Steerable stent catheter

• US 5,342,300 A
• Filed: 03/12/1993
• Issued: 08/30/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Christodoulos I. Stefanadis, Pavlos K. Tovtouzas
• Original Assignee: Christodoulos I. Stefanadis, Pavlos K. Tovtouzas
• Inventors: Stefanadis, Christodoulos I., Tovtouzas, Pavlos K.
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US08/030,674
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 604/95, 604/280, 604/281, 604/282, 604/283, 606/198, 606/195, 606/194, 606/192, 606/191, 606/200
• US Class Current: 604/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/01 Introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters A61M25/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0105 Steering means as part of the catheter or advancing means; Markers for positioning systems for detection of markers A61B
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

Distal end of a vascular catheter is provided with diameter whose outside can be adjusted by external manipulations. Contracted the spirals are in contact with the outer surface of the catheter wall, thus allowing easy insertion of the catheter device in the region of the dissected vessel wall. When expanded to the desired diameter in contact with the vessel wall, the spirals support the dissected flap against the vessel wall while allowing blood flow through the lumen, the present endoprosthesis can be deployed with simple percutaneous vascular catheterization and can be readily removed after the desired therapeutic effect has been achieved. The endoprosthesis is useful in cases of acute wall dissection of blood vessels such as the aorta and the coronary arteries.

Claims

1. A vascular catheter suitable for transluminal endoprosthesis which comprises:

an elongated, flexible, hollow shaft; and

a steering wire for said shaft;

said steering wire extending along the hollow shaft and being secured to the distal end portion of the shaft, a distal portion of the steering wire being coiled around the shaft so that a forwardly movement of the steering wire along the longitudinal axis of the shaft increases the outside diameter of the coiled wire portion and a rearwardly movement of the wire along the longitudinal axis of the shaft reduces the outside diameter of the coiled wire portion;

said steering wire having a coiled portion and a straight portion, and the straight portion being situated inside the hollow shaft.

2. The vascular catheter in accordance with claim 1 wherein the steering wire is made of stainless steel.