Endoluminal stents and their manufacture

• US 6,350,279 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ave Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Ave Connaught
• Inventors: McGuinness, Colm P.
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, HIEU
• Application Number:
  US09/592,763
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.11, 623/1.14, 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.18, 623/1.2, 606/194, 606/198, 128/898, 295/921
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/92 Stents in the form of a rolled-up sheet expanding after insertion into the vessel , e.g. with a spiral shape in cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3008 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30451 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91591 Locking connectors, e.g. using male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

Tubular stents are formed from a sheet of material having longitudinally extending margins and an expandable pattern between the margins. The sheet can be formed to a tube with the margins overlapped and secured. The margins may be provided with means to facilitate registration of the margins.

Claims

1. A process for forming a stent comprising:

providing a sheet of material having a pattern of interconnected portions that define a plurality of openings through the thickness of the sheet, the sheet having longitudinal margins adapted to overlap when the sheet is rolled into a tubular configuration;

providing a pattern of interlocking projecting and relieved surfaces along the overlapping margins;

forming the sheet into a tube with the interlocking projecting and relieved portions in engagement with each other; and

securing the margins of the stent to each other to maintain the tubular stent configuration.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the material is radiopaque.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the material serves as a key to interlock the overlapped margins.

2. A method for forming a stent comprising:

providing a sheet with a pattern of holes defined by a plurality of interconnected members, the sheet having longitudinally extending margins and being adapted to be configured in the tubular configuration with the longitudinal margins overlapped;

forming grooves in the facing surfaces of the overlapped margin so that the grooves can be registered to define an internal channel between the overlapped margins; and

locating a material within the channel.