System for delivering a prosthesis

• US 6,302,906 B1
• Filed: 05/18/1999
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lifeport Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Technology Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Dake, Michael D., Goicoechea, George, Mialhe, Claude, Hudson, John, Cragg, Andrew H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/313,593
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.11, 623/1.12, 623/1.23
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• 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 2002/828 Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8486 provided on at least one of the ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0019 operated at only one temperature whilst inside or touching the human body, e.g. constrained in a non-operative shape during surgery, another temperature only occurring before the operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0033 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementary-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0066 stapled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0662 : Guide tubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/903 : Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

An introducer for delivering into the vasculature a straight or bifurcated stent or prosthesis; a method for delivering into the vasculature a straight or bifurcated stent or prosthesis; a method of treating and angeological disease using a bifurcated stent; an endoluminal stent having perpendicular hoop members, each hoop member formed of wire in a sinuous configuration, at least some of juxtaposed apices in neighboring hoops being secured to one another, such stents also forming axially aligned segments in straight stents, and segments of bifurcated stents in particular embodiments. Certain embodiments of such stents also include barbs, fabric covering and radiopaque markers.

Claims

1. A system for delivering a prosthesis into the vasculature of a body in juxtaposition with an angeological bifurcation where a blood vessel branches into two branched vessels, said system comprising:

(a) a bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis having a proximal portion configured to be disposed in the blood vessel and two distal portions, at least one of said distal portions being configured to remain in the blood vessel without extending across the angeological bifurcation;

(b) an outer sheath configured to contain said bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis; and

(c) a pusher slideably disposed at least partially within said outer sheath and configured to contact an end portion of said bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis in pushing relation therewith.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a balloon catheter disposed at least partially within said outer sheath and at least partially within said bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 wherein said balloon catheter has a proximal end with a nose cone attached thereto.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a homeostasis valve attached to said pusher.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said distal portions is configured to be disposed at least partially in one of the two branched vessels.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said pusher engages said end portion of said bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis.

7. A system for delivering a prosthesis into the vasculature of a body in juxtaposition with an angeological bifurcation where a blood vessel branches into two branched vessels, said system comprising:

(a) a bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis having a proximal portion adapted to be disposed in the blood vessel and a distal portion adapted to be disposed at least partially in one of the two branched vessels;

(b) an outer sheath configured to contain said bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis; and

(c) a pusher slideably disposed at least partially within said outer sheath and adapted to contact an end portion of said bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis in pushing relation therewith.

8. A system as recited in claim 7 further comprising a balloon catheter disposed at least partially within said outer sheath and at least partially within said bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis.

9. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein said balloon catheter has a proximal end with a nose cone attached thereto.

10. A system as recited in claim 7 further comprising a hemostasis valve attached to said pusher.

11. A system for introducing endoluminal prostheses into a vessel to define a continuous lumen, said system comprising:

a first introducer for introducing a first prosthesis into the vessel, said first prosthesis having a portion adapted for connection to another prosthesis; and

a second introducer for (a) introducing a second prosthesis in a radially compressed state into the vessel and into said portion of said first prosthesis, and (b) deploying said second prosthesis to connect to said portion of said first prosthesis and to define said continuous lumen through said first prosthesis and said second prosthesis.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, said first introducer and said second introducer each comprising:

(a) an outer sheath configured to contain said first prosthesis and said second prosthesis, respectively; and

(b) a pusher slideably disposed at least partially within said outer sheath and adapted to contact an end portion of said first prosthesis and said second prosthesis in pushing relation therewith, respectively.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, said system being adapted for delivering said endoluminal prostheses into the vasculature of the body in juxtaposition with a bifurcation where a blood vessel branches into branched vessels, wherein said first introducer is configured to introduce said first prosthesis through one of said branched vessels, and wherein said second introducer is configured to introduce said second prosthesis through the other one of said branched vessels.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein one of said endoluminal prostheses is a bifurcated prosthesis having a proximal portion adapted to be disposed in the blood vessel and a distal portion adapted to be disposed at least partially in one of the branched vessels.

15. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein one of said endoluminal prostheses is a bifurcated prosthesis having a proximal portion configured to be disposed in the blood vessel and two distal portions, at least one of said distal portions being configured to remain in the blood vessel without extending across the bifurcation.

16. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein at least one of said first prosthesis and said second prosthesis comprises a portion having a different radiopacity from said at least one of said first and second prosthesis, said portion having a radiographic image that is detectable using a detector outside the body.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said portion having said different radiopacity comprises at least one radiopaque marker.

18. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said radiographic image of said portion differs depending on the rotational orientation of said at least one of said first and second prostheses so that said rotational orientation in the body lumen can be determined.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein said portion having said different radiopacity is configured in a “

V”

shape.

20. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said portion of said different radiopacity is positioned at an end portion of said at least one of said first and second prostheses to facilitate alignment within the body lumen.

21. The system as recited in claim 20 wherein each of said first and second prostheses comprises a portion having a different radiopacity.