable material to form junctions that prevent unrolling of said filament.

10. A stent for placement within a subject vessel comprising a support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said subject vessel including an elongated flexible filament defining a series of transverse portions, each transverse portion defining a series of at least three bends, said transverse portions being rolled to create a cylindrical shape having closely spaced filament portions to form junctions that prevent unrolling of said filament, wherein:

a) said junctions are regularly spaced along a length portion of said stent and are permanently adhered together and aligned along said length portion of said stent to form a relatively straight backbone to said stent;

b) 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

,

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

11. The stent of claim 10 wherein said junctions are welded.

12. The stent of claim 10 wherein said junctions are soldered.

13. The stent of claim 10 wherein gaps are left along said length portion of said stent to accommodate branches in said vessel so that said stent does not block off fluid flow through said branches.

14. A stent for placement within a subject vessel comprising a support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said subject vessel including an elongated flexible filament defining a series of bends extending along a series of transverse portions that are rolled to create a cylindrical shape having closely spaced filament portions to form junctions that prevent unrolling of said filament, wherein:

a) said junctions are regularly spaced along a length portion of said stent and are permanently adhered together by tying or suturing and are aligned along said length portion of said stent to form a relatively straight backbone to said stent;

b) 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

,

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

15. A stent for placement within a subject vessel comprising a support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said subject vessel including an elongated flexible filament defining a series of bends extending along a series of transverse portions that are rolled to create a cylindrical shape having closely spaced filament portions to form junctions that prevent unrolling of said filament, wherein:

a) said junctions are regularly spaced along a length portion of said stent and are adhered together by tying or suturing with a biodegradable material and are aligned along said length portion of said stent to form a relatively straight backbone to said stent;

b) 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

,

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

16. A method of fabricating a generally cylindrical stent, said method comprising:

a) bending an elongated filament into a plurality of series of relatively tight bends;

b) bending said filament into a plurality of transverse portions, each transverse portion having at least three of the relatively tight bends;

c) providing a cylindrical mandrel of a dimension smaller than an inner diameter of a vessel into which said stent is to be inserted;

d) rolling said filament around said mandrel such that ends of said transverse portions meet locations of adjacent filament portions thereby creating said cylindrical shape;

e) permanently adhering said ends and locations to create junctions of filament; and

f) removing said filament from said mandrel to define a throughpassage for fluid passage through said stent in a region previously occupied by said mandrel.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said junctions are permanently adhered by welding.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said junctions are permanently adhered by soldering.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein subsequent to said removal of said stent from said mandrel, one or more transverse portions are removed from said stent to create gaps to accommodate branching vessels and allow unimpeded fluid flow to said branching vessels after said stent is positioned within said vessel.

20. A method of fabricating a generally cylindrical stent, said method comprising:

a) bending an elongated filament into a plurality of series of relatively tight bends;

b) providing a cylindrical mandrel of a dimension smaller than an inner diameter of a vessel into which said stent is to be inserted;

c) rolling said filament around said mandrel to create junctions of filament thereby creating said cylindrical shape;

d) permanently adhering said junctions of filament;

e) removing said filament from said mandrel to define a throughpassage for fluid passage through said stent in a region previously occupied by said mandrel; and

,

f) removing one or more sections of filament from said stent to create gaps to accommodate branching vessels and allow unimpeded fluid flow to said branching vessels after said stent is positioned within said vessel.

21. A method of fabricating a generally cylindrical stent, said method comprising:

a) bending an elongated filament into a plurality of series of relatively tight bends;

b) providing a cylindrical mandrel of a dimension smaller than an inner diameter of a vessel into which said stent is to be inserted;

c) rolling said filament around said mandrel to create junctions of filaments thereby creating said cylindrical shape;

d) permanently adhering said junctions of filament by tying or suturing;

e) removing said filament from said mandrel to define a throughpassage for fluid passage through said stent in a region previously occupied by said mandrel.

22. A method of fabricating a generally cylindrical stent, said method comprising:

a) bending an elongated filament into a plurality of series of relatively tight bends;

b) providing a cylindrical mandrel of a dimension smaller than an inner diameter of a vessel into which said stent is to be inserted;

c) rolling said filament around said mandrel to create junctions of filament thereby creating said cylindrical shape;

d) adhering said junctions of filament by tying or suturing with a biodegradable material;

e) removing said filament from said mandrel to define a throughpassage for fluid passage through said stent in a region previously occupied by said mandrel.

23. A stent for reinforcing a vessel within a subject comprising a cylindrical support dimensioned to fit within an interior of said vessel including:

a) an elongated filament bent to define segments of relatively tightly spaced bends which form a plurality of loops spaced along an axial dimension of the stent connected by a plurality of generally straight wire segments; and

,

b) means for connecting together different straight wire segments;

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.

24. A stent for reinforcing a vessel comprising a wire having alternating bent and straight portions wherein the bent portions form cicumferential loops about a stent throughpassage to bring alternate straight line portions into contact at aligned locations along a length of the stent, and means for connecting at least some of said straight portion locations together.