Micro-porous mesh stent with hybrid structure
First Claim
1. A micro-porous mesh structure for supporting a wall of a body passage, comprising:
- a generally tubular body having a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage, and an enlarged condition for engaging the wall of the body passage, the tubular body being biased to its enlarged condition;
a plurality of struts formed integrally onto the tubular body and spaced along a length of the tubular body for supporting the tubular body against the wall of the body passage, the struts separating relatively thin-walled regions therebetween; and
a plurality of openings in the relatively thin-walled regions of the tubular body defining a micro-porous mesh pattern therein;
wherein the tubular body comprises a coiled-sheet having overlapping inner and outer sections.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthesis for treating a body passage includes a micro-porous tubular element and a support element. The tubular element is formed from a thin-walled sheet having a wall thickness of 25 micrometers or less, preferably a coiled-sheet exhibiting temperature-activated shape memory properties. The mesh pattern includes a plurality of openings in the sheet having a maximum dimension of not more than about 200 micrometers, thereby acting as a filter trapping embolic material while facilitating endothelial growth therethrough. The support element includes a plurality of struts, preferably having a thickness of 100-150 micrometers. The support element is preferably an independent component from the tubular element. Alternatively, the support element may be attached to or integrally formed as part of the tubular element. The tubular and support elements are placed on a catheter in contracted conditions and advanced endoluminally to a treatment location within a body passage. The tubular element is deployed, and the support element is expanded to an enlarged condition at the treatment location to engage an interior surface of the tubular element, thereby securing the tubular element and holding the lumen of the treatment location open.
-
Citations
49 Claims
-
1. A micro-porous mesh structure for supporting a wall of a body passage, comprising:
-
a generally tubular body having a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage, and an enlarged condition for engaging the wall of the body passage, the tubular body being biased to its enlarged condition;
a plurality of struts formed integrally onto the tubular body and spaced along a length of the tubular body for supporting the tubular body against the wall of the body passage, the struts separating relatively thin-walled regions therebetween; and
a plurality of openings in the relatively thin-walled regions of the tubular body defining a micro-porous mesh pattern therein;
wherein the tubular body comprises a coiled-sheet having overlapping inner and outer sections. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A micro-porous mesh structure for supporting a wall of a body passage, comprising:
-
a generally tubular body having a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage, and an enlarged condition for engaging the wall of the body passage, the tubular body being biased to its enlarged condition;
a plurality of struts formed integrally onto the tubular body and spaced along a length of the tubular body for supporting the tubular body against the wall of the body passage, the struts separating relatively thin-walled regions therebetween; and
a plurality of openings in the relatively thin-walled regions of the tubular body defining a micro-porous mesh pattern therein;
wherein the tubular body comprises a shape memory alloy. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A prosthesis for supporting a wall of a body passage, comprising:
-
a substantially flexible, conformable tubular element defining a length and a circumference and having a plurality of openings defining a micro-porous mesh pattern therein, the tubular element having a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage, and an enlarged condition for engaging the wall of the body passage; and
a support element comprising a plurality of struts for engaging an interior surface of the tubular element, the support structure being expandable between a contracted condition and an enlarged condition for supporting the tubular element;
wherein the support element is biased to the enlarged condition at body temperature for substantially securing the tubular element against the wall of the body passage. - View Dependent Claims (14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
- 15. The prosthesis of claim wherein the support element comprises a shape memory alloy.
-
22. A prosthesis for supporting a wall of a body passage, comprising:
-
a substantially flexible, conformable tubular element defining a length and a circumference and having a plurality of openings defining a micro-porous mesh pattern therein, the tubular element having a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage, and an enlarged condition for engaging the wall of the body passage; and
a support element comprising a plurality of struts for engaging an interior surface of the tubular element, the support structure being expandable between a contracted condition and an enlarged condition for supporting the tubular element;
wherein the support element comprises a coiled-sheet stent.
-
-
23. A prosthesis for supporting a wall of a body passage, comprising:
-
a substantially flexible, conformable tubular element defining a length and a circumference and having a plurality of openings defining a micro-porous mesh pattern therein, the tubular element having a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage, and an enlarged condition for engaging the wall of the body passage; and
a support element comprising a plurality of struts for engaging an interior surface of the tubular element, the support structure being expandable between a contracted condition and an enlarged condition for supporting the tubular element;
wherein the support element slidably engages the tubular element in the enlarged condition.
