Stent delivery system with nested stabilizer
First Claim
1. A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:
- a) a stent comprising an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen;
b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location; and
c) a non-inflatable stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and adapted to frictionally engage the stent inner periphery along the length of said stent from a distal to a proximal end of the stent in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to said low-column-strength segment without causing collapse thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stent delivery system deploys a stent having an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of the stent and comprising at least one segment having relatively low column strength. The stent delivery system comprises a stabilizer which is disposed within the stent interior space and has a surface element adapted to engage the stent inner periphery in a region containing the low-column-strength segment. The surface element may comprise a sleeve or a coating having a high friction surface adapted to transmit adequate shear force to the stent to move the stent relative to the outer sheath upon deployment. Alternatively, or in addition, the surface element can include at least one radial protuberance. The protuberances may comprise rings of various cross-sections, axial lengths, or space sizes therebetween, or may be in the form of discrete barbs, bumps, or inflatable knobs arranged in a ringed configuration or helical pattern about the stabilizer. The stabilizer may also comprise an inner core and a heat-moldable compression sleeve surrounding the inner core, the heat-moldable compression sleeve having an outer surface comprising a plurality of protuberances defined by a thermal imprint of the stent inner periphery on the compression sleeve outer surface. A method for delivering a stent using a stent delivery system as described herein is also disclosed, as is a method for loading a stent and stabilizer having a heat-moldable compression sleeve into a stent delivery system.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:
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a) a stent comprising an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen;
b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location; and
c) a non-inflatable stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and adapted to frictionally engage the stent inner periphery along the length of said stent from a distal to a proximal end of the stent in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to said low-column-strength segment without causing collapse thereof.
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2. A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:
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a) a stent comprising an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen;
b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location; and
c) a non-inflatable stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and adapted to engage the stent inner periphery in a region containing the at least one low-column-strength segment in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to said low-column-strength segment without causing collapse thereof, said stabilizer comprising a plurality of radial protuberances axially spaced along said stabilizer underlying said stent from a distal end to a proximal end of the at least one low-column-strength segment of the stent. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:
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a) a stent comprising an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen;
b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location; and
c) a non-inflatable stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and adapted to engage the stent inner periphery in a region containing the at least one low-column-strength segment in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to said low-column-strength segment without causing collapse thereof, the stabilizer comprising an inner core and a heat-moldable compression sleeve surrounding the inner core, said heat-moldable compression sleeve having an outer surface comprising a plurality of protuberances defined by a thermal imprint of the stent inner periphery on said compression sleeve outer surface. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:
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a) a stent comprising an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen;
b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location; and
c) a non-inflatable stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and adapted to engage the stent inner periphery in a region containing the at least one low-column-strength segment in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to said low-column-strength segment without causing collapse thereof, the stabilizer comprising an inner core and an injection-molded sleeve surrounding the inner core, said injection-molded sleeve having an outer surface comprising a plurality of protuberances defined by an imprint of the stent inner periphery on said sleeve outer surface.
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36. A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:
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a) a stent comprising an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen;
b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location; and
c) a non-inflatable stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and adapted to engage the stent inner periphery in a region containing the at least one low-column-strength segment in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to said low-column-strength segment without causing collapse thereof, the stabilizer comprising a surface element having a higher coefficient of static friction than both a coefficient of static friction and a coefficient of dynamic friction of the sheath, the surface element comprising a continuous element that extends from the distal end to the proximal end of the stent underlying the stent and in contact with the inner periphery of the stent. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:
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a) a stent comprising an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen;
b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location;
c) a non-inflatable stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and having means for engaging the stent inner periphery in a region containing said at least one low-column-strength segment in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force thereto, said means for engaging the stent inner periphery extending from a distal to a proximal end of the stent. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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- 48. A non-inflatable stabilizer for providing support to a stent having an inner periphery defining an interior space and at least one low-column-strength segment, the stabilizer adapted to be disposed within the stent interior space and comprising means for engaging the stent inner periphery in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to the low-column-strength segment without causing collapse thereof, said means for engaging the stent inner periphery extending from a distal to a proximal end of the stent.
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52. A stabilizer for providing support to a stent having an inner periphery defining an interior space, a series of longitudinally-displaced peripheral elements, and at least one low-column-strength segment, the stabilizer adapted to be disposed within the stent interior space and comprising a plurality of radial protuberances axially spaced along said stabilizer underlying said stent from a distal end to a proximal end of the at least one low-column-strength segment of the stent for engaging at least one of said peripheral elements of the stent in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to the peripheral element without causing collapse of the low-column-strength segment, the stabilizer comprising a non-inflatable outer base periphery from which the protuberance protrudes.
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53. A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:
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a) a stent comprising a series of longitudinally-displaced peripheral elements defining an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen;
b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location; and
c) a stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and comprising a plurality of radial protuberances axially spaced along said stabilizer underlying said stent from a distal end to a proximal end of the at least one relatively low-column-strength segment of the stent adapted to engage at least one of said peripheral elements of the stent in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to the peripheral element without causing collapse of the low-column-strength segment, the stabilizer comprising a non-inflatable outer base periphery from which the protuberance protrudes.
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Specification