Stent

• US 6,197,048 B1
• Filed: 07/02/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• 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): Valentine, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US09/109,535
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 205/73, 205/75, 205/660, 72/51, 606/194, 623/1.15, 623/1.3
• 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 2002/91541 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 having a longitudinal lumen comprising:

a first long side and a second long side, said first long side provided with a plurality of pairs of engagement points, said second long side provided with a plurality of pairs of engagement points, said plurality of pairs of first long side engagement points and said plurality of pairs of second long side engagement points disposed substantially opposite each other and connected to each other via a weld, said weld wider than the other portions of said stent, wherein said weld is about 20% wider than the other portions of the stent.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein said weld is a spot weld.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein weld comprises a plurality of spot welds.

4. The stent of claim 3, wherein said plurality of spot welds comprises 5 spot welds.

5. The stent of claim 1, wherein said stent patterns are adapted so that upon the expansion of said stent against the internal wall of a vessel substantially no portion of said stent protrudes into said longitudinal lumen of said stent.

6. The stent of claim 1, wherein said weld-run is run from outside-to-in.

7. A stent having a longitudinal lumen comprising:

a first long side and a second long side, said first long side provided with a plurality of pairs of engagement points, said second long side provided with a plurality of pairs of engagement points, said plurality of pairs of first long side engagement points and said plurality of pairs of second long side engagement points disposed substantially opposite each other and connected to each other via a weld, said weld wider than the other portions of said stent, wherein said weld has a width of about 140 microns.

8. A stent having a longitudinal lumen comprising:

a first long side and a second long side, said first long side provided with a plurality of pairs of engagement points, said second long side provided with a plurality of pairs of engagement points, said plurality of pairs of first long side engagement points and said plurality of pairs of second long side engagement points disposed substantially opposite each other and connected to each other via a weld, said weld wider than the other portions of said stent, wherein said weld is comprised of a plurality of weld runs.

9. The stent of claim 8, wherein said weld is comprised of two weld runs.