Stent/graft deployment catheter with a stent/graft attachment mechanism

• US 6,102,942 A
• Filed: 03/30/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lifeshield Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation), Datascope Corporation (Getinge AB)
• Original Assignee: EndoVascular Technologies Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahari, Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/050,146
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 623/1.23, 623/1.11, 606/194, 606/195
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts

Abstract

A stent/graft deployment catheter which deploys a stent/graft by pulling it out of its delivery sheath rather than pushing it out. The stent/graft deployment catheter comprises a tip capable of positively engaging a distal end of a stent/graft. Said tip houses a pair of ball bearings which engage a notch in the inner surface of the stent/graft when the inner lumen is occupied by a guide wire.

Claims

1. A method for inserting a stent/graft into a blood vessel at a specific location using a stent/graft deployment system comprising a catheter, a stent/graft preloaded within said catheter prior to insertion of said catheter into the blood vessel, an inner tube at least partially disposed within the catheter, and a tip connected to a distal portion of the inner tube and having a stent/graft engagement means for engaging the stent/graft, comprising the steps of:

a) inserting the catheter into the blood vessel of a patient;

b) roughly positioning the catheter within the blood vessel;

c) partially deploying the stent/graft by pulling back the catheter relative to the inner tube;

d) fine tuning the positioning of the partially deployed stent/graft; and

e) fully deploying the stent/graft by disengaging the stent/graft from the stent/graft engagement means.

2. A stent/graft deployment system comprising a catheter, having proximal and distal ends, a stent/graft which is preloaded into the catheter prior to insertion of the catheter into a patient, and an inner tube at least partially disposed within the catheter, said inner tube having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a tip connected to said distal portion, said tip having a stent/graft engagement means for engaging the stent/graft.

3. A stent/graft deployment system comprising a catheter, having proximal and distal ends, a stent/graft which is preloaded into the catheter prior to insertion of the catheter into a patient, and an inner tube at least partially disposed within the catheter, said inner tube having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a tip connected to said distal portion, said tip having a stent/graft engagement means for engaging the stent/graft, an inner lumen, a track for accommodating a distal end of the stent/graft, and a chamber which houses the stent/graft engagement means and which communicates with both the track and the inner lumen.

4. The stent/graft deployment system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the stent/graft engagement means comprises one or more ball bearings, said ball bearings move between a rest position in the chamber in which they extend into the inner lumen and a lateral lock position in the chamber in which they extend into the track.

5. The stent/graft deployment system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the stent/graft further comprises a proximal end, an inner surface, and a notch in its inner surface on its distal end, when the ball bearing is in the lateral locked position it extends into the notch.

6. The stent/graft deployment system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the stent/graft engagement means comprises one or more latches, said latches pivot between an unlocked position and a locked position.

7. The stent/graft deployment system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the stent/graft further comprises a proximal end, an inner surface, and a notch in its inner surface on its distal end, when the latches are in their lateral locked position they extend into the notch.

8. A stent/graft deployment system comprising a catheter, having proximal and distal ends, a stent/graft which is preloaded into the catheter prior to insertion of the catheter into a patient, and an inner tube at least partially disposed within the catheter, said inner tube having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a tip connected to said distal portion, said tip having proximal and distal ends, an inner lumen, a track for accommodating a distal end of the stent/graft, and a chamber which communicates with both the track and the inner lumen and which houses a stent/graft engagement means for engaging the distal end of the stent/graft.

9. The stent/graft deployment system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the stent/graft engagement means comprises one or more ball bearings, said ball bearings move between a rest position in the chamber which they extend into the inner lumen and a lateral lock position in the chamber in which they extend into the track;

and wherein the stent/graft has proximal and distal ends, an inner surface, and a notch in its inner surface on its distal end, when the ball bearing is in the lateral locked position it extends into the notch.

10. The stent/graft deployment system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the stent/graft engagement means comprises one or more latches, said latches pivot between an unlocked position and a locked position;

and wherein the stent/graft has a proximal end, an inner surface, and a notch in its inner surface on its distal end, when the latches are in their lateral locked position they extend into the notch.

11. A stent/graft deployment system comprising a catheter, having proximal and distal ends, a stent/graft which is preloaded into the catheter prior to insertion of the catheter into a patient, and an inner tube at least partially disposed within the catheter, said inner tube having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a tip connected to said distal portion, said tip having a stent/graft engagement means for engaging the stent/graft, an inner lumen, a track for accommodating a distal end of the stent/graft, and a chamber which houses the stent/graft engagement means and which communicates with both the track and the inner lumen, said stent/graft having a tip engagement means.