Resectable self-expanding stent

• US 5,356,423 A
• Filed: 04/22/1993
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ams Research Corporation (Endo International PLC)
• Original Assignee: American Medical Systems Incorporated (Endo International PLC)
• Inventors: Burton, John H., Staehle, Bradford G., Tihon, Claude, Mikulich, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRITTINGHAM, DEBRA
• Application Number:
  US08/053,846
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 606/191, 606/192, 606/193, 606/194, 606/195, 606/196-200, 600/36
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes

Abstract

A stent for transluminal implantation comprising a single-piece tubular member having a fenestrated side wall exhibiting a pattern of uniformly spaced openings defined by intersecting strands where the strands are integrally joined together at their points of intersection whereby the tubular member can be radially compressed from a larger diameter to a smaller diameter by the application of a uniform inwardly directed radial force and which self-expands to a larger diameter when the radial compressive force is removed. The compression and subsequent self-expansion occurs without an appreciable change in the stent'"'"'s length. By forming the stent from a thermoplastic material, it may later be resected by carving it up into small pieces preferably using an electrosurgical instrument.

Claims

1. A stent for insertion into a tubular organ for maintaining the organ patent, comprising a single-piece, single-layer, non-braided tubular member having a single-plane fenestrated side wall exhibiting a pattern of regular cut-outs forming spaced openings, said tubular member radially compressible from a larger diameter to a smaller diameter and self-expandable when the radial compressive force is removed, the compression and later expansion producing a change in length of less than about 10%.

2. The stent as in claim 1 wherein said tubular member is formed from an electrosurgically resectable material.

3. The stent as in claim 2 wherein said electrosurgically resectable material is a thermoplastic.

4. The stent as in claim 3 wherein said resectable material is an acetal homopolymer thermoplastic resin.

5. The stent as in claim 3 wherein said thermoplastic material incorporates a slow-release chemical component therein.

6. The stent as in claim 2 wherein said electrosurgically resectable material has an electrical conductivity approximately that of body tissue.

7. The stent as in claim 1 wherein said openings are generally parallelogram shaped.

8. The stent as in claim 1 wherein said openings are generally eye-shaped.

9. The stent as in claim 1 wherein a radial compression of said tubular member by fifty percent results in a change in length of less than ten percent.

10. The stent as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tubular member has a radial thickness from about 1.25 to 2.25 times the smallest distance between the spaced openings.