-
-
24. A prosthesis for supporting a wall of a body passage, comprising:
-
a substantially flexible, conformable tubular element defining a length and a circumference and having a plurality of openings defining a micro-porous mesh pattern therein, the tubular element having a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage, and an enlarged condition for engaging the wall of the body passage; and
a support element comprising a plurality of struts for engaging an interior surface of the tubular element, the support structure being expandable between a contracted condition and an enlarged condition for supporting the tubular element;
wherein the tubular element comprises a coiled-sheet having overlapping inner and outer sections.
-
-
25. A prosthesis for supporting a wall of a body passage, comprising:
-
a substantially flexible, conformable tubular element defining a length and a circumference and having a plurality of openings defining a micro-porous mesh pattern therein, the tubular element having a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage, and an enlarged condition for engaging the wall of the body passage; and
a support element comprising a plurality of struts for engaging an interior surface of the tubular element, the support structure being expandable between a contracted condition and an enlarged condition for supporting the tubular element;
wherein the tubular element comprises a shape memory alloy. - View Dependent Claims (26)
-
-
27. A method for making a prosthesis for supporting a wall of a body passage, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a sheet formed from a shape memory alloy having an initial wall thickness;
removing portions of the sheet to provide a plurality of struts having a thickness similar to the initial wall thickness;
forming a mesh pattern comprising a plurality of micro-porous openings in relatively thin-walled regions between the struts; and
forming the sheet into a generally tubular body. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
heat treating the tubular body at a first temperature substantially higher than the transition temperature to program an expanded condition for engaging the wall of the body passage into the shape memory material;
cooling the tubular body to a second temperature below the transition temperature; and
compressing the tubular body at the second temperature into a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into the body passage.
-
-
33. A method for supporting a wall of a predetermined location within a body passage using a prosthesis comprising a substantially flexible, conformable tubular element including a micro-porous mesh pattern therein, and a support element, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing the tubular and support elements in contracted conditions on a distal region of a delivery device, the tubular element and the support element being placed adjacent one another on the distal region of the delivery device;
advancing the distal region of the delivery device endoluminally within the body passage to the predetermined location;
deploying the tubular element at the predetermined location such that the tubular element substantially conforms to the wall of the predetermined location;
directing the support element across the predetermined location after the tubular element is deployed; and
expanding the support element to an enlarged condition at the predetermined location to engage an interior surface of the tubular element, thereby substantially securing the tubular element against the wall of the predetermined location.
-
-
34. A method for supporting a wall of a predetermined location within a body passage using a prosthesis comprising a substantially flexible, conformable tubular element including a micro-porous mesh pattern therein, and a support element, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing the tubular and support elements in contracted conditions on a distal region of a delivery device, the delivery device comprising one or more constraints for preventing the tubular and support elements from expanding from their contracted conditions after the tubular and support elements are placed on the distal region of the delivery device;
advancing the distal region of the delivery device endoluminally within the body passage to the predetermined location;
deploying the tubular element at the predetermined location such that the tubular element substantially conforms to the wall of the predetermined location; and
expanding the support element to an enlarged condition at the predetermined location to engage an interior surface of the tubular element, thereby substantially securing the tubular element against the wall of the predetermined location;
wherein the support element is biased to expand to its enlarged condition at body temperature, and wherein the step of expanding the support element comprises releasing the support element from at least one of the constraints, the support element automatically expanding to engage the interior surface of the tubular element. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. A method for treating a bifurcation between a main blood vessel and a branch blood vessel using a prosthesis comprising first and second substantially flexible, conformable micro-porous tubular elements, and an open-celled support element, the method comprising the steps of:
-
advancing the first and second tubular elements and the support element in a contracted condition endoluminally into the main blood vessel;
deploying the first tubular element in one of the main and branch blood vessel distally of the bifuircation such that the first tubular element substantially conforms to the wall of the respective blood vessel; and
deploying the second tubular element in the main blood vessel proximally of the bifurcation such that the second tubular element substantially conforms to the wall of the main blood vessel; and
expanding the support element to an enlarged condition across the bifurcation to engage an interior surface of each of the first and second tubular elements, thereby substantially securing the first and second tubular elements against the wall of their respective blood vessels. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49)
-
-
48. The method of claims wherein the support element is biased to its enlarged condition at body temperature such that the support element automatically expands to the enlarged condition as it is deployed from the delivery device.
Specification