Stent graft tapered spring

• US 7,279,003 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Berra, Humberto, Letort, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, KEVIN THAO
• Application Number:
  US10/423,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.11, 623/1.12, 623/1.13, 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.23, 623/1.35, 623/1.51, 606/191, 606/192, 606/194, 606/195, 606/198
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/826 more than one stent being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0029 differing in bending or flexure capacity

Abstract

A stent graft includes a stent graft material of cylindrical shape and tapered stent springs coupled to the stent graft material. Each stent spring includes a first stent cell and a second stent cell contiguous with the first stent cell. The first stent cell and the second stent cell are coupled. The second stent cell of each tapered stent spring is smaller than the first stent cell thereby defining a tapered shape to the tapered stent springs. The stent graft is placed in a curved segment of a tortuous body lumen and rotationally positioned such that the smallest stent cell of each tapered stent spring is placed at an inside radius of the curved segment.

Claims

1. A stent graft comprising:

a cylindrical shape stent graft material; and

tapered stent springs coupled to said stent graft material,

wherein each of said tapered stent springs comprising stent cells, said stent cells tapenng to a smallest stent cell; and

wherein said smallest stent cells of said tapered stent springs are rotationally positioned on said stent graft material at the same relative position.

2. The stent graft of claim 1 wherein said stent graft material is inside said tapered stent springs.

3. The stent graft of claim 1 wherein said stent graft material is outside said tapered stent springs.

4. The stent graft of claim 1 wherein said tapered stent springs comprise a first tapered stent spring comprising:

a first stent cell; and

a second stent cell contiguous with said first stent cell.

5. The stent graft of claim 4 wherein said second stent cell is coupled to said first stent cell.

6. The stent graft of claim 5 wherein said second stent cell is smaller than said first stent cell.

7. The stent graft of claim 5 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are closed.

8. The stent graft of claim 5 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are diamond shape.

9. The stent graft of claim 4 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are integral.

10. The stent graft of claim 9 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are open.

11. The stent graft of claim 9 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are serpentine shape.

12. The stent graft of claim 9 wherein said serpentine shape is selected from the group consisting of zigzag, and stepped.

13. A stent graft comprising:

a cylindrical shape stent graft material;

a first tapered stent spring coupled to said stent graft material, said first tapered stent spring comprising stent cells, said stent cells tapering to a smallest stent cell of said first tapered stent spring; and

a second tapered stent spring coupled to said stent graft material and adjacent to said first tapered stent spring, said second tapered stent spring comprising stent cells, said stent cells of said second tapered stent spring tapering to a smallest stent cell of said second tapered stent spring, wherein said smallest stent cell of said first tapered stent spring and said smallest stent cell of said second tapered stent spring are rotationally positioned on said stent graft material at the same relative position, wherein said second tapered stent spring is spaced apart from said first tapered stent spring by a spacing distance.

14. The stent graft of claim 13 wherein said first tapered stent spring and said second tapered stent spring are coupled to said stent graft material by sutures.

15. The stent graft of claim 13 wherein said spacing distance decreases as said stent graft is bent.

16. A stent graft comprising:

tapered stent spring means comprising;

stent cell means tapering to smallest stent cells;

cylindrical shape support means for supporting said tapered stent spring means; and

means for coupling said tapered stent spring means to said cylindrical shape support means, wherein said smallest stent cells of said stent cell means are rotationally positioned on said cylindrical shape support means at the same relative position.