Extendible stent apparatus

• US 6,210,429 B1
• Filed: 01/14/1998
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Stent Technologies Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Vardi, Gil M., Davidson, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prebilic, Paul B.
• Application Number:
  US09/007,265
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/1.21, 623/1.23, 623/1.16, 623/1.15, 623/1.35, 623/1.11, 623/1.14, 606/191, 606/194, 606/198, 606/153
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• 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 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• 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 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91583 by a bridge, whereby at least one of its ends is connected along the length of a strut between two consecutive apices within a band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 : radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

The present invention concerns novel stent apparatuses for use in treating lesions at or near the bifurcation point in bifurcated cardiac, coronary, renal, peripheral vascular, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, urinary and neurovascular vessels and brain vessels. More particularly, the invention concerns a stent apparatus with at least one side opening which may further comprise an extendable stent portion laterally extending from the side opening and at least partly in registry with the wall of the side opening. Devices constructed in accordance with the invention include, singularly or in combination, a main expandable stent comprising at least one substantially circular side opening located between its proximal and distal end openings, which side opening may further comprise an expandable portion extending radially outward from the edges of the side opening; and a branch stent comprising proximal and distal end openings and which may further comprise a contacting portion at its proximal end, and which may optionally be constructed to form either a perpendicular branch or a non-perpendicular branch when inserted through a side opening of the main stent. The stents of the invention are marked with, or at least partially constructed of, a material which is imageable during intraluminal catheterization techniques, most preferably but not limited to ultrasound and x-ray.

Claims

1. A method of positioning a main stent comprising a stent body having a side hole at a vessel bifurcation, said method comprising:

positioning the main stent within a main vessel at the bifurcation so that the side hole is aligned with an ostium of a branch vessel, wherein the side hole comprises an opening surrounded by an expandable portion that is integrally formed with the stent body, wherein the expandable portion is flush with the stent body during positioning of the main stent within the main vessel;

expanding the main stent within the main vessel; and

expanding the expandable portion of the side hole by inflating a balloon which extends through the side hole into the branch vessel, wherein expanding the expandable portion further comprises expanding the expandable portion radially and in at least a partially perpendicular manner relative to the stent body so as to extend into the branch vessel.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein positioning comprises inserting a stabilizing catheter over a side branch guidewire through the side hole and into the branch vessel.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein expanding the expandable portion of the side hole comprises removing the stabilizing catheter from over the side branch guidewire, advancing a balloon catheter over the side branch catheter so that the balloon thereon is positioned within the side hole, and expanding the balloon on the balloon catheter within the side hole.