Expandable medical device with differential hinge performance
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A stent comprising:
- a plurality of struts and a plurality of ductile hinges, wherein the ductile hinges are capable of deforming plastically upon radial expansion or compression of the stent while the struts are designed to experience substantially no plastic deformation upon radial expansion or compression;
a portion of the plurality of ductile hinges located at axial ends of the stent with a larger width than a remainder of the plurality of ductile hinges, wherein each of the axial ends of the stent with the larger width ductile hinges extend for about 3% to about 30% of the length of the stent.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The stent described herein is configured with expandable rings at either end of the stent having increased radial strength compared to the expandable middle rings. This difference between the configuration of the stent at the middle and ends of the stent results in more even expansion properties of the stent, better crimping properties of the stent, and uniform diameter post deployment. The expandable rings are formed by a plurality of struts and a plurality of ductile hinges arranged such that upon expansion, the ductile hinges are deformed while the struts are not deformed.
61 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A stent comprising:
-
a plurality of struts and a plurality of ductile hinges, wherein the ductile hinges are capable of deforming plastically upon radial expansion or compression of the stent while the struts are designed to experience substantially no plastic deformation upon radial expansion or compression; a portion of the plurality of ductile hinges located at axial ends of the stent with a larger width than a remainder of the plurality of ductile hinges, wherein each of the axial ends of the stent with the larger width ductile hinges extend for about 3% to about 30% of the length of the stent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of improving crimping of stents onto balloons, the method comprising:
-
forming a stent with a plurality of struts and a plurality of ductile hinges, wherein the ductile hinges are designed to deform plastically upon radial expansion or compression of the stent while the struts experience substantially no plastic deformation upon radial expansion or compression; forming a portion of the plurality of ductile hinges located at axial ends of the stent with a larger width than a remainder of the plurality of ductile hinges, wherein each of the axial ends of the stent with the larger width ductile hinges extend for about 3% to about 30% of the length of the stent; crimping the stent onto a balloon catheter by compressing the stent to a uniform crimped diameter along the axis of the stent; and releasing the compressive force of crimping and causing the stent to recoil a first percentage at the axial ends of the stent and a second percentage at a middle portion of the stent, wherein the second percentage is greater than the first percentage.
-
-
12. A method of improving crimping of stents onto balloons, the method comprising:
-
forming a stent with a plurality of struts and a plurality of ductile hinges, wherein the ductile hinges are designed to deform plastically upon radial expansion or compression of the stent while the struts experience substantially no plastic deformation upon radial expansion or compression; forming a portion of the plurality of ductile hinges located at axial ends of the stent with a larger width than a remainder of the plurality of ductile hinges; crimping the stent onto a balloon catheter by compressing the stent to a uniform crimped diameter along the axis of the stent; and releasing the compressive force of crimping and causing the stent to recoil a first percentage at the axial ends of the stent and a second percentage at a middle portion of the stent, wherein the second percentage is greater than the first percentage; wherein a crimped diameter of the axial ends is at least 5% less than a crimped diameter of the middle portion of the stent.
-
Specification