Implantable, bioresorbable vessel wall support, in particular coronary stent

• US 6,287,332 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Biotronik AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Biotronik Mess-Und Therapiegeraete GmbH & Company Ingenieurbuero Berlin (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Bolz, Armin, Popp, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOH, CHOON P
• Application Number:
  US09/339,927
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.1, 623/1.12, 623/1.15, 623/1.38, 623/1.49
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• 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 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/022 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/088 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L31/084 or A61L31/086
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/148 Materials at least partially resorbable by the body

Abstract

An implantable, bioresorbable vessel wall support, in particular a coronary stent, comprises a combination of metal materials which dissolves in the human body without any harmful effects on the person that wears the implant. The combination of metal materials can be an alloy or a local galvanic element.

Claims

1. An implantable, bioresorbable vessel wall support, wherein the vessel wall support comprises a combination of metal materials that decomposes in a human body without any harmful effects on the wearer of the implantable, bioresorbable vessel wall support.

2. A vessel wall support according to claim 1, wherein the combination of metal materials is a metal alloy consisting at least of a first component which forms a protecting passivation coat and of a second component which ensure sufficient corrosion of the alloy.

3. A vessel wall support according to claim 2, wherein the first component is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, titanium, zirconium, niobium, tantalum, zinc and silicon and the second component is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, manganese calcium and iron.

4. A vessel wall support according to claim 2, wherein the components of the metal alloy are selected such that corrosion products originate as a particle kind selected from the group consisting of soluble salts, very fine particles, and colloidal particles.

5. A vessel wall support according to claim 2, wherein the components of the metal alloy are selected such that they corrode at such a rate that gases arising during the corrosion physically dissolve in a body fluid which acts on the vessel wall support.

6. A vessel wall support according to claim 2, wherein the alloy contains zinc as corrosion-inhibiting component A.

7. A vessel wall support according to claim 6, wherein the alloy is a zinc-calcium alloy.

8. A vessel wall support according to claim 7, wherein a zinc-calcium weight ratio in the alloy is at least 21:

1.

9. A vessel wall support according to claim 2, wherein the alloy is exposed to hydrogen for corrosion inhibition.

10. A vessel wall support according to claim 2, wherein phosphorus is added to the alloy.

11. A vessel wall support according to claim 1, wherein the combination of metal materials is an alloy of zinc and titanium with a weight percentage of titanium of 0.1% to 1%.

12. A vessel wall support according to claim 11, wherein gold is added as a further component to the zinc-titanium alloy at a weight percentage of 0.1% to 2%.

13. A vessel wall support according to claim 1, wherein the combination of metal materials is designed as an electrochemical local element which is formed by a support body of the vessel wall support of a substantially pure first metal on the one hand and on the other hand by a local electrode of a second metal which is in contact therewith and leads to a contact voltage.

14. A vessel wall support according to claim 13, wherein the local electrode is a coat on the support body.

15. A vessel wall support according to claim 13, wherein the local electrode is a metal part attached to the support body.

16. A vessel wall support according to claim 13, wherein the support body consists of zinc.

17. A vessel wall support according to claim 13, wherein the local electrode consists of a precious metal.

18. A vessel wall support according to claim 3, wherein said alloy further comprises phosphorus.

19. A vessel wall support according to claim 6, wherein said alloy further comprises phosphorus.

20. A vessel wall support according to claim 14, wherein the coat which constitutes the local electrode is deposited by one process selected from electroplating and sputtering.