Apparatus for crimping a stent assembly
First Claim
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1. A system for reducing the cross-sectional surface area of a stent assembly comprising:
- a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of moveable contracting members, each of the contracting members having a predetermined shape, at least one of the contracting members having a different predetermined shape than the predetermined shape of each of the other contracting members, the plurality of contracting members defining a cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, the chamber having a reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration and a pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration, the contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion of a stent assembly into the chamber, wherein when the chamber is in the pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a first cross-sectional surface area and when the chamber is in the reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a second cross-sectional surface area, the second cross-sectional surface area being less than the first cross-sectional surface area; and
a first mandrel, a portion of the first mandrel constructed and arranged to be positioned within the cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, a first portion of the stent assembly disposed about the portion of the first mandrel;
a second mandrel, a portion of the second mandrel constructed and arranged to be positioned within the cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, a second portion of the stent assembly disposed about the portion of the second mandrel.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stent assembly comprises a rotatable sheath and a stent. The assembly is crimped or reduced in diameter prior to loading onto a catheter by one or more crimping apparatuses. One crimping apparatus comprises a blade having a stepped configuration. A mandrel may be used to support the assembly during crimping. The mandrel may have an expandable region. A protective sheath may be used to protect the stent during crimping and to redirect the crimping forces to desired locations about the assembly.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A system for reducing the cross-sectional surface area of a stent assembly comprising:
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a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of moveable contracting members, each of the contracting members having a predetermined shape, at least one of the contracting members having a different predetermined shape than the predetermined shape of each of the other contracting members, the plurality of contracting members defining a cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, the chamber having a reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration and a pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration, the contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion of a stent assembly into the chamber, wherein when the chamber is in the pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a first cross-sectional surface area and when the chamber is in the reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a second cross-sectional surface area, the second cross-sectional surface area being less than the first cross-sectional surface area; and a first mandrel, a portion of the first mandrel constructed and arranged to be positioned within the cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, a first portion of the stent assembly disposed about the portion of the first mandrel; a second mandrel, a portion of the second mandrel constructed and arranged to be positioned within the cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, a second portion of the stent assembly disposed about the portion of the second mandrel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for reducing the cross-sectional surface area of a stent assembly comprising:
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a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of moveable contracting members, each of the contracting members having a predetermined shape, at least one of the contracting members having a different predetermined shape than the predetermined shape of each of the other contracting members, the plurality of contracting members defining a cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, the chamber having a reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration and a pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration, the contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion of a stent assembly into the chamber, wherein when the chamber is in the pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a first cross-sectional surface area and when the chamber is in the reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a second cross-sectional surface area, the second cross-sectional surface area being less than the first cross-sectional surface area; and a protective sheath, the protective sheath constructed and arranged to be positioned within the cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, the protective sheath disposed about the stent assembly; wherein the protective sheath comprises a wall thickness and an inside surface, the inside surface being defined by a wall thickness pattern, the wall thickness pattern comprising alternating thicker portions of the wall thickness and thinner portions of the wall thickness, the thicker portions extending radially inward toward the stent assembly to a greater extent than the thinner portions, a thinner portion being positioned between each thicker portion. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for reducing the diameter of a stent assembly comprising:
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a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of moveable contracting members, the plurality of contracting members defining a diameter reduction chamber, the chamber having a reduced diameter configuration and a pre-reduction diameter configuration, the stent contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive the stent assembly into the chamber, wherein when the chamber of the stent contracting assembly is in the pre-reduction diameter configuration at least a portion of the stent assembly has a first diameter and when the chamber is in the reduced diameter configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a second diameter, the second diameter being less than the first diameter; a first mandrel, a portion of the first mandrel constructed and arranged to be positioned within the diameter reduction chamber, a first portion of the stent assembly disposed about the portion of the first mandrel; and a protective sheath, the protective sheath constructed and arranged to be positioned within the diameter reduction chamber, the protective sheath disposed about the stent assembly, the protective sheath having a wall thickness and an inside surface, the inside surface being defined by a wall thickness pattern, the wall thickness pattern comprising alternating thicker portions of the wall thickness and thinner portions of the wall thickness, the thicker portions extending radially inward toward the stent assembly to a greater extent than the thinner portions, a thinner portion being positioned between each thicker portion. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A system for reducing the cross-sectional surface area of a stent assembly comprising:
a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of moveable contracting members, each of the contracting members having an elongate edge with a predetermined shape, at least one of the contracting members having a different elongate edge predetermined shape than the elongate edge predetermined shape of each of the other contracting members, the elongate edges of the plurality of contracting members defining a contracting chamber, the contracting chamber having a first cross-sectional shape along a portion of a length of the contracting chamber and a second cross-sectional shape along another portion of the length of the contracting chamber, the first cross-sectional shape having a stepped shape area along only a portion of a circumference of the contracting chamber, the contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion of a stent assembly into the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A system for reducing the cross-sectional surface area of a stent assembly comprising:
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a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of moveable contracting members, each of the contracting members having a predetermined shape, at least one of the contracting members having a different predetermined shape than the predetermined shape of each of the other contracting members, the plurality of contracting members defining a cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, the chamber having a reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration and a pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration, the contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion of a stent assembly into the chamber, wherein when the chamber is in the pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a first cross-sectional surface area and when the chamber is in the reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration the at least a portion of the stent assembly has a second cross-sectional surface area, the second cross-sectional surface area being less than the first cross-sectional surface area; a first mandrel, a portion of the first mandrel constructed and arranged to be positioned within the cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber, a first portion of the stent assembly disposed about the portion of the first mandrel and a second stent contracting assembly, the second stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of moveable contracting members, the plurality of contracting members of the second stent contracting assembly defining a cross-sectional surface area reduction chamber of the second stent contracting assembly, the chamber of the second stent contracting assembly having a reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration and a pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration, the second stent contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive the stent assembly into the chamber, wherein when the chamber of the second stent contracting assembly is in the pre-reduction cross-sectional surface area configuration, a proximal portion of the stent assembly has a first cross-sectional surface area and when the chamber of the second stent contracting assembly is in the reduced cross-sectional surface area configuration, the proximal portion of the stent assembly has a second cross-sectional surface area, the second cross-sectional surface area being less than the first cross-sectional surface area. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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Specification