Deformable scaffolding multicellular stent

• US 6,613,081 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: TransVascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Flaherty, J. Christopher, Makower, Joshua, Kim, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David J
• Application Number:
  US09/933,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.17, 623/1.34, 623/1.12, 623/1.11
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00491 Surgical glue applicators surgical adhesives A61L24/00; two-component delivery syringes A61M5/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12045 double occlusion, e.g. during anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12109 in a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00247 Making holes in the wall of the heart, e.g. laser Myocardial revascularization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00504 Tissue welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1107 for blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1139 Side-to-side connections, e.g. shunt or X-connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12127 Double occlusion, e.g. for creating blood-free anastomosis site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/347 : Locking means, e.g. for locking instrument in cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00392 : Transmyocardial revascularisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 : Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/40 : Apparatus fixed or close to patients specially adapted for providing an aseptic surgical environment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 : with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 : Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2493 : Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 : 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 2/958 : Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 : provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30079 : magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/825 : having longitudinal struts
• 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 2002/91533 : characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 : connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 : connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91591 : Locking connectors, e.g. using male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/009 : magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0048 : differing in mechanical expandability, e.g. in mechanical, self- or balloon expandability
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0076 : Unidirectional valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/009 : the needle having a bent tip, i.e. the needle distal tip is angled in relation to the longitudinal axis of the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 : for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector

Abstract

A plastically deformable stent for implantation within a body passage includes a plurality of cylindrical segments, and a plurality of connectors extending between adjacent segments. Each segment has an alternating pattern of curvilinear elements extending about its circumference, including first and second sets of curvilinear elements having different resistances to expansion, and preferably defining “U” shapes with alternating lengths that are connected to one another to define a substantially sinusoidal pattern. The connectors define a sinusoidal shape adapted to extend and compress axially substantially evenly when the adjacent segments are subjected to bending. The stent may be delivered on a device including an elongate member with a nose cone, an expandable member, and a proximal shoulder thereon, and an outer sheath for slidably receiving the elongate member therein. The outer sheath and/or nose cone may have perfusion holes for allowing continued perfusion of fluid during stent delivery. The device may be used in a method for implanting a stent within a curved region of a body passage, particularly for creating and/or maintaining a channel connecting a vein to an adjacent artery, preferably in the coronary system.

Claims

1. An expandable stent, comprising a continuous tubular member plastically deformable between contracted and enlarged conditions and including a plurality of cylindrical segments, and a plurality of connectors extending between cylindrical segments that are adjacent to one another, each cylindrical segment having an alternating circumferential pattern of curvilinear elements having different resistances to radial expansion.

2. The expandable stent of claim 1, wherein the circumferential pattern comprises first and second sets of “

U”

shaped elements having first and second longitudinal lengths, respectively, and wherein the second longitudinal length is less than the first longitudinal length.

3. The expandable stent of claim 2, wherein the substantially “

U”

shaped elements are connected to one another to define a substantially sinusoidal pattern extending circumferentially along each cylindrical segment, the sinusoidal pattern having an amplitude alternatively defined by the first and second longitudinal lengths.

4. The expandable stent of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises a circumference, and wherein the connector further comprises a pair of connectors located opposite one another on the circumference for facilitating articulation of the adjacent cylindrical segments about the longitudinal axis.

5. The expandable stent of claim 1, wherein the connector includes a curved portion extending at least partially circumferentially along a circumference defined by the plurality of cylindrical segments.

6. The expandable stent of claim 5, wherein the curve of the connector defines a sinusoidal shape adapted to extend and compress axially substantially evenly when the adjacent cylindrical segments are subjected to a predetermined bending force about the longitudinal axis.

7. A stent, comprising:

a plurality of tubular segments defining a circumference and a longitudinal axis, each tubular segment including an alternating pattern of curvilinear elements extending about the circumference, the alternating pattern including a first set of curvilinear elements having a first resistance to expansion and a second set of curvilinear elements having a second resistance to expansion substantially higher than the first resistance to expansion; and

a connector extending between tubular segments that are adjacent to one another.

8. The stent of claim 7, wherein each tubular segment is expandable between a contracted condition, a first expanded condition, and a second expanded condition, the first expanded condition being achieved when a radial force exceeding the first resistance to expansion is applied to the tubular segment, the second expanded condition being achieved when a radial force exceeding the second resistance to expansion is applied to the tubular segment.

