Non-foreshortening intraluminal prosthesis

• US 6,106,548 A
• Filed: 10/26/1998
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Endosystems LLC
• Original Assignee: Endosystems LLC
• Inventors: Redmond, Russell J., Vidal, Claude A., White, Geoffrey Hamilton, Iyer, Sriram S., Roubin, Gary S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): REIP, DAVID OWEN
• Application Number:
  US09/179,021
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 606/191, 606/194, 606/195, 606/198, 623/1, 623/12
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• 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 2210/0019 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: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0029 differing in bending or flexure capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

An intraluminal prosthesis is provided with a plurality of annular elements. Each annular element includes a plurality of struts and apices connected to form an annular configuration. Each annular element has a compressed state and an expanded state, and has a longitudinal dimension which is smaller in the expanded state than in the compressed state. A plurality of connecting members connect the apices of adjacent annular elements. The connecting members have a plurality of alternating segments that function to compensate for the smaller longitudinal dimension of each annular element in the expanded state. The stent may be provided with varying flexibility along its length and/or circumference, and may include segments that have different diameters.

Claims

1. A stent having a plurality of segments and comprising:

a plurality of annular elements, each annular element having a compressed state and an expanded state;

at least one connecting member connecting adjacent annular elements to form a plurality of cells, each cell having an area;

the stent having a first segment and a second segment, with the first segment having a plurality of combined adjacent cells that impart greater flexibility to the first segment than the second segment;

wherein the annular elements and connecting members are made of Nitinol, with each connecting member preset with an elasticity which causes the connecting member to elongate longitudinally.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein each annular element comprises a plurality of alternating struts and apices connected to each other to form a substantially annular configuration, and wherein the connecting members are connected to the apices of the adjacent annular members.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent has a diameter, and has a tapered configuration in which the diameter of the stent gradually changes from one segment to another segment.

4. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent has a diameter, and has a stepped configuration in which the diameter of the stent transitions abruptly from one segment to another segment.

5. The stent of claim 1, wherein the difference in flexibility between the first and second segments is a difference in the longitudinal flexibilities in the first and second segments.

6. The stent of claim 1, wherein the difference in flexibility between the first and second segments is a difference in the radial flexibilities in the first and second segments.

7. The stent of claim 1, wherein the first and second segments are spaced apart longitudinally along the stent.

8. A stent having a first end, an opposing second end, and a longitudinal length, the stent having a diameter throughout its length and comprising:

a plurality of annular elements, each annular element having a compressed state and an expanded state; and

the stent having a tapered configuration in the expanded state with the diameter of the stent continuously increasing from a first diameter at the first end to a second greater diameter at the second end;

wherein the first and second ends have different degrees of flexibility.

9. The stent of claim 8, wherein the stent is expanded to its expanded state and then preset at this expanded state to have a continuously changing diameter.

10. The stent of claim 8, wherein the stent is self-expanding.

11. The stent of claim 10, wherein the stent is made of a shape-memory material.

12. The stent of claim 8, wherein each annular element comprises a plurality of alternating struts and apices connected to each other to form a substantially annular configuration, and wherein the stent further includes connecting members that are connected to the apices of the adjacent annular members, with all the struts in the stent having the same length in the expanded state.