Flexible expandable vascular support

• US 6,190,405 B1
• Filed: 05/25/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GFE Corporation For Research And Development Unlimited
• Original Assignee: GFE Corporation For Research And Development Unlimited
• Inventors: Heise, Norbert, Culombo, Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEWART, ALVIN J
• Application Number:
  US09/230,617
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.17, 623/1.18, 623/1.19, 623/12.2, 623/1.21
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• 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 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped

Abstract

The invention relates to an expandable insert for use as a vessel support in blood vessels, the insert being able to deform plastically from a nonexpanded state to an expanded state by application of a radial force directed from the inside outward, with at least one tubular, essentially cylindrical main body section, whose circumferential surface is formed by a number of annularly meandering rings, the rings in each case forming a one-piece strand of material with a defined strand length. The insert is particularly stiff with respect to externally acting radial forces because a first group of rings is provided whose strand length essentially corresponds to the circumference of the insert in the expanded state, and a second group of rings is provided whose strand length is greater than the circumference of the insert in the expanded state.

Claims

1. An expandable insert for use as a vessel support in blood vessels, the insert being able to deform plastically from a nonexpanded state to an expanded state by application of a radial force directed from the inside outward, with at least one essentially cylindrical main body section, whose circumferential surface is formed by a number of annularly meandering rings, the rings in each case forming a one-piece strand of material with a defined strand length, wherein a first group of rings is provided whose strand length essentially corresponds to the circumference of the insert in the expanded state, and a second group of rings is provided whose strand length is greater than the circumference of the insert in the expanded state.

2. The insert as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strand length of the second group is 1.2 to 2.0 times as great as the strand length of the first group.

3. The insert of claim 2, wherein the strand length of the second group is 1.3 to 1.5 times as great as the strand length of the first group.

4. The insert of claim 2, wherein the strand length of the second group is 1.7 to 1.9 times as great as the strand length of the first group.

5. The insert of claim 1, wherein the meandering strands of the second group have length sections which in the nonexpanded state run parallel to the center axis of the main body.

6. The insert of claim 1, wherein the meandering strands of the first group have circumferential sections which in the nonexpanded state run in the circumferential direction of the main body.

7. The insert of claim 1, wherein the strands of the first group and the strands of the second group each intersect in the area of the length sections.

8. The insert of claim 1, wherein the number of meanderings of each strand of the first group is twice as great as the number of meanderings of the corresponding strand of the second group.

9. The insert of claim 1, wherein the strands of the first group in the expanded state of the insert are stretched essentially to form a circular ring.

10. The insert of claim 1, wherein the strands in both groups of rings are contained entirely in the tubular circumferential surface.