Stent range transducers and methods of use

• US 6,689,156 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2000
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Stent Technologies Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Williams, Eric, Vardi, Gil M., Davidson, Charles J., Kao, Stephen, Behyan, Niyazi U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chattopadhyay, Urmi
• Application Number:
  US09/669,060
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.11, 623/1.35, 623/1.23, 606/108, 606/191-192, 606/194-195, 606/198, 600/433-435, 600/437, 600/442-443, 600/449, 600/459, 600/462-463, 600/466-468, 600/470, 600/585-587, 604/96.01, 604/164.13
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0018 differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

A system and method for delivering and positioning a stent within a bifurcated body lumen includes a stent delivery system including a catheter, expansion device, a stent with a side hole disposed on the expansion device, and an ultrasound transducer disposed between the expansion device and the stent. The ultrasound transducer is configured for transmitting and receiving signals and for imaging of a body lumen so as to locate an ostium of a branch vessel and facilitate alignment of the stent side hole with the ostium.

Claims

1. A stent delivery system, comprising:

a catheter comprising a catheter body having a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis and a lumen;

an expansion device disposed near the catheter body distal end;

a stent having a side hole, said stent being disposed over the expansion device; and

an ultrasound transducer disposed near the catheter body distal end between said expansion device and said stent and positioned for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals through said side hole.

2. The stent delivery system as in claim 1 wherein said expansion device comprises a balloon.

3. The stent delivery system as in claim 1 wherein said ultrasound transducer is adapted to be axially translated along said longitudinal axis.

4. The stent delivery system as in claim 1 wherein said ultrasound transducer is adapted to be rotated relative to said longitudinal axis.

5. The stent delivery system as in claim 1 further comprising a transducer housing to which said transducer is coupled, said housing having a distal end, a proximal end that is coupled to the system, and a passageway passing through said housing between said proximal and distal ends.

6. The stent delivery system as in claim 5 wherein said housing proximal end is coupled to a drive cable adapted to rotate said housing relative to said catheter distal end.

7. The stent delivery system as in claim 5 further comprising a guidewire at least partially disposed in said lumen.

8. The stent delivery system as in claim 1 further comprising a guidewire as least partially disposed in said lumen.

9. The stent delivery system as in claim 1 further comprising a controller coupled to said transducer.

10. A method of positioning a stent having a side opening, said method comprising:

providing a stent delivery system, comprising;

a catheter comprising a catheter body having a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis and a lumen;

an expansion device disposed near the catheter body distal end;

a stent having a side hole, said stent being disposed over the expansion device; and

an ultrasound transducer disposed near the catheter body distal end for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals through said side hole;

positioning said stent delivery system in a body lumen;

imagining said body lumen with said transducer to locate an ostium of a branch vessel; and

aligning said stent side hole with said ostium.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said transducer is disposed in said expansion device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said ultrasound transducer is adapted to rotate relative to said longitudinal axis, and said imaging further comprises rotating said transducer to image a cross section of said body lumen.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said aligning comprises axially translating said stent.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said aligning comprises rotating said stent about said longitudinal axis.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

introducing a body lumen guidewire into said body lumen; and

advancing said catheter over the guidewire and through said body lumen to be near said branch vessel.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said transducer is coupled to a housing having a passageway through which said guidewire passes, said advancing also advancing said transducer housing to be near said branch vessel.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said stent delivery system further comprises a controller coupled to said transducer for controlling said imaging.