9. The stent of claim 8, wherein each tubular segment is plastically deformable between the contracted condition, the first expanded condition, and the second expanded condition.

10. The stent of claim 7, wherein each tubular segment comprises a continuous alternating amplitude zigzag pattern, the first set of curvilinear elements defining a first amplitude and the second set of curvilinear elements defining a second amplitude, the first amplitude being longer than the second amplitude.

11. The stent of claim 10, wherein first and second sets of curvilinear elements comprise “

U”

shaped elements.

12. The stent of claim 10, wherein the first and second sets of curvilinear elements alternate about the circumference to define the zigzag pattern.

13. The stent of claim 7, wherein each tubular segment comprises a continuous alternating amplitude zigzag pattern, the first set of curvilinear elements comprises a first thickness and the second set of curvilinear elements comprise a second thickness, the first thickness being smaller than the second thickness.

14. A stent, comprising a plurality of tubular segments defining a circumference and a longitudinal axis, each tubular segment including an alternating pattern of curvilinear elements extending about the circumference, the alternating pattern including a first set of curvilinear elements having a first resistance to expansion and a second set of curvilinear elements having a second resistance to expansion substantially higher than the first resistance to expansion, each tubular segment being expandable between a contracted condition, a first expanded condition, and a second expanded condition, the first expanded condition being achieved when a radial force exceeding the first resistance to expansion is applied to the tubular segment, the second expanded condition being achieved when a radial force exceeding the second resistance to expansion is applied to the tubular segment.

15. The stent of claim 14, wherein each tubular segment comprises a continuous alternating amplitude zigzag pattern comprising the first and second set of curvilinear elements.

16. The stent of claim 15, wherein first and second sets of curvilinear elements comprise “

U”

shaped elements.

17. The stent of claim 15, wherein the first set of curvilinear elements define a first amplitude and the second set of curvilinear elements define a second amplitude of the zigzag pattern, the first amplitude being longer than the second amplitude.

18. The stent of claim 15, wherein the first set of curvilinear elements comprises a first thickness and the second set of curvilinear elements comprise a second thickness, the first thickness being smaller than the second thickness.

19. The stent of claim 14, further comprising a connector extending between tubular segments that are adjacent to one another.

20. The stent of claim 14, wherein each tubular segment is plastically deformable between the contracted condition, the first expanded condition, and the second expanded condition.

21. A stent, comprising:

a plurality of tubular segments defining a circumference and a longitudinal axis, each tubular segment comprising a zigzag pattern extending about the circumference, the zigzag pattern comprising first and second set of curvilinear elements, the first set of curvilinear elements defining a first amplitude of the zigzag pattern, and the second set of curvilinear elements defining a second amplitude of the zigzag pattern, the first amplitude being shorter than the second amplitude; and

a connector extending between tubular segments that are adjacent to one another.

22. The stent of claim 21, wherein the first set of curvilinear elements has a first resistance to expansion and the second set of curvilinear elements has a second resistance to expansion substantially higher than the first resistance to expansion, each tubular segment being expandable between a contracted condition, a first expanded condition, and a second expanded condition, the first expanded condition being achieved when a radial force exceeding the first resistance to expansion is applied to the tubular segment, the second expanded condition being achieved when a radial force exceeding the second resistance to expansion is applied to the tubular segment.

23. The stent of claim 21, wherein first and second sets of curvilinear elements comprise “

U”

shaped elements.

24. The stent of claim 21, wherein each tubular segment is plastically deformable between the contracted condition, the first expanded condition, and the second expanded condition.

25. A stent, comprising a plurality of tubular segments defining a circumference and a longitudinal axis, each tubular segment comprising a zigzag pattern including alternating first and second sets of struts extending about the circumference, the first set of struts having a first length and the second set of struts having a second length, the first length being shorter than the second length.

26. The stent of claim 25, further comprising a connector extending between adjacent tubular segments.

27. The stent of claim 25, wherein each tubular segment is expandable between a contracted condition, a first expanded condition, and a second expanded condition, the first expanded condition being achieved as the first set of struts expands, the second expanded condition being achieved as the second set of struts expands.

28. The stent of claim 27, wherein each tubular segment is plastically deformable between the contracted condition, the first expanded condition, and the second expanded condition.

29. The stent of claim 25, wherein the zigzag pattern comprises alternating “

U”

shaped elements extending between the first and second sets of struts.