Flat wire stent

• US 6,719,782 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: EndoVascular Technologies Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Chuter, Timothy A. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Julian W.
• Application Number:
  US10/079,473
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.2, 623/1.17, 623/1.18, 623/23.48, 623/23.7
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8483 Barbs

Abstract

An improved stent in which the limbs have been fabricated from a medium having a cross sectional profile in which at least one segment is flat and straight, whereby the stent is provided with improved expansion characteristics.

Claims

1. A stent, comprising:

a plurality of limb elements, each of the plurality of limb elements having a flat surface; and

a generally cylindrical body defined by the plurality of limb elements, the body having a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration;

wherein the flat surfaces of adjacent limb elements are in contact when the cylindrical body is in the compressed configuration and are separated when the cylindrical body is in the expanded configuration.

2. The stent of claim 1, the cylindrical body being self-expanding.

3. The stent of claim 2, the plurality of limb elements including a first curved section and a second curved section.

4. The stent of claim 3, further including a mid-section configured between the first and second curved sections.

5. The stent of claim 1, wherein the limb elements have a rectangular cross-sectional profile.

6. The stent of claim 5, wherein the cross-sectional profile includes a width and a depth.

7. The stent of claim 6, wherein the depth is greater than the width.

8. The stent of claim 1, wherein the flat surfaces of the limb elements can be pressed together without generating lateral forces that would cause the limb elements to overlap.

9. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of flat wires assembled to define the generally cylindrical body.

10. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of open cells.

11. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of closed cells.

12. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of open cells and a plurality of closed cells.

13. The stent of claim 1,wherein the contact between adjacent elements progressively increases as the cylindrical body is compressed.