Cardiovascular stent and retrieval apparatus

• US 5,733,302 A
• Filed: 09/04/1996
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hemodynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hemodynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hammerslag, Julius G., Myler, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULCARE, NANCY C
• Application Number:
  US08/707,524
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 606/191, 606/194-195, 606/181-182, 604/96, 604/104, 623/1, 623/12, 128/401
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9528 for retrieval of stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0019 operated at only one temperature whilst inside or touching the human body, e.g. constrained in a non-operative shape during surgery, another temperature only occurring before the operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

Disclosed is a removable cardiovascular stent, an apparatus for the retrieval of the stent and a method for removal of the stent. The removable stent includes radially inwardly extending engagement members for contacting an extraction catheter. The extraction catheter includes a tubular body and an axially moveable guidewire, each adapted to grasp the engagement members of the tubular stent. The stent is elongated in an axial direction thereby reducing the cross-sectional area of the stent. The stent can be removed directly, or can fit within the tubular body of the extraction catheter for atraumatic removal from the treatment location.

Claims

1. An extraction catheter for removing a stent from within a body lumen, comprising:

an elongate tubular body having least one lumen extending axially therethrough;

a proximal engagement member on said tubular body adapted to engage a projection on the first end of a tubular flexible stent;

an axially movable support extending through said lumen; and

a distal engagement member on said support adapted to engage a projection on a second end of a tubular flexible stent, wherein said proximal engagement member is axially moveable relative to said distal engagement member such that when the proximal engagement member is moved axially away from the distal engagement member during use they are adapted to stent in an axial direction.

2. An extraction catheter as in claim 1, wherein said axially moveable support comprises an elongate flexible guidewire.

3. An extraction catheter for use with a removable cardiovascular stent of the type having engagement members on each of the proximal and distal ends thereof, said stent configured to reduce in cross sectional area in response to axial elongation such as by axial separation of the proximal and distal engagement members, said catheter comprising:

an elongate tubular body having a proximal control end and a distal functional end, and at least one lumen extending from the proximal control end to said distal functional end;

a proximal engagement member on the tubular body for contacting at least one of said engagement members on the proximal end of said stent; and

a distal engagement member axially movably disposed with respect to the tubular body for contacting at least one of said engagement members on the distal end of said stent, wherein said distal engagement member is moveable in a distal axial direction relative to said tubular body for elongating said stent in an axial direction.

4. An extraction catheter as in claim 3, wherein said proximal engagement member comprises a flexible annular halo mounted on the tubular body.

5. An extraction catheter as in claim 4, further comprising an outer tubular sheath for maintaining said halo in a radially retracted position.