Reinforced retention structures

• US 6,569,150 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Teague, James A., Bottcher, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust; Timothy L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramana; Anuradha
• Application Number:
  US09/829,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20010047164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 604/523-230,531-544,48,264,902,96.01,104
• US Class Current: 604/524
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1078 Urinary tract
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/002 Implant devices for drainage of body fluids from one part of the body to another intraocular A61F9/00781; middle ear A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/008 pre-shaped, for use in the urethral or ureteral tract

Abstract

A medical device includes an elongated member and a reinforced retention structure. The device can be used for draining substances from organs or abscessed areas within a body of a patient. The elongated member is made of a flexible material. The reinforced retention structure extends from or is formed integrally with the elongated member and comprises an elastic member and the flexible material. The reinforced retention structure provides retention strength while providing flexibility and patient comfort. The use of the reinforced retention structure also provides increased stability to the device within the patient'"'"'s body and combats migration and/or expulsion of the device. The nature of the reinforcement in the retention structure may extend into the elongated member, which allows for larger drainage openings in the device and increases the radiopacity of the device.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

an elongated member comprising a flexible material and defining a lumen extending through the elongated member; and

a reinforced retention structure extending from the elongated member and comprising the flexible material and a superelastic member embedded in the flexible material, the reinforced retention structure for holding the device in place within the body of a patient.

2. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the reinforced retention structure comprises a curved segment of the elongated member, with the lumen of the elongated member extending through the curved segment, the curved segment being straightenable when a rigid member is inserted through the lumen.

3. The medical device of claim 2 wherein the curved segment comprises a curl.

4. The medical device of claim 2 wherein the curved segment comprises a coil.

5. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the reinforced retention structure comprises a collapsible ring, with the lumen of the elongated member extending through the ring, the ring being collapsible when an outer sheath is disposed over the device.

6. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the elongated member comprises a distal portion, a proximal portion and a middle portion and wherein the retention structure extends from at least one of the distal, middle and proximal portions.

7. The medical device of claim 1 further comprising a second reinforced retention structure.

8. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the reinforced retention structure defines at least one drain hole.

9. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the reinforced retention structure defines at least one drain hole slot.

10. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the superelastic member comprises nickel and titanium.

11. The medical device of claim 10 wherein the nickel comprises about 50% to about 52% by weight.

12. The medical device of claim 10 wherein the nickel comprises about 47% to about 49% by weight.

13. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the flexible material comprises plastic.

14. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a drainage catheter, a ureteral stent, a urethral stent, a biliary stent, and a prostatic stent.

15. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the superelastic member is a wire having a secondary two-dimensional structure disposed within a longitudinal plane.

16. The medical device of claim 15 wherein the superelastic member forms a J curl.

17. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the superelastic member is a wire having a secondary three-dimensional structure.

18. The medical device of claim 1 further comprising a second superelastic member within the elongated member.

19. The medical device of claim 18 wherein the second superelastic member is removable.

20. A medical device, comprising:

an elongated member comprising a flexible material and defining a lumen extending through the elongated member; and

a reinforced malecot retention structure comprising at least two arms, each of the arms comprising an elastic member and the flexible material and formed of the flexible material, the retention structure positioned along a portion of the length of the elongated member, the reinforced retention structure for holding the device in place within the body of a patient.

21. The medical device of claim 20 wherein the elongated member comprises a distal portion, a proximal portion and a middle portion and wherein the retention structure extends from at least one of the distal, middle and proximal portions.

22. The medical device of claim 20 further comprising a second reinforced retention structure.

23. The medical device of claim 20 wherein the reinforced retention structure defines at least one drain hole.

24. The medical device of claim 20 wherein the reinforced retention structure defines at least one drain hole slot.

25. The medical device of claim 20 wherein the elastic member is selected from the group consisting of a superelastic material, a polymeric material and stainless steel.

