Intravascular stent with increasing coating retaining capacity

• US 6,783,543 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Jang, G. David
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Hieu
• Application Number:
  US09/874,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.1, 623/1.11, 623/1-2-, 623/1.39, 623/1.42, 623/1-4-
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• 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 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0068 the pharmaceutical product being in a reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes

Abstract

An expandable stent includes a tubular structure with an outer surface positionable adjacent to a vessel wall and an inner surface facing a lumen of a body passageway. The tubular structure further includes a plurality of expansion struts, connector struts and cells. The tubular structure has a first diameter which permits intraluminal delivery of the tubular structure into the body passageway, and a second expanded and deformed diameter which is achieved upon the application of a radially, outwardly extending force. A plurality of cavities are formed in the outer surface of the stent.

Claims

1. An expandable stent, comprising:

a tubular structure including an outer surface positionable adjacent to a vessel wall, an inner surface facing a lumen of a body passageway, a plurality of expansion struts that are substantially parallel to each other, connector struts, and cells, the tubular structure having a first diameter that permits intraluminal delivery of the tubular structure into the body passageway, and a second expanded and deformed diameter upon the application from the interior of the tubular member of a radially, outwardly extending force; and

a plurality of cavities formed in the outer surface of the stent wherein the plurality of cavities are micro-holes or micro-slits that extend from the outer surface through the inner surface, and wherein the micro-holes or micro-slits are configured to provide a plurality of reservoirs for a substance; and

a substance contained in said reservoirs.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein the tubular structure is balloon expandable.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein the tubular structure is self-expandable.

4. The stent of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the tubular structure is made of a shape memory alloy.

5. The stent of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cavities are substantially evenly positioned on the tubular structure.

6. The stent of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cavities increases the flexibility of the stent without substantially reducing the radial strength of the stent in a deployed state.

7. The stent of claim 1, wherein the micro-holes or micro-slits have a cross-section that is smaller than a cross-section of a strut.

8. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of micro-holes or micro-slits that extend from the outer surface to an interior of the tubular structure without extending through the inner surface.

9. The stent of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the micro-holes have a diameter of at least 0.0007 inch.

10. The stent of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the micro-holes or micro-slits extend perpendicular from the outer surface to an interior of the tubular structure.

11. An expandable stent, comprising:

a tubular structure including an outer surface positionable adjacent to a vessel wall, an inner surface facing a lumen of a body passageway, a plurality of expansion struts that are substantially parallel to each other, connector struts, and cells, the tubular structure having a first diameter that permits intraluminal delivery of the tubular structure into the body passageway, and a second expanded and deformed diameter upon the application from the interior of the tubular member of a radially, outwardly extending force;

a plurality of cavities formed in the outer surface of the stent wherein the plurality of cavities are micro-holes or micro-slits that extend from the outer surface through the inner surface, and wherein the micro-holes or micro-slits are configured to provide a plurality of reservoirs for a substance; and

a substance disposed on at least a portion of outer surface of the stent including and extending into at least a portion of the cavities contained in said reservoirs.

12. The stent of claim 11, further comprising the substance disposed on at least a portion of the inner surface of the stent.

13. The stent of claim 11, wherein the substance is a restenosis inhibiting agent.

14. The stent of claim 13, wherein the restenosis inhibiting agent is selected from a drug, polymer and bio-engineered material.

15. The stent of claim 13, wherein the restenosis inhibiting agent is a combination of two agents selected from a drug, polymer and bio-engineered material.

16. The stent of claim 11, wherein the tubular structure is balloon expandable.

17. The stent of claim 11, wherein the tubular structure is self-expandable.

18. The stent of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the tubular structure is made of a shape memory alloy.

19. The stent of claim 11, wherein the plurality of cavities are substantially evenly positioned on the tubular structure.

20. The stent of claim 11, wherein the plurality of cavities increases the flexibility of the stent without substantially reducing the radial strength of the stent in a deployed state.

21. The stent of claim 11, wherein the micro-holes or micro-slits have a cross-section that is smaller than a cross-section of a strut.