Removable stent

• US 7,806,918 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merit Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Merit Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Nissl, Thomas, Mangiardi, Eric K.
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott; Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, CHERYL L
• Application Number:
  US10/573,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,197 Days
• Field of Search: 623 115- 117, 623/1.32, 623/1.34, 623/1.36, 623/1.23
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• 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 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91566 connected trough to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9528 for retrieval of stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0059 temporary

Abstract

The invention is relative to a stent with a tubular support frame consisting of axially successively following, interconnected annular segments which support frame is surrounded on its outside by a thread. The thread ends are guided via a deflection from the outside into support frame, where they are coupled by a connector consisting of a material visible in x-rays. Deflection is realized by two deflection elements in the form of eyelets provided on annular segments. Deflection elements are arranged on the circumference of support frame at an interval from one another and are provided on end-side annular segments, viewed in longitudinal direction of the stent.

Claims

1. A stent configured to reduce traumatization of the vessel wall, the stent comprising:

a tubular support frame that can be expanded from an initial state to a support state, in which the tubular support frame comprises at least two annular segments that are formed by struts that are interconnected in a corrugated manner via transitional sections and in which adjacent annular segments are coupled by connectors, wherein one of the annular segments corresponds to a proximal end of the tubular support frame and one of the annular segments corresponds to a distal end of the tubular support frame, wherein every other transitional section at the proximal and distal ends of the tubular support frame has a widened head end that axially projects proximally from the proximal end and distally from the distal end and has a convexly rounded front section, concavely rounded throat sections between the head end and the struts connected to the head end, and convexly rounded edge sections extending between the convexly rounded front section and the concavely rounded throat sections, wherein the concavely rounded throat sections are configured to intermesh with, and extend at least partially over and abut, adjacent transitional sections in the initial state, each widened head end having a maximum width measured transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tubular support frame, wherein each widened head end comprises a structure that is solid across the entire maximum width, and wherein the tubular support frame further comprises a plurality of deflection elements for a thread looping around the outside of the support frame that are arranged on the annular segments at the proximal and distal ends of the support frame, wherein each deflection element comprises an eyelet configured to receive a thread therethrough.

19. The stent according to claim 1, wherein a width of each widened head end measured transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tubular support frame is larger than a width of each widened head end measured along the longitudinal axis.

20. The stent according to claim 1, wherein each strut has substantially the same length measured between respective transitional sections about the stent'"'"'s circumference.

21. The stent according to claim 1, wherein each widened head end comprises a solid material.

2. A stent configured to reduce traumatization of a vessel wall, the stent comprising:

a tubular support frame that can be expanded from an initial state to support state, in which the tubular support frame comprises at least two annular segments that are formed by struts that are interconnected in a corrugated manner via transitional sections and in which adjacent annular segments are coupled by connectors, wherein one of the annular segments corresponds to a proximal end of the tubular support frame and one of the annular segments corresponds to a distal end of the tubular support frame, wherein each strut has substantially the same length measured between respective transitional sections about the stent'"'"'s circumference, wherein every other transitional section at the proximal and distal ends of the tubular support frame has a widened head end having a larger maximum width measured transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tubular support frame than a head end of an adjacent transitional section, wherein each widened head end axially projects proximally from the proximal end and distally from the distal end and has a convexly rounded front section, concavely rounded throat sections between the head end and the struts connected to the head end, and convexly rounded edge sections extending between the convexly rounded front section and the concavely rounded throat sections, wherein the concavely rounded throat sections are configured to intermesh with, and extend at least partially over and abut, adjacent transitional sections in the initial state.

3. A stent configured to reduce traumatization of a vessel wall, the stent comprising:

a tubular support frame that can be expanded from an initial state to a support state, in which the tubular support frame comprises at least two annular segments that are formed by struts that are interconnected in a corrugated manner via transitional sections and in which adjacent annular segments are coupled by connectors, wherein one of the annular segments corresponds to a proximal end of the tubular support frame and one of the annular segments corresