Expandable stent

• US 5,776,183 A
• Filed: 08/23/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bolton Medical, Inc. (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Uni-Cath, Inc.
• Inventors: Kanesaka, Nozomu, Tashji, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUDDIHY, FRANCIS KEVIN
• Application Number:
  US08/702,167
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 606/194-200, 606/157-158, 600/36
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• 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 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0095 radioactive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body

Abstract

An expandable tubular reinforcing member of the invention is used for a body lumen. The reinforcing member is basically formed of a plurality of rows of expandable joint members and a plurality of rows of flexible elongated members. The joint members in one row are arranged in a circular form and are spaced apart from each other. The elongated members in one row are arranged in a circular form, and each flexible elongated member extends diagonally to a central axis of the reinforcing member and connects two of the joint members situated in adjacent two rows. When a radial force is applied from an inside of the reinforcing member, the elongated members are bent relative to the joint members to have a larger diameter.

Claims

1. An expandable tubular reinforcing member used for a body lumen comprising,

a plurality of rows of joint members, each of the rows being spaced for a predetermined distance away from each other along a central longitudinal axis of the reinforcing member, each row being formed of a plurality of said joint members spaced apart from each other and arranged circularly around the central axis with a first diameter, and

a plurality of rows of flexible elongated members, each of the rows being situated between adjacent two rows of the joint members and arranged circularly around the central axis, said elongated members in each of the rows being inclined substantially in a same direction and diagonally with an acute angle with respect to a line on a surface of the reinforcing member parallel to the central axis of the reinforcing member, each of said elongated members connecting two of the joint members situated in adjacent two rows of the joint members, said elongated members in two rows sandwiching one row of the joining members to be connected together and being arranged substantially symmetrically relative to said one row of the joint members situated therebetween so that when a radial force is applied from an inside of the reinforcing member, the elongated members are pivoted relative to the joint members to thereby allow the reinforcing member to have a second diameter larger than the first diameter.

2. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, further comprising two rows of end portions disposed parallel to the rows of the joint members, each row of the end portions being connected to a row of the joint members located at each longitudinal end of the reinforcing member and having a plurality of struts situated parallel to the central axis and connected to the joint members and a plurality of connecting portions, each connecting portion connecting a pair of struts situated adjacent to each other.

3. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 2, wherein each connecting portion has a thickness less than that of each strut so that when the reinforcing member is expanded, each connecting portion is expanded.

4. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 2, wherein each strut has a length shorter than a length of each elongated member so that when the reinforcing member is expanded, the struts are equally bent at both ends simultaneously.

5. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein said each joint member includes two side portions and one middle portion for joining the two side portions, two elongated members in one row of the elongated members being connected to one side portion of one joint member in one row of the joint members and to respective side portions of two joint members in another row of the joint members, respectively.

6. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 5, wherein said middle portion is located at ends of the two side portions to have an open side in the joint member, open sides in one row of the joint members being oriented in a same direction and directed in an opposite direction relative to open sides in an adjacent row of the joint members.

7. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 6, wherein said elongated members have first and second elongated members alternately arranged to each other in one row of the elongated members, each first elongated member being connected to the side portion near the open side and each second elongated member being connected to the side portion near the middle portion so that when the reinforcing member is expanded, the first elongated members are bent first.

8. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 7, wherein the elongated members are integrally formed with the joint members and the end portions.

9. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 8, wherein said each joint member has a C shape, and a thickness of each joint member is less than that of each elongated member.

10. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member is coated with a substance which prevents blood coagulation.

11. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member is coated with a bio-absorbable material.

12. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member is formed of a radioactive material.

13. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member is formed of stainless steel.

14. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member is formed of a NiTi alloy.

15. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member has a porous surface so that a drug can be retained on the surface.

18. An expandable tubular reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein said elongated members in each row extend substantially parallel to each other.

16. An expandable tubular reinforcing member used for a body lumen comprising,

a plurality of rows of expandable joint members, each of the rows being spaced for a predetermined distance away from each other along a longitudinal central axis of the reinforcing member, each row being formed of a plurality of said joint members spaced apart from each other and arranged circularly around the central axis with a first diameter,

a plurality of rows of flexible elongated members, each of the rows being situated between adjacent two rows of the joint members, said elongated members extending diagonally to the central axis of the reinforcing member, each of said elongated members connecting two of the joint members situated in adjacent two rows of the joint members so that when a radial force is applied from an inside of the reinforcing member, the elongated members are pivoted relative to the joint members to thereby allow the reinforcing member to have a second diameter larger than the first diameter, and

two rows of end portions disposed parallel to the rows of the joint members, each of the rows of the end portions being connected to a row of the joint members located at each longitudinal end of the reinforcing member and having a plurality of struts situated parallel to the central axis and connected to the joint members and a plurality of connecting portions, each connecting portion connecting a pair of struts situated adjacent to each other and having a thickness less than that of each strut so that when the reinforcing member is expanded, each connecting portion is pivoted.

17. An expandable tubular reinforcing member used for a body lumen comprising,

a plurality of rows of expandable joint members, each of the rows being spaced for a predetermined distance away from each other along a longitudinal central axis of the reinforcing member, each row being formed of a plurality of said joint members spaced apart from each other and arranged circularly around the central axis with a first diameter, each joint member including two side portions and one middle portion for joining the two side portions, said middle portion being located at ends of the two side portions to have an open side in the joint member, open sides in one row of the joint members being oriented in a same direction and directed in an opposite direction relative to open sides in an adjacent row of the joint members, and

a plurality of rows of flexible elongated members, each of the rows being situated between adjacent two rows of the joint members, said elongated members extending diagonally to the central axis of the reinforcing member, two elongated members in one row of the elongated members being connected to one side portion of one joint member in one row of the joint members and to respective side portions of two joint members in another row of the joint members, respectively, so that when a radial force is applied from an inside of the reinforcing member, the elongated members are pivoted relative to the joint members to thereby allow the reinforcing member to have a second diameter larger than the first diameter, said elongated members having first and second elongated members alternately arranged to each other in one row of the elongated members, each first elongated member being connected to the side portion near the open side and each second elongated member being connected to the side portion near the middle portion so that when the reinforcing member is expanded, the first elongated members are pivoted first.