Non-foreshortening intraluminal prosthesis

• US 6,764,506 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Endosystems LLC
• Original Assignee: Endosystems LLC
• Inventors: Iyer, Sriram S., Roubin, Gary S., Redmond, Russell J., Vidal, Claude A., White, Geoffrey Hamilton
• Primary Examiner(s): REIP, DAVID OWEN
• Application Number:
  US10/283,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.17, 623/1.18, 623/1.19, 623/1.2
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 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 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0019 operated at only one temperature whilst inside or touching the human body, e.g. constrained in a non-operative shape during surgery, another temperature only occurring before the operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0029 differing in bending or flexure capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

An intraluminal prosthesis is provided with a plurality of annular elements. Each annular element includes a plurality of struts and apices connected to form an annular configuration. Each annular element has a compressed state and an expanded state, and has a longitudinal dimension which is smaller in the expanded state than in the compressed state. A plurality of connecting members connect the apices of adjacent annular elements. The connecting members have a plurality of alternating segments that function to compensate for the smaller longitudinal dimension of each annular element in the expanded state. The stent may be provided with varying flexibility along its length and/or circumference, and may include segments that have different diameters.

Claims

1. A method of making a stent, comprising:

a. providing a tube in a compressed state, the tube being made of a shape memory material;

b. cuffing patterns to form a patterned tube having;

b1. a plurality of annular elements;

b2. a first segment and a second segment that have different diameters when the tube is in the expanded state; and

b4. wherein the length of the tube remains the same in both the compressed and expanded states;

c. expanding the tube until the tube reaches an expanded state;

d. setting the shape memory of the tube in the expanded state; and

e. compressing the tube to the compressed state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing step includes the step of cooling the tube.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting step is accomplished by a laser cutter that is controlled by a program in a computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting step includes the step of heat-setting the shape memory of the tube.

5. The method of claim 1, further including providing the shape memory material in the form of Nitinol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanding step includes the step of consistently maintaining the overall length of the tube throughout the expanding step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting step includes controlling the outside diameter of the tube.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting step includes controlling the wall thickness of the tube.

9. A method of making a stent, comprising:

a. providing a tube in a compressed state, the tube being made of a shape memory material;

b. cutting patterns to form a patterned tube having;

b1. a plurality of annular elements comprising a plurality of alternating struts and apices connected to each other to form a substantially annular configuration;

b2. connecting members connected to the apices of the adjacent annular members; and

b3. a first segment and a second segment that have different diameters when the tube is in the expanded state;

c. expanding the tube until the tube reaches an expanded state;

d. setting the shape memory of the tube in the expanded state; and

e. compressing the tube to the compressed state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the compressing step includes the step of cooling the tube.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the cutting step is accomplished by a laser cutter that is controlled by a program in a computer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the setting step includes the step of heat-selling the shape memory of the tube.

13. The method of claim 9, further including providing the shape memory material in the form of Nitinol.