Prosthesis delivery
First Claim
1. A system for positioning a prosthesis in contact with tissue within a patient, comprising:
- a prosthesis having a proximal and distal end and a tissue-engaging body therebetween,said prosthesis including openings through said tissue-engaging body, near the distal end,said prosthesis having a radially compact form for delivery into the patient, and, being radially expandable along its body for engaging tissue,said system further including a catheter having a portion for supporting said prosthesis in said compacted form during delivery into the patient,said supporting portion of said catheter including members, fixed at axial positions on said catheter, said members each including a free end, for engaging a distal portion of said prosthesis by extending through said openings through said prosthesis to maintain the distal portion in compact form at said fixed axial position while proximal portions of said prosthesis radially expand to engage tissue,said distal portion of said prosthesis engaged by said member being releasable from said fixed axial position of said catheter by relative axial motion between said member and said prosthesis, so that the free ends of said members disengage said prosthesis.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention provides smooth delivery and accurate positioning of prostheses in the body. In embodiments, systems are provided that include elongate members extending generally along the axis of a supporting catheter to a free ends. The elongate members extend through openings in the prosthesis to maintain the position of the prosthesis on the catheter. The prosthesis can be released from the catheter by relative axial motion of the catheter and the elongate members such that the free ends are removed from the openings in the prosthesis. In embodiments, the elongate members hold the distal end of a self-expanding stent at a desired axial location and in radial compaction as a restraining sheath is withdrawn. The friction between the sheath and stent puts the stent under tension, which reduces the radial force on the sheath wall, allowing smoother retraction. Proximal portions of the stent radially expand and axially shorten. The distal end, however, is maintained at the desired axial location and released from the catheter to contact the body lumen wall without substantial axial shortening.
1105 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for positioning a prosthesis in contact with tissue within a patient, comprising:
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a prosthesis having a proximal and distal end and a tissue-engaging body therebetween, said prosthesis including openings through said tissue-engaging body, near the distal end, said prosthesis having a radially compact form for delivery into the patient, and, being radially expandable along its body for engaging tissue, said system further including a catheter having a portion for supporting said prosthesis in said compacted form during delivery into the patient, said supporting portion of said catheter including members, fixed at axial positions on said catheter, said members each including a free end, for engaging a distal portion of said prosthesis by extending through said openings through said prosthesis to maintain the distal portion in compact form at said fixed axial position while proximal portions of said prosthesis radially expand to engage tissue, said distal portion of said prosthesis engaged by said member being releasable from said fixed axial position of said catheter by relative axial motion between said member and said prosthesis, so that the free ends of said members disengage said prosthesis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for positioning a prosthesis in contact with tissue on a wall of a lumen of a patient, comprising:
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a tubular prosthesis having a proximal and distal end and a tissue-engaging body therebetween, said prosthesis having a radially compact form for delivery into the patient, and, being radially expandable along its body for engaging tissue, and said prosthesis being formed of a patterned filament and including a series of openings through the tissue-engaging body of said prosthesis about a circumference of said prosthesis, near the distal end, and said system further including a catheter having a portion for supporting said prosthesis in said compact form for delivery into the patient, said supporting portion of said catheter including a series of elongate members arranged about the circumference of said catheter, fixed at an axial position on said catheter, and extending generally along the axis of the catheter to free ends positioned to pass through said openings, said members maintaining the distal end of said prosthesis in compact form at said fixed axial position while proximal portions of said prosthesis radially expanded to engage tissue, said distal end of said prosthesis being releasable from said catheter at said axial position by moving said catheter proximally so that the free ends of said members are removed from said openings. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A system for positioning a prosthesis in contact with tissue within a patient, comprising:
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a self-expanding prosthesis having a proximal and distal end and a tissue-engaging body therebetween, said prosthesis having a radially compact form for delivery into the patient, and being radially expandable along its body for engaging tissue, said system further including a catheter having a portion for supporting said prosthesis in said compacted form during delivery into the patient, and an axially retractable sheath extending over said prosthesis when it is in said compacted form, said supporting portion of said catheter including members fixed at axial positions on said catheter that engage the distal end of said prosthesis to maintain the distal end in compact form at said fixed axial positions during withdrawal of said axially retractable sheath to place said prosthesis under tension as said sheath frictionally engages said prosthesis during initial retraction of said sheath, and permit proximal portions of said prosthesis to radially expand to engage tissue after further retraction of said sheath, said distal end of said prosthesis engaged by said members being releasable from said catheter at said fixed axial positions by relative axial motion between said members and said prosthesis, so that the free ends of said members are removed from said openings to disengage said prosthesis. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification