Sandwich stent

• US 5,980,565 A
• Filed: 10/20/1997
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vascular Concepts Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Iowa-India Investments Company Limited
• Inventors: Jayaraman, Swaminathan
• Primary Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/954,188
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 673/1, 673/12, 606/108, 606/192, 606/194, 606/195
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching

Abstract

A stent is made generally tubular and is initially formed in a collapsed configuration. A fabric cover is provided for the inner stent and is attached outside the stent at one or more desired locations. The fabric cover is much larger in diameter than the diameter of the collapsed stent, however, when the stent is expanded through activation of the balloon catheter therewithin, the stent expands to closely conform to the interior walls of the fabric cover. The attachment of the fabric cover and the stent may be accomplished in several ways. In one embodiment, the fabric cover may be attached outside the inner stent at one linear location parallel to the axis of elongation of the stent. In an alternative embodiment, the fabric cover may be attached concentrically about the inner stent and secured in that configuration by a series of sutures. In a further modification, the fabric cover may be attached around the inner stent non-concentrically through the use of suitable sutures. In a first alternative, one or more expandable clips are collapsed about the fabric cover to secure it about the inner stent. When the entire stent sandwich is expanded, these clips expand as well and comprise stents themselves. In a second alternative, securement of the fabric cover or intermediate stent layer about the inner stent is accomplished through the use of a wire spiraling externally about the outer surface of the fabric cover to secure the fabric cover or intermediate stent layer about the inner stent. When the stent sandwich is expanded, the configuration of this spiraling wire permits it to expand as well and lie against the inner walls of the blood vessel at the desired location. The stent has spaced ends, each of which may be coated or otherwise provided with a radio-opaque material.

Claims

1. A stent assembly comprising:

(a) An inner continuous stent extending along the entire length of the assembly having spaced uncuffed ends;

(b) a fabric cover over the entire inner continuous stent, the cover affixed only along a single longitudinal axis outside the inner stent to at least two point along the inner continuous stent;

(c) the fabric cover having an expansible outer stent in the form of a plurality of cylinder clips collapsed over the fabric cover to secure the fabric cover to the inner continuous stent;

(d) the outer stent having a lesser longitudinal length than the inner stent; and

(e) an outer diameter of the inner stent being substantially equivalent to an inner diameter of the fabric cover.

2. The stent assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner stent is tubular.

3. The stent assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover is affixed to the inner stent along a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of the inner stent.

4. The stent assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner stent is secured concentrically within the cover.

5. The stent assembly of claim 1, wherein the fabric cover comprises an intermediate stent layer having a diameter larger than a collapsed diameter of the inner stent.