Expandable stents and method for making same

• US 6,066,168 A
• Filed: 04/06/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Lau, Lilip, Frantzen, John J., Hartigan, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GHERBI, SUZETTE JAIME J
• Application Number:
  US09/055,582
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/12, 623/1.16
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• 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 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• 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: A61M 2025/1081 having sheaths or the like for covering the balloon but not forming a permanent part of the balloon, e.g. retractable, dissolvable or tearable sheaths
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/02 Local etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/04 Chemical milling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/901 Method of manufacturing prosthetic device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/903 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/921 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery, and a method for making it from a single length of tubing. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more interconnective elements. The individual radially expandable cylindrical elements consist of ribbon-like material disposed in an undulating pattern. Portions of the expanded stent project outwardly into engagement with the vessel wall to more securely attach the stent.

Claims

1. A longitudinally flexible-stent for implanting in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical elements which are expandable in the radial direction and which are connected so as to be generally aligned on a common longitudinal axis; and

at least one weld connection between each cylindrical element to attach the plurality of cylindrical elements along the common longitudinal axis thereby forming the longitudinally flexible stent.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein at least some of the cylindrical elements are comprised of a generally sinusoidal pattern.

3. The stent of claim 2, wherein the generally sinusoidal pattern of the at least some of the cylindrical elements is continuous.

4. The stent of claim 2, wherein the generally sinusoidal pattern is comprised of a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys.

5. The stent of claim 4, wherein the plurality of peaks of the cylindrical elements are out of phase.

6. The stent of claim 5, wherein the at least one weld connection attaches adjacent cylindrical elements at the peaks.

7. The stent of claim 6, wherein the at least one weld connection attaching adjacent cylindrical elements at the peaks are circumferentially offset from one cylindrical element to the next.

8. The stent of claim 6, wherein the at least one weld connection attaching adjacent cylindrical elements at the peaks are circumferentially aligned along the stent longitudinal axis.

9. The stent of claim 1, wherein only one weld connection attaches adjacent cylindrical elements to each other.

10. The stent of claim 9, wherein the only one weld connection attaching adjacent cylindrical elements to each other are circumferentially offset from each other.

11. The stent of claim 1, wherein each cylindrical element has a length and a diameter, the length of each cylindrical element being less than the diameter of the cylindrical element when the stent is in an unexpanded and uncrimped configuation.

12. A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical elements having an undulating pattern of peaks and valleys, the cylindrical elements being generally aligned along a common longitudinal stent axis so that the peaks are out of phase, the peaks of one cylindrical element point toward the peaks of an adjacent cylindrical element; and

a weld connection for attaching one peak of one cylindrical element to an adjacent peak of an adjacent cylindrical element so that the plurality of cylindrical elements are attached along the common longitudinal stent axis thereby forming the longitudinally flexible stent.

13. The stent of claim 12, wherein the plurality of cylindrical elements includes only two cylindrical elements.

14. The stent of claim 12, wherein the plurality of cylindrical elements includes more than two cylindrical elements.

15. The stent of claim 12, wherein the plurality of cylindrical elements includes a preselected number N of cylindrical elements forming N-1 pairs of adjacent cylindrical elements.

16. The stent of claim 15, wherein each pair of adjacent cylindrical elements are attached to one another by one of N-1 adjacent weld connections.

17. The stent of claim 16, wherein each weld connection is circumferentially offset from the adjacent weld connections.

18. The stent of claim 12, wherein each cylindrical element has a length and a diameter, the length of each cylindrical element being less than the diameter of each cylindrical element.