Intraluminal stent and graft

• US 6,849,086 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifeport Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Cragg, Andrew H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, VY Q
• Application Number:
  US10/087,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 623 11- 122, 623/23.7, 606/608, 606/197, 606/192, 606/194, 606/195, 606/198, 600 1- 3, 604/21
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30092 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• 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 2220/0066 stapled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00017 Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00131 Tantalum or Ta-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/16 Materials with shape-memory or superelastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/06 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L31/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/00 Compositions of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain of polyester-amides C08L77/12; of polyester-imides C08L79/08; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers

Abstract

An intraluminal stent and graft includes a stent made of a continuous helix of zig-zag wire and loops which connect adjacent apices of the wire. The stent is compressible and self-expandable substantially to a pre-compressed configuration. The device also includes a graft secured to the stent and made of a suitable biocompatible material.

Claims

1. A stent-graft combination comprising a tubular stent having a plurality of hoops aligned adjacent one another along the axis of said tubular stent, each of said hoops comprising a plurality of elongate elements, with pairs of said elongate elements meeting one another and forming vertices axially pointing in a direction along the axis of the stent, wherein at least some of said vertices axially abut and are individually connected to oppositely pointed vertices of elongate elements of an adjacent hoop by separate connecting members which connected adjacent vertices so that they about one another, further including a tubular graft member disposed circumferentially adjacent the tubular stent.

2. A stent-graft combination according to claim 1, wherein said stent is comprised of a shape memory material.

3. A stent-graft combination according to claim 1, wherein said shape memory material is nitinol.

4. A stent-graft combination according to claim 1, wherein said stent is comprised of an elastic material.

5. A stent-graft combination according to claim 1, wherein said elastic material is stainless steel.

6. A stent-graft combination according to claim 1, wherein said graft covers diamond shaped openings in said stent.

7. A stent-graft combination according to claim 1, wherein said graft covers diamond shaped openings in said stent and is attached to said stent by ligature loops.

8. A stent-graft combination according to claim 7, wherein said ligature loops also form connections between abutting apices of said stent.

9. A stent-graft combination according to claim 1, wherein the graft is disposed on the outer surface of the stent.

10. A stent-graft combination according to claim 1, wherein the graft is disposed on the inner surface of the stent.

11. A stent according to claim 1, wherein said graft member including a drug substance disposed thereon.

12. A stent according to claim 1, wherein said graft comprises polyester or polytetrafluoroethylene.

13. A method of reinforcing a body vessel using a tubular sheath disposed between an entry location in a body and an implantation location, said method comprising the steps of:

a. providing stent-graft combination as recited in claim 1;

b. compressing the stent-graft combination into its compressed configuration;

c. inserting the compressed stent-graft combination into the tubular sheath;

d. delivering the compressed stent-graft combination through the tubular sheath to the implantation location; and

e. withdrawing the sheath while holding the stent at the implantation location within the vessel and expanding the stent-graft combination within the implantation location as the sheath is withdrawn by permitting the self-expandable stent-graft combination, as the constraint of the sheath is removed, to return to said expanded configuration;

whereby the stent-graft combination is securely disposed in the implanted state against said body vessel.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the stent of said stent-graft combination is comprised of a shape memory material.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said shape memory material is nitinol.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the stent of said stent-graft combination is comprised of an elastic material.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said elastic material is stainless steel.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein step b is performed at a reduced temperature such that the nitinol is not elastic.

19. Method of implanting a prosthesis at an implementation site in a body lumen comprising providing a stent graft combination as recited in claim 1, said stent-graft combination having first and second configurations the diameter of said stent or prosthesis in said first configuration being smaller than in said second configuration, said method comprising introducing said stent or prosthesis, while in its first configuration into a body lumen in communication with said implantation site but remote therefrom, transporting said stent-graft combination to said implantation site and causing or permitting said stent-graft combination to assume its second configuration, whereby it is retained at said implantation site.