Method for employing an extendible stent apparatus

• US 6,962,602 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Charles J. Davidson, Gil M. Vardi
• Inventors: Vardi, Gil M., Davidson, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prebilic, Paul B.
• Application Number:
  US10/050,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.11, 623/1.12, 623/1.31, 623/1.34, 623/1.35, 606/108, 606/153, 606/155
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• 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 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• 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 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91583 by a bridge, whereby at least one of its ends is connected along the length of a strut between two consecutive apices within a band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 : radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

An imageable extendable stent apparatus for insertion into a bifurcating vessel or a vessel opening. The stent apparatus comprises a main stent and a flared stent, which may used individually or in combination with each other. The flared stent may be interlocked with the main stent to provide stent coverage over the entire region of a bifurcation. The main stent of the apparatus may be deployed at the bifurcation point of a vessel, allowing unimpeded future access to the side branch of the bifurcated vessel. The flared stent may be employed at vessel openings. Also disclosed and claimed are methods for implanting the extendable stent apparatus into the bifurcation point or the ostium of a subject vessel.

Claims

1. A method of deploying a stent apparatus in a bifurcated vessel, the bifurcated vessel comprises a main vessel having an ostium leading into a branch vessel, the method comprising:

providing a main stent, which has a proximal end, a distal end and a side opening between the proximal and distal ends, on a first catheter, wherein the main stent comprises a tubular member having a substantially constant diameter along its longitudinal axis;

advancing said first catheter via a first guidewire into the main vessel so that said side opening is substantially aligned with the ostium leading into the branch vessel;

expanding said main stent in its position;

removing said first catheter;

advancing via a second guidewire disposed in the branch vessel a second catheter, having a flareable stent in a state of compression, wherein said flareable stent comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein said proximal end comprises a flareable portion initially in an unflared configuration;

positioning said second catheter within the branch vessel so that said proximal end of said flareable stent extends into the main vessel;

positioning said flareable stent with respect to the ostium by at least allowing said flareable portion in said unflared configuration to be flared radially; and

expanding said flareable stent in the branch vessel to deploy said flareable stent in its position within the branch vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing said flareable portion to be flared is accomplished by removal of an outer sheath.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said second guidewire is introduced after said main stent has been expanded within the main vessel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second guidewire is introduced simultaneously with said first catheter and said main stent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein expanding of said main stent and said flareable stent are performed by balloon catheterization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein advancing said first catheter is done using radiopaque markers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said flareable stent includes radiopaque markers.