Braided endoluminal device having tapered filaments

• US 6,685,738 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifeshield Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Chouinard, Paul F., Haverkost, Patrick A., Roberts, George T., Peiffer, Dennis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US09/949,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.35, 623/1.15, 623/1.11, 623/1.53, 623/1.16, 623/1.22, 623/1.51, 623/1.5, 623/1.1
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/06 Braid or lace serving particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 3/48 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2509/06 Vascular grafts; stents

Abstract

A stent comprising a plurality of continuous filaments braided together, at least one filament comprising a tapered filament having at least one first region having a first, relatively-larger cross-sectional area and at least one second region having a second, relatively-smaller cross-sectional area. The stent itself may have a tapered diameter, such as from one end to the other. A method for treating a lumen with the stent is also claimed

Claims

1. A stent for deployment in a lumen comprising a plurality of continuous filaments braided together, at least one filament comprising a tapered filament having at least one first region having a first cross-sectional area and at least one second region having a second cross-sectional area, wherein the first cross-sectional area is larger than the second cross-sectional area, wherein the stent has a body and a plurality of legs.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein at least a first leg portion of each leg comprises a discrete plurality of continuous filaments braided together and at least a first body portion of the body comprises at least one of said continuous filaments from each discrete plurality of continuous filaments braided together.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein the first region having the first cross sectional area coincides with the first body portion of the body and the second region having the second cross-sectional area coincides with the first leg portion of one of the legs.

4. The stent of claim 2, wherein said plurality of legs comprises a first leg and a second leg, the first leg portion of the first leg comprises a first discrete plurality of continuous filaments braided together, the first leg portion of the second leg comprises a second discrete plurality of continuous filaments braided together, and the first body portion comprises the first plurality of continuous filaments braided together with the second plurality of continuous filaments.

5. The stent of claim 4, wherein all of the plurality of continuous filaments are tapered filaments.

6. The stent of claim 5, wherein the body of the stent comprises the first region of said tapered filaments and the plurality of legs comprise the second region of said tapered filaments.

7. The stent of claim 5, wherein the body of the stent comprises the second region of said tapered filaments and the plurality of legs comprise the first region of said tapered filaments.

8. The stent of claim 1, wherein the tapered filaments comprise wire.

9. The stent of claim 8, wherein the wire comprises one of:

nitinol or stainless steel.

10. The stent of claim 1, wherein the tapered filaments comprise polymeric material.

11. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent has a radially compressed configuration for introduction into the lumen and a radially expanded configuration for deployment within the lumen.

12. The stent of claim 11, wherein the stent is expandable between the radially compressed configuration and the radially expanded configuration by one of:

balloon expansion, self-expansion via spring elasticity, or self-expansion via a thermally or stress-induced return of a pre-conditioned memory material.

13. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent comprises one of:

a 1;

1 single filament braiding ratio, a 2;

2 single filament braiding ratio, or a 1;

1 paired filament braiding ratio.

14. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent is a bifurcated stent adapted to be deployed with the body in an aorta and each leg in an iliac artery.

15. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent comprises an end having atraumatic end windings.

16. The stent of claim 15, wherein the end having the atraumatic end windings comprises a braided end having continuous apices.

17. The stent of claim 16, wherein the end having the atraumatic end windings comprises a non-braided end.

18. The stent of claim 17, wherein the atraumatic end windings comprise continuous apices.

19. A method for treating a diseased, branched lumen of a human being, the method comprising the step of deploying within the lumen a stent having a body and a plurality of legs and comprising a plurality of continuous filaments braided together, at least one filament comprising a tapered filament having at least one first region having a first cross-sectional area and at least one second region having a second cross-sectional area, wherein the first cross-sectional area is larger than the second cross-sectional area.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the branched lumen is a portion of an aorta that branches into iliac arteries.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of legs comprises a first leg and a second leg each having a first leg portion, the first leg portion of the first leg comprising a first discrete plurality of continuous filaments braided together, the first leg portion of the second leg comprising a second discrete plurality of continuous filaments braided together, and a first body portion comprising the first plurality of continuous filaments braided together with the second plurality of continuous filaments, all of said continuous filaments comprising tapered filaments, wherein the first body portion comprises the first regions of said tapered filaments and the first leg portions comprise the second regions of said tapered filaments, the method comprising deploying the body into the aorta and each of said legs into one of the iliac arteries.

22. A vena cava filter for deployment in a lumen, the vena cava filter comprising a plurality of continuous filaments braided together, at least one filament comprising a tapered filament having at least one first region having a first cross-sectional area and at least one second region having a second cross-sectional area, wherein the first cross-sectional area is larger than the second cross-sectional area.

23. The vena cava filter of claim 22, wherein all of the plurality of continuous filaments are tapered filaments.

24. The vena cava filter of claim 23, wherein one end portion of the filter comprises the first region of said tapered filaments and an other end portion of the filter comprises the second region of said tapered filaments.

25. The vena cava filter of claim 23, wherein each tapered filament comprises at least two first regions and the vena cava filter comprises at least two opposite ends and a middle, the ends of the vena cava filter comprising the first regions of the tapered filaments and the middle of the vena cava filter comprising the second region of the tapered filaments.

26. The vena cava filter of claim 23, wherein each tapered filament comprises at least two second regions and the vena cava filter comprises at least two opposite ends and a middle, the ends of the vena cava filter comprising the second regions of the tapered filaments and the middle of the vena cava filter comprising the first region of the tapered filaments.

27. The vena cava filter of claim 22, wherein the vena cava filter comprises an end having atraumatic end windings.

28. The vena cava filter of claim 22, wherein the vena cava filter tapers from a first end having a first diameter to a second end having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

29. The vena cava filter of claim 28, wherein the vena cava filter comprises the first region of the tapered filament having the first cross-sectional area at the first end of the vena cava filter and the second region of the tapered filament having the second cross-sectional area at the second end of the vena cava filter.

30. The vena cava filter of claim 22, wherein the vena cava filter comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is more flexible than the first portion and comprises the second region of the tapered filament having the second cross-sectional area.

31. The vena cava filter of claim 22, wherein the tapered filaments comprise wire.

32. The vena cava filter of claim 31, wherein the wire comprises one of:

nitinol or stainless steel.

33. The vena cava filter of claim 22, wherein the tapered filaments comprise polymeric material.

34. The vena cava filter of claim 22, wherein the vena cava filter comprises a radially compressed configuration for introduction into the lumen and a radially expanded configuration for deployment within the lumen.

35. The vena cava filter of claim 34, wherein the vena cava filter is expandable between the radially compressed configuration and the radially expanded configuration by one of:

balloon expansion, self-expansion via spring elasticity, or self-expansion via a thermally or stress-induced return of a pre-conditioned memory material.