Radiopaque marker bands

• US 6,315,790 B1
• Filed: 06/07/1999
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gerberding, Brent C., Ren, Brooke Qin
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C.
• Application Number:
  US09/327,234
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 606/108, 606/195, 606/198, 606/194, 623/1.11, 623/1.23
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9583 Means for holding the stent on the balloon, e.g. using protrusions, adhesives or an outer sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9586 the means being inside the balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

A stent delivery system which includes a catheter having a radially expandable stent coaxially arranged near a distal end of the catheter. The catheter is equipped with at least one stent securement hub disposed about a portion of the distal end of the catheter underlying the stent. Each of the at least one stent securement hubs being made of a radiopaque polymer.

Claims

1. A stent delivery system comprising:

a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter having at least one stent securement hub located near the distal end, the stent securement hub being made of a radiopaque polymer;

a radially expandable stent coaxially arranged near the end of the catheter, the stent having a crimped state and an uncrimped state, the at least one stent securement hub being located underneath the radially expandable stent;

an inflation balloon located underneath the stent and above the at least one stent securement hub, the at least one stent securement hub providing a surface about which the stent is secured when the stent is in the crimped state.

2. The stent delivery system of claim 1, wherein the catheter further comprises a shaft, at least a portion of the shaft being constructed from a radiopaque polymer.

3. The stent delivery system of claim 2, wherein the at least a portion of the shaft constructed from a radiopaque polymer defines a stent mounting region.

4. The stent delivery system of claim 2, wherein the at least one stent securement hub is coaxially arranged around the shaft.

5. The stent delivery system of claim 4, wherein the at least one stent securement hub has a greater diameter than that of the shaft.

6. The stent delivery system of claim 2, wherein the radiopaque polymer includes a radiopaque substance from the group consisting of barium, bismuth, tungsten, gold, titanium, iridium, platinum or rhenium and a polymer.

7. The stent delivery system of claim 6 wherein the at least a portion of the shaft is constructed from a predetermined amount of tungsten, by weight, in combination with high density polyethylene.

8. The stent delivery system of claim 7, wherein the amount of tungsten, by weight, is 80%.

9. The stent delivery system of claim 1, wherein the at least one stent securement hub is comprised of a first stent securement hub and a second stent securement hub, the first sent securement hub positioned on the shaft to receive a first end of the stent and the second stent securement hub being positioned on the shaft to correspond with a second end of the stent.

10. The stent delivery system of claim 1, wherein the radiopaque polymer includes a radiopaque substance from the group consisting of barium, bismuth, tungsten, gold, titanium, iridium, platinum or rhenium.