26. The medical device of claim 25 wherein the superelastic material comprises nickel and titanium.

27. The medical device of claim 26 wherein the nickel comprises about 47% to about 52% by weight.

28. The medical device of claim 20 wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a drainage catheter, a ureteral stent, a urethral stent, a biliary stent, and a prostatic stent.

29. A medical device comprising:

an elongated member comprising a flexible material and defining a lumen extending through the elongated member;

and a reinforced barb retention structure comprising at least one barb extending from the flexible material of the elongated member, the at least one barb comprising an elastic member and the flexible material, the reinforced retention structure for holding the device in place within the body of a patient.

30. The medical device of claim 29 wherein the elongated member comprises a distal portion, a proximal portion and a middle portion and wherein the retention structure extends from at least one of the distal, middle and proximal portions.

31. The medical device of claim 29 further comprising a second reinforced retention structure.

32. The medical device of claim 29 wherein the reinforced retention structure defines at least one drain hole.

33. The medical device of claim 29 wherein the reinforced retention structure defines at least one drain hole slot.

34. The medical device of claim 29 wherein the elastic member is selected from the group consisting of a superelastic material, a polymeric material and stainless steel.

35. The medical device of claim 34 wherein the superelastic material comprises nickel and titanium.

36. The medical device of claim 35 wherein the nickel comprises about 47% to about 52% by weight.

37. The medical device of claim 29 wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a drainage catheter, a ureteral stent, a urethral stent, a biliary stent, and a prostatic stent.

38. The medical device of claim 29 further comprising a second elastic member within the elongated member.

39. The medical device of claim 38 wherein the second elastic member is removable.

40. A medical device, comprising:

an elongated member comprising a flexible material and defining a lumen extending therethrough; and

a reinforced retention structure extending from the elongated member and comprising the flexible material and a superelastic member embedded in the flexible material, the reinforced retention structure for holding the device in place within the body of a patient.

41. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the reinforced retention structure comprises a curved segment of the elongated member, with the lumen of the elongated member extending through the curved segment, the curved segment being straightenable when a rigid member is inserted through the lumen.

42. The medical device of claim 41 wherein the curved segment comprises a curl.

43. The medical device of claim 41 wherein the curved segment comprises a coil.

44. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the reinforced retention structure comprises a collapsible ring, with the lumen of the elongated member extending through the ring, the ring being collapsible when an outer sheath is disposed over the device.

45. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the elongated member comprises a distal portion, a proximal portion and a middle portion and wherein the retention structure extends from at least one of the distal, middle and proximal portions.

46. The medical device of claim 40 further comprising a second reinforced retention structure.

47. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the reinforced retention structure defines at least one drain hole.

48. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the reinforced retention structure defines at least one drain hole slot.

49. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the elastic member is selected from the group consisting of a superelastic material, a polymeric material and stainless steel.

50. The medical device of claim 49 wherein the superelastic material comprises nickel and titanium.

51. The medical device of claim 50 wherein the nickel comprises about 50% to about 52% by weight.

52. The medical device of claim 50 wherein the nickel comprises about 47% to about 49% by weight.

53. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the flexible material comprises plastic.

54. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a drainage catheter, a ureteral stent, a urethral stent, a biliary stent, and a prostatic stent.

55. The medical device of claim 40 wherein the elastic member is a wire having a secondary two-dimensional structure disposed within a longitudinal plane.

56. The medical device of claim 55 wherein the elastic member material forms a J curl.

57. The medical device of claim 40, wherein the elastic member is a wire having a secondary three-dimensional structure.

58. The medical device of claim 40 further comprising a second elastic member within the elongated member.

59. The medical device of claim 58 wherein the second elastic member is removable.

60. A method of placing a medical device within a body of a patient, comprising:

providing a medical device comprising an elongated member comprising a flexible material defining a lumen extending through the elongated member and a reinforced retention structure extending from the elongated member, the reinforced retention structure the flexible material and a superelastic member embedded in the flexible material.