Flexible metal wire stent

• US 6,976,994 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: DiMatteo, Kristian J., Roberts, George T., Ballou, Kurt, Ravenscroft, Adrian C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US10/827,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.18, 623/1.17, 623/1.22, 606/198
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30092 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30451 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/828 Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure
• 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 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body

Abstract

A self-expanding metal wire stent made of shape memory alloy such as nitinol in which a plurality of spaced sections of closed cells are interconnected by straight sections of wire which may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent or may be disposed angularly with respect thereto.

Claims

1. A stent comprised of a tube form body having a body wall structure of a geometric pattern of cells defined by wire extending throughout the tube form body and defining the cell pattern as a plurality of spaced sections of interconnected cells which in plan view are of polygonal configuration, the plurality of spaced sections including a first end spaced section, a middle spaced section and a second end spaced section, at least one of the plurality of spaced sections having two rows of cells circumferentially distributed about the tube, adjacent spaced sections being connected to each other by a straight connector section of the wire, the straight connector section extending from the first end spaced section to the second end spaced section, a second straight connector section of the wire, the first and second straight connector sections being circumferentially spaced apart by about 180°

.

2. The stent of claim 1 in which the wire is of a nitinol alloy.

3. The stent of claim 1 in which the polygonal configuration is hexagonal.

4. The stent of claim 1 including a covering sleeve.

5. The stent of claim 1 wherein the second straight connector section of the wire extends from the first end spaced section to the second end spaced section of the stent.

6. The stent of claim 5 including a plurality of continuous connecting wires.

7. The stent of claim 1 in which the cells are of a hexagonal configuration.

8. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a second middle spaced section.

9. The stent of claim 8, further comprising a third middle spaced section.

10. The stent of claim 1, wherein the first end spaced section comprises two rows of cells circumferentially distributed about the tube.

11. The stent of claim 10, wherein the second end spaced section comprises two rows of cells circumferentially distributed about the tube.

12. A stent comprised of a tube form body having a body wall structure of a geometric pattern of cells defined by wire extending throughout the body portion and defining the cell pattern as a plurality of spaced sections of interconnected cells which in plan view are of polygonal configuration, the plurality of spaced sections including a first end spaced spaced section, a middle spaced section and a second end spaced section, at least one of the plurality of spaced sections having two rows of cells circumferentially distributed about the tube, adjacent spaced sections being connected to each other by a straight connector section of the wire, the straight connector section extending from the first end spaced section to the second end spaced section;

in which the cells are of a hexagonal configuration; and

in which at least some of the cells include two adjacent inverted sides which receive the straight connector section.