Intravascular medical device

• US 5,607,463 A
• Filed: 03/30/1993
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daniel W. Latham, Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wolff, Rodney G., Tuch, Ronald G., Schwartz, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brittingham, Debra S.
• Application Number:
  US08/040,045
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 606/191-200, 600/36, 604/93
• US Class Current: 623/1.44
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/306 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L27/303 - A61L27/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/106 Inorganic materials other than carbon
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/088 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L31/084 or A61L31/086

Abstract

An indwelling intravascular device having at least one tissue-contacting surface in which the tissue-contacting surface is provided with improved tissue compatibility by applying to the base material comprising the tissue-contacting surface a thin layer of a tissue-compatible metal. Metals from Group VA of the Periodic Table are preferred. The metal layer is particularly useful in vascular prosthetic devices such as vascular grafts and stents.

Claims

1. An indwelling intravascular device for implantation in a blood vessel of a patient over an extended period of time, said intravascular device having at least one tissue-contacting surface, the tissue-contacting surface subject to contact with a wall of the blood vessel, the tissue-contacting surface comprising a base material and a thin layer of a metal from Group VB of the Periodic Table adherent to the base material.

2. An indwelling intravascular device according to claim 1 wherein the base material is a polymer.

3. An indwelling intravascular device according to claim 2 wherein the base polymer is an elastomer.

4. An indwelling intravascular device according to claim 1 wherein the metal layer is less than about 3000 angstroms thick.

5. An indwelling intravascular device according to claim 1 wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of tantalum and niobium.

6. An indwelling intravascular device according to claim 1 wherein the intravascular device is selected from the group consisting of a vascular prosthesis, an artificial heart valve, an electrical lead, and a catheter.

7. A vascular prosthesis for implantation in a blood vessel of a patient over an extended period of time, said vascular prosthesis having at least one tissue-contacting surface subject to contact with a wall of the blood vessel and one blood-contacting surface, the tissue-contacting surface comprising a base material and a thin layer of a metal from Group VB of the Periodic Table adherent to the base material.

8. A vascular prosthesis according to claim 7 wherein the base material is a polymer.

9. A vascular prosthesis according to claim 8 wherein the base polymer is an elastomer.

10. A vascular prosthesis according to claim 7 wherein the metal layer is less than about 3000 angstroms thick.

11. A vascular prosthesis according to claim 7 wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of tantalum and niobium.

12. A vascular prosthesis according to claim 7 wherein the blood-contacting surface comprises a base material and a thin layer of a metal from Group VB of the Periodic Table adherent to the base material.

13. A vascular prosthesis according to claim 7 or 12 wherein the vascular prosthesis is selected from the group consisting of a vascular graft and an intravascular stent.