Braided endoluminal device having tapered filaments

• US 7,435,254 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• 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., Haverkost, Patrick A., Roberts, George T., Peiffer, Dennis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Julian W
• Application Number:
  US10/750,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200, 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.22, 623/1.32, 623/1.33, 623/1.35, 623/1.5, 623/1.51, 623/1.53, 604/527, 604/528, 148/519, 29/33.D, 292/82
• US Class Current: 623/1.35
• 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 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• 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 3/48 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2509/06 Vascular grafts; stents

Abstract

A stent comprising a plurality of continuous filaments braided together, at least one filament comprising a tapered filament having at least one first region having a first, relatively-larger cross-sectional area and at least one second region having a second, relatively-smaller cross-sectional area. The stent itself may have a tapered diameter, such as from one end to the other. A method for treating a lumen with the stent is also claimed.

Claims

1. A process for constructing a braided, branched stent having a body and a plurality of legs, each leg comprising a discrete plurality of continuous filaments, the process comprising the steps of:

a) braiding each plurality of continuous filaments to individually form at least first leg portions of each of the legs; and

b) braiding at least one filament from each plurality of continuous filaments together to form a first body portion of the body;

wherein at least one braiding step comprises braiding the stent using at least one tapered filament comprising at least one first region having a first, relatively larger cross-sectional area and at least one second region having a second, relatively smaller cross-sectional area.

2. The process of claim 1 comprising braiding each braided portion of each leg using one of the second regions of the tapered filament and braiding the braided portion of the body using the first region of the tapered filament.

3. The process of claim 1 comprising braiding each braided portion of each leg using one of the first regions of the tapered filament and braiding the braided portion of the body using the second region of the tapered filament.

4. The process of claim 1 comprising prior to steps (a) and (b), winding each tapered filament between two bobbins such that a first end of the filament is wound on a first bobbin and a second end of the filament is wound on a second bobbin, and positioning a midpoint of the filament on the mandrel to form an apex at an end of the stent.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the first end is located within one of the second regions having the second, relatively smaller cross-sectional area and the second end is located within another of the second regions and the midpoint of the filament is located within the first region having the first, relatively larger cross-sectional area.

6. The process of claim 4, wherein the first end is located within one of the first regions having the first, relatively larger cross-sectional area and the second end is located within another of the first regions and the midpoint of the filament is located within the second region having the second, relatively smaller cross-sectional area.