Process for manufacturing a braided bifurcated stent

• US 7,004,967 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifeshield Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Chouinard, Paul F., Peiffer, Dennis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/630,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.5, 623/1.51, 87/11, 87/8, 87/33, 87/41, 87/9, 87/13
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/001 Figure-8-shaped, e.g. hourglass-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/06 Braid or lace serving particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 3/14 Spool carriers
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 3/40 for making tubular braids by circulating strand supplies around braiding centre at equal distances
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 3/48 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2509/06 Vascular grafts; stents

Abstract

A process for manufacturing a braided birfurcated stent involves the use of two or more braiding machines. In this process, a first discrete plurality of filaments are braided to form a first leg, and a second discrete plurality of filaments are braided to form a second leg. Either the same braiding machine may be used or two different braiding machines may be used. The process also involves braiding the first plurality of filaments and the second plurality of filaments together to form the body using yet another braiding machine. Either the legs or body may be braided first.

Claims

1. A process for constructing a braided stent having at least two regions, each region comprising a discrete plurality of filaments, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) braiding first sections of a first discrete plurality of filaments to form a first region using a first braiding machine for accommodating at least a first number of bobbin carriers;

(b) braiding second sections of the first plurality of filaments together with a second discrete plurality of filaments to form the second region using a second braiding machine for accommodating at least a second number of bobbin carriers that is different from the first number.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises braiding second sections of the second plurality of filaments, the process further comprising the step of:

(c) braiding the first sections of the second discrete plurality of filaments to form a third region.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises using the first braiding machine.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises using a third braiding machine.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein step (c) comprises using a third braiding machine that accommodates a third number of bobbin carriers.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the first number is equal to the third number.

7. The process of claim 5 wherein the second number is equal to the first number plus the third number.

8. The process of claim 5 wherein the first number is less than a full capacity of the first braiding machine, the second number is less than a full capacity of the second braiding machine, and third number is less than a full capacity of the third braiding machine.

9. The process of claim 5 wherein each of the first number, the second number, and the third number are equivalent to a capacity of the respective braiding machine that produces a 1:

1 braiding ratio.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein said first and third numbers of bobbin carriers is 12 and the second number of bobbin carriers is 24.

11. The process of claim 2, wherein each bobbin carrier is adapted to hold a bobbin having a filament wound thereon, a first plurality of bobbins is used in step (a), and a second plurality of bobbins is used in step Cc), the process further comprising:

performing steps (a) and (c) before step (b).

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the first number is less than a full capacity of the first braiding machine and the second number is less than a full capacity of the second braiding machine.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein each of the first number and the second number are equivalent to a capacity of the respective braiding machine that produces a 1:

1 braiding ratio.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein each bobbin carrier is adapted to hold a bobbin having a filament wound thereon, a first plurality of bobbins is used in step (a), and a second plurality of bobbins is used in step (c), the process further comprising:

performing step (b) before steps (a) and (c).

15. The process of claim 1 comprising creating a bifurcated stent in which the first region comprises a first leg of the bifurcated stent and the second region comprises a body of the bifurcated stent.

16. The process of claim 2 comprising creating a bifurcated stent in which the first region comprises a first leg of the bifurcated stent, the third region comprises a second leg of the bifurcated stent, and the second region comprises a body of the bifurcated stent.

17. A braided stent prepared by the process of claim 16.

18. The braided stent of claim 17 wherein each of the first region, the second region, and the third region comprise braided sections having a braid with a 1:

1 ratio.

19. A braided stent prepared by the process of claim 1.

20. The braided stent of claim 18 wherein each of the first region and the second region comprise braided sections having a braid with a 1:

1 ratio.