Apparatus for delivering an endoluminal prosthesis

• US 6,287,315 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: World Medical Manufacturing Corp. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: World Medical Manufacturing Corp. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wijeratne, Lalith Hiran, Lostetter, Timothy Wade, Greenan, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C.
• Application Number:
  US09/405,562
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 606/108, 606/107, 623/1.11, 623/1.23
• US Class Current: 606/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12109 in a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12118 for positioning in conjunction with a stent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12172 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12181 formed by fluidized, gelatinous or cellular remodelable materials, e.g. embolic liquids, foams or extracellular matrices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12186 liquid materials adapted to be injected
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1219 expandable in contact with liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12195 comprising a curable material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9517 handle assemblies therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• 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 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30092 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30448 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 : using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0007 : for adjusting length
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/004 : characterized by lumina being arranged circumferentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09183 : having tools at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 : for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 : Shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/127 : Aorta
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1011 : Multiple balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10184 : Means for controlling or monitoring inflation or deflation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 : Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for deploying and endoluminal prosthesis. The apparatus includes a flexible compressible push rod that allows the catheter to be easily maneuvered through tortuous vessels while providing sufficient deployment force.

Claims

1. An apparatus for deploying an endoluminal prosthesis comprising:

an elongated flexible sheath introducer having a near end, a remote end opposite said near end, and an axially extending sheath passage opening at said remote end and being dimensioned for receiving the prosthesis; and

an elongated push rod comprising a spring and a helical coil member, wherein said push rod is slidably received within said sheath passage for movement independent of said sheath introducer, said push rod having a near portion and a remote portion remote of said near portion, said remote portion of said push rod being positionable adjacent the prosthesis so that relative sliding between said sheath introducer and said push rod can deploy the prosthesis from said sheath passage opening.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flexibility of said remote portion of said push rod is greater than the flexibility of said near portion of said push rod.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spring is an inner spring.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a containment means located on said remote portion of said push rod and adjacent said sheath passage, said containment means for containing the prosthesis prior to deployment.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said containment means is a cup portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said push rod has a length portion having a variable flexibility along said length portion;

and

wherein said push rod is relatively more flexible towards said remote portion and relatively less flexible towards said near portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said length portion comprises an intermediate flexible region between said near portion and said remote portion, and wherein said intermediate region provides a relatively smooth transition in flexibility between said near portion and said remote portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spring is a compression spring.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said remote portion of said push rod has a different flexibility than said near portion of said push rod.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spring is threaded inside said helical coil member.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said helical coil member has a remote end and a near end, and said spring has a remote end and a near end, wherein said remote end of said spring is threaded inside said near end of said helical coil member.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said helical coil member is longer than said spring.