Stent fabrication method

• US 5,997,703 A
• Filed: 07/02/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medinol Limited (Medinol USA Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Medinol Limited (Medinol USA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Richter, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Bruce F.
• Application Number:
  US09/109,326
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 204/297 R, 204/224 M
• US Class Current: 204/297.1
• 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 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 45/008 of medical instruments, e.g. stents, corneal rings medical science A61
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/083 Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/10 using a fixed support , i.e. involving moving the laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/12 in a special atmosphere, e.g. in an enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/127 in an enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/22 Spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/38 by boring or cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 33/006 for cylindrical workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/053 aligning cylindrical work; Clamping devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12188 having marginal feature for indexing or weakened portion for severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12201 Width or thickness variation or marginal cuts repeating longitudinally
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12229 Intermediate article [e.g., blank, etc.]

Abstract

A stent and a method for fabricating the stent are disclosed. The stent has an originally flat pattern and connection points where the sides of the flat pattern are joined. The method includes the steps of a) cutting a stent pattern into a flat piece of metal thereby to produce a metal pattern, b) deforming the metal pattern so as to cause two opposing sides to meet, and c) joining the two opposing sides at least at one point. Substantially no portion of the stent projects into the lumen of the stent when the stent is expanded against the internal wall of a blood vessel.

Claims

1. A stent aligning and welding jig comprising:

a) a base having a first end and a second end, a first wall having a first end and a second end and a first major surface and a second major surface;

a second wall having a first end and a second end and a first major surface and a second major surface, said second major surface of said first wall and said first major surface of said second wall defining a longitudinal U-shaped channel having a longitudinal axis in said base, said first wall provided with a plurality of slots defining a plurality of first clamping portions having a top end and a bottom end and a first major surface and a second major surface, each of said first clamping portions provided with a first concave channel disposed at said top end of said second major surface of said first clamping portion and a second concave channel disposed at said bottom end of said second major surface of said first clamping portion, said first and said second concave channels substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said U-shaped channel;

said first wall of each of said plurality of first clamping portions provided with a compensation slit disposed between said first concave channel and said second concave channel, said compensation slit substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said U-shaped channel;

b) a plurality of second clamping portions disposed in said U-shaped channel between said second major surface of said first wall and said first major surface of said second wall, each of said second clamping portions disposed in registry with one of said first clamping portions, each of said second clamping portions having a top end, a bottom end, a first major surface, a second major surface, a first minor surface disposed at said top end, a second minor surface disposed at said bottom end, a third minor surface disposed between said top end and said bottom end, and a fourth minor surface disposed opposite said third minor surface between said top end and said bottom end, each of said second clamping portions provided with a first concave channel disposed at said top end of said first major surface of said second clamping portion and a second concave channel disposed at said bottom end of said first major surface of said second clamping portion, said first and said second concave channels substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said U-shaped channel;

c) a biasing means disposed between said first major surface of said second wall and said second major surface of each of said plurality of second clamping portions for biasing said first major surface of each of said second clamping portions against said second major surface of each of said first clamping portions which are in registry with each other;

d) a first mandrel support lever positioning pin projecting from said third minor surface and a second mandrel support lever positioning pin projecting from said fourth minor surface of each of said second clamping portions, said mandrel support lever positioning pins substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said U-shaped channel;

e) a biasing control means for selectively controlling the distance between said second major surface of each of said first clamping portions and said first major surface of each of said second clamping portions;

f) a retaining mandrel disposed in said second concave channel of said first wall and said second concave channel in each of said second clamping portions; and

g) a mandrel support lever for supporting said stent during the alignment of said first long side of said sheet with said second long side of said sheet, said lever provided with a first mandrel support notch for supporting said first end of said mandrel, a second mandrel support notch for supporting said second end of said mandrel, a first mandrel support lever positioning pin engagement surface for engaging said first mandrel support lever positioning pin and a second mandrel support lever positioning pin engagement surface for engaging said second mandrel support lever positioning pin when said mandrel support lever is disposed on said second wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biasing means is an elastic material.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said elastic material is rubber.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said elastic material is a spring.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biasing control means is a threaded screw disposed in each of said first clamping portions, each of said screws communicating with said first major surface and said second major surface of each of said first clamping portions and selectively movable in a direction toward and away from said first major surface of said second clamping portion to selectively move said second clamping portion in a direction toward and away from said first clamping portions to selectively vary the distance between said second major surface of each of said first clamping portions and said first major surface of each of said second clamping portions.

6. A jig for electropolishing a tubular stent, comprising:

a rack having a first end and a second end, said rack provided with a plurality of stent electropolishing mounts, each of said mounts having

a) a base;

b) an electrically conductive first member having a first end connected to said base and a second end adapted to selectively contact the external surface of said tubular stent without damaging said external surface;

c) an electrically non-conductive second member having a first end connected to said base and a second end adapted to be selectively disposed within the longitudinal bore of said stent without damaging said longitudinal bore, said first member and said second member further adapted so as to bias said second end of said second member towards said second end of said first member in an amount sufficient to secure said stent between said first and said second members.