Radially expandable stents

• US 7,674,283 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fossa Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fossa Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Mitchell, Michael, Ro, Gloria, Tomita, Aoy
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott; Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, CHERYL L
• Application Number:
  US10/969,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.3, 623 2364- 2366, 623/23.7, 623/1.31, 623/1.16, 604/8, 604/9, 604/540, 604/544, 606191-195, 606/198, 606/127, 606/200
• US Class Current: 623/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/94 Stents retaining their form, i.e. not being deformable, after placement in the predetermined place
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0039 H-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0058 X-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0071 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1089 Urethra
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/008 pre-shaped, for use in the urethral or ureteral tract
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

An expandable, elongate flexible conduit is provided for placement in a tubular body structure. An exemplary conduit includes a plurality of flexible longitudinal members defining in an unexpanded state a lumen, the members being radially expandable at preselected intervals to define a longitudinally oriented array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded tubular segments, at least one of the open-sided cages having a diameter varying along its length and each of the open-sided cages having a maximum diameter larger than a diameter of the less-expanded tubular segments.

Claims

1. An expandable, elongate flexible conduit dimensionally adapted for placement in a tubular body structure, comprising:

a plurality of flexible longitudinal members defining in an unexpanded state a lumen, the members being radially expandable at preselected intervals to define a longitudinally oriented array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded segments, each member extending through the entire away of open-sided cages, one of the open-sided cages being formed by multiple flexible longitudinal members that do not touch one another along the cage when expanded, at least one of the open-sided cages having a diameter varying along its length and at least one of the open-sided cages having a diameter in an expanded state larger than a diameter of the less-expanded segments; and

at least one end portion biased to be so curled in a resting state as to curl the end portion'"'"'s lumen as a whole.

2. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the at least one open-sided cage assumes an undulating shape upon radial expansion.

3. The conduit of claim 1, wherein an external surface of the array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded segments defines an undulating shape.

4. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the less-expanded segments are tubular in shape.

5. The conduit of claim 1, wherein each of the open-sided cages has a maximum diameter larger than the diameter of the less-expanded segments.

6. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the at least one curled end portion has a curled shape memory.

7. The conduit of claim 1, further comprising a filament secured to a distal region of the conduit and extending to a proximal region of the conduit, wherein proximal displacement of the filament transitions the conduit to the expanded state.

8. The conduit of claim 1, further comprising a filament coupled to a distal region of the conduit and extending to a proximal region of the conduit, wherein distal displacement of the filament transitions the conduit to the unexpanded state.

9. The conduit of claim 8, wherein the filament is disposed in the lumen.

10. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the conduit is fabricated from a material that can degrade or dissolve.

11. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the end portion is J-shaped.

12. A method for draining fluid from an at least partially obstructed tubular body structure, comprising:

inserting a conduit as defined by claim 1 into the tubular body structure in an unexpanded state to bypass at least a portion of an area of obstruction;

radially expanding the members of the conduit so that they do not touch one another at preselected intervals to form the array of open-sided cages separated by less-expanded segments; and

providing through the expanded members of the conduit a drainage path in fluid communication with the fluid.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising anchoring the conduit relative to the tubular body structure using the curled end portion.