Stent delivery system

• US 6,228,110 B1
• Filed: 12/27/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Munsinger, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, VY Q
• Application Number:
  US09/472,618
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 606/108, 606/194, 606/191, 606/195, 606/198, 604/96.01, 623/1.11, 623/1.12
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0681 Systems with catheter and outer tubing, e.g. sheath, sleeve or guide tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09125 Device for locking a guide wire in a fixed position with respect to the catheter or the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/01 Introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters A61M25/10 takes precedence

Abstract

Inventive catheters are disclosed which employ a variety of devices for preventing unwanted motion of the catheter tip. These methods include the use of a slidably mounted annular shim located in the tip of the catheter which may frictionally engage the guidewire element, and an annular brush with bristles. In the later case, the extent of the frictional engagement between the tip and the guidewire is determined by the orientation of the bristles. The present invention is also directed to a catheter in which unwanted motion is prevented by the presence of a tension/compression cable extending from the proximal end of the catheter shaft to the distal end of the catheter shaft. In the unlocked position, the tension/compression cable has slack in it while in the engaged position, the cable is either under tension or under compression.

Claims

1. A lockable treatment device delivery catheter comprising:

an inner tube having proximal and distal ends;

a guidewire element carried within the inner tube and extending from the proximal end of the inner tube to the distal end of the inner tube;

a tip disposed at the distal end of the inner tube; and

a motion arresting device frictionally engaging the tip with the guidewire to prevent motion of the tip when engaged,

the motion arresting device comprising an annular brush having bristles, the brush disposed within the tip about the guidewire element, the bristles extending from the brush to the guidewire element and frictionally engaging at least a portion of the guidewire element.

2. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the bristles are made of a soft material which does not mar the guidewire element.

3. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 1 further comprising:

a catheter shaft having proximal and distal ends, the inner tube carried within the catheter shaft and extending beyond the distal end of the catheter shaft;

a treatment device disposed about the distal end of the inner tube; and

a retractable sheath slidably disposed about the distal end of the catheter shaft, the sheath retractable from a fully extended position in which the treatment device is covered by the retractable sheath and a fully retracted position in which the treatment device is exposed, the tip abutting the retractable sheath in the fully extended position.

4. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 3 wherein the treatment device is a stent disposed about the distal end of the inner tube, the stent covered when the retractable sheath is in the fully extended position, the stent fully exposed when the retractable sheath is in the retracted position.

5. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 4 wherein the stent is self-expanding.

6. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 1 further comprising:

a balloon-expandable stent disposed about the inner tube,

a fluid inflatable balloon disposed about the inner tube underneath the stent,

and an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon and extending to the proximal end of the catheter shaft.

7. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 1 in rapid exchange form.

8. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 1 in over-the-wire form.

9. A method of delivering a treatment device to a desired bodily location comprising the steps of:

providing the lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 1 having a treatment device disposed about the inner tube, the motion arresting device comprising an annular brush having bristles, the brush disposed within the tip about the guidewire element, the bristles extending from the brush to the guidewire element and frictionally engaging at least a portion of the guidewire element;

inserting the lockable treatment device delivery catheter into a bodily vessel;

delivering the treatment device to the desired bodily location;

locking the tip in place by engaging the motion arresting device;

retracting the retractable sheath;

deploying the treatment device; and

removing the lockable treatment device delivery catheter from the bodily vessel.

10. A lockable stent delivery catheter comprising:

an inner tube having proximal and distal ends;

a catheter shaft having proximal and distal ends, the inner tube carried within the catheter shaft and extending beyond the distal end of the catheter shaft;

a guidewire element carried within the inner tube and extending from the proximal end of the inner tube to the distal end of the inner tube;

a retractable sheath slidably disposed about the distal end of the inner tube, the retractable sheath retractable from a fully extended position to a fully retracted position;

a tip disposed at the distal end of the inner tube, the tip abutting the retractable sheath in the fully extended position, the tip having a proximal region character by an inner diameter and a intermediate region distal to and adjacent to the proximal region, the intermediate region having an inner diameter exceeding the inner diameter of the proximal region of the tip;

a motion arresting device frictionally engaging the tip with the guidewire to prevent motion of the tip when engaged, the motion arresting device comprising an annular brush having bristles, the brush disposed within the intermediate region of the tip about the guidewire element, the bristles extending from the brush to the guidewire element and frictionally engaging at least a portion of the guidewire element; and

a stent disposed about the distal end of the inner tube,

the stent covered by the retractable sheath when the retractable sheath is in the fully extended position, the stent exposed when the retractable sheath is in the fully retracted position.

11. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 10 wherein the stent is self-expanding.

12. The lockable treatment device delivery catheter of claim 10 wherein the stent is balloon-expandable, the catheter further comprising a fluid expandable balloon disposed about the distal end of the inner tube underneath the stent, and an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon and extending to the proximal end of the catheter shaft.