Temperature activated adhesive for releasably attaching stents to balloons

• US 6,245,076 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Yan, John Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Priddy, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US09/575,398
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 606/108, 606/191, 606/192, 606/194, 604/96.01, 604/264
• US Class Current: 606/108
• 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: A61F 2002/30448 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9583 Means for holding the stent on the balloon, e.g. using protrusions, adhesives or an outer sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives

Abstract

A delivery catheter, with or without an inflation balloon, and coated with a heat activated adhesive to secure a stent thereon is disclosed. The adhesive has a phase transformation temperature just above the temperature of human blood, so that below the transformation temperature the adhesive is tacky, and above the transformation temperature the adhesive is non-tacky. In a stenting procedure, when the stent is mounted to the balloon catheter and the catheter is introduced into a body lumen, the adhesive is below the transformation temperature and remains tacky to hold the stent to the catheter. Once the stent-catheter assembly is positioned at the deployment site, a warm saline or dye solution is injected to heat the adhesive to above the transformation temperature. The adhesive becomes non-tacky and releases the bond between the catheter and deployed stent allowing the former to be withdrawn.

Claims

1. A catheter assembly for delivering a stent in a body lumen, comprising:

a catheter body having a shaft portion and having a proximal section and a distal section;

a layer of heat sensitive adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the distal section of the catheter body, wherein the adhesive is tacky at and below a temperature T, and less tacky above T; and

wherein the stent is disposed on the layer of heat sensitive adhesive and is tightly crimped onto the shaft distal section.

2. The catheter assembly of claim 1, wherein the shaft distal section includes a balloon and the adhesive is disposed on at least a portion of the balloon.

3. The catheter assembly of claim 1, wherein the temperature T is greater than 38°

C. and less than 47°

C.

4. The catheter assembly of claim 1, wherein the temperature T is a phase transformation temperature.