Stent with dual support structure

• US 6,533,808 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ev3 Peripheral Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Intratherapeutics Incorporated (Sulzer Medica)
• Inventors: Thompson, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US09/545,246
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.17, 623/1.12, 623/1.27, 623/1.39, 623/1.42, 623/1.43, 623/1.44, 623/1.34, 606/108, 606/192, 606/194
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91566 connected trough to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/001 for adjusting a diameter

Abstract

A intraluminal stent comprises a reticulated tube having an un-deployed diameter and expandable to an enlarged diameter. The tube includes a structural beam extending between first and second ends. The structural beam changes from a first geometry to a second geometry when the tube changes from the un-deployed diameter to the enlarged diameter. The structural beam includes first and second longitudinal elements each extending at least partially between the first and second ends and with a spacing between the first and second elements. Each of said first and second elements changes from the first geometry to the second geometry when the tube changes from the un-deployed diameter to the enlarged diameter for the spacing to remain substantially unchanged as the tube changes from the un-deployed diameter to the enlarged diameter.

Claims

1. A stent comprising:

a stent body expandable from an undeployed orientation to a deployed orientation;

the stent body including a plurality of segments that define cells;

at least some of the segments including first and second spaced-apart elements separated by a spacing that extends completely through the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements, the spacing being substantially uniform along the lengths of the spaced-apart elements;

the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements defining unattached peaks that project into the cells;

the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements being configured to permit the cells to enlarge as the stent body expands from the undeployed orientation to the deployed orientation; and

the spacing between the first and second spaced-apart elements remaining substantially unchanged as the cells enlarge during expansion of the stent body from the undeployed orientation to the deployed orientation.

2. A stent comprising:

a stent body expandable from an undeployed orientation to a deployed orientation;

the stent body including a plurality of segments that define cells;

at least some of the segments including first and second spaced-apart elements separated by a spacing that extends completely through the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements, each of the first and second spaced-apart elements having a width that is greater than a maximum width of the spacing;

the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements defining unattached peaks that project into the cells;

the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements being configured to permit the cells to enlarge as the stent body expands from the undeployed orientation to the deployed orientation; and

the spacing between the first and second spaced-apart elements remaining substantially unchanged as the cells enlarge during expansion of the stent body from the undeployed orientation to the deployed orientation.

3. A stent comprising:

a stent body expandable from an undeployed orientation to a deployed orientation;

the stent body including a plurality of segments that define cells, the cells being configured to enlarge as the stent body expands from the undeployed orientation to the deployed orientation;

at least some of the segments including first and second spaced-apart elements separated by a spacing that extends completely through the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements, the spacing being substantially uniform along the length of the spaced-apart elements;

the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements being configured to straighten to enable the cells to enlarge as the stent body is expanded from the undeployed orientation to the deployed orientation;

the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements defining an undulating pattern having unattached peaks; and

the spacing between the first and second spaced-apart elements being configured to not enlarge as the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements are straightened during expansion of the stent body to the deployed orientation.

4. The stent of claim 3, wherein at least some of the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements are curved.

5. The stent of claim 3, wherein the stent is balloon expandable.

6. A stent comprising:

a stent body expandable from an undeployed orientation to a deployed orientation;

the stent body including a plurality of segments that define cells, the cells being configured to enlarge as the stent body expands from the undeployed orientation to the deployed orientation;

at least some of the segments including first and second spaced-apart elements separated by a spacing that extends completely through the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements, the spacing being substantially uniform along the length of the spaced-apart elements;

the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements being configured to straighten to enable the cells to enlarge as the stent body is expanded from the undeployed orientation to the deployed orientation;

the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements defining an undulating pattern having unattached peaks; and

the spacing between the first and second spaced-apart elements remaining substantially unchanged as the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements are straightened during expansion of the stent body to the deployed orientation.

7. The stent according to claim 6, wherein the at least some of the segments have first and second ends, and wherein the spacing extends only partially between the first and second ends.

8. The stent of claim 6, wherein at least some of the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements are curved.

9. The stent of claim 6, wherein the stent is balloon expandable.

10. The stent of claim 6, wherein the segments including the first and second spaced-apart elements are arranged in a non-interwoven configuration.

11. The stent of claim 6, wherein the stent has a rest length in the undeployed orientation and an expanded length in the deployed orientation, the expanded length being no more than 10 percent smaller than the rest length.

12. The stent of claim 6, wherein the stent has a rest length in the undeployed orientation and an expanded length in the deployed orientation, the expanded length being substantially equal to the rest length.