Bifurcated axially flexible stent

• US 6,258,116 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Health Switzerland 515 GmbH (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hojeibane, Hikmat
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koh, Choon P.
• Application Number:
  US09/256,914
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.35, 623/1.16
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• 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 2002/828 Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude 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 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• 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 2250/006 modular

Abstract

There is disclosed a method of stent placement which comprises first guiding a guidewire through the vasculature. Second, a balloon catheter which contains two guidewire lumens is strung along the guidewire into position at the bifurcation. The distal opening of the second guidewire lumen abuts the proximal end of the bifurcation. Thereafter, a second guidewire is strung through the first balloon catheter and out the distal opening of the second guidewire lumen. Thus, resident in the second bifurcation leg is the second guidewire. Then, a second standard stent delivery balloon catheter is guided along the second guidewire to a position within the bifurcation. Typically, expansion of both stents can be done one right after the other after proper placement of the first and second balloons.

Claims

1. A bifurcated stent comprising:

a proximal tubular section;

a first distal tubular section, said first distal tubular section connected to said proximal section by connector members; and

a second distal tubular section, said first and second distal tubular sections welded together at their proximal ends; and

wherein the weld is a spot weld formed between a dowel and a hole each placed respectively on one of said distal tubular sections.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein said distal tubular sections and said proximal tubular section are expandable to different diameters.

3. A bifurcated stent comprising:

a proximal tubular section;

a first distal tubular section, said first distal tubular section connected to said proximal section by connector members; and

a second distal tubular section, said first and second distal tubular sections welded together at their proximal ends;

wherein the connector members are omega-shaped; and

wherein the connector members are continuously placed around the circumference of the first distal section.

4. The stent of claim 3 wherein the strut shape of the connector members are different than the strut shape of the struts in the proximal and distal sections.

5. The stent of claim 3 wherein said distal end and proximal sections are expandable to different diameters.

6. A bifurcated stent comprising:

a proximal tubular section;

a first distal tubular section, said first distal tubular section connected to said proximal section by connector members; and

a second distal tubular section, said first and second distal tubular sections attached together at their proximal ends by a ball and socket joint wherein the ball is part of a strut of one of said distal sections and the socket is part of a strut of the other of said distal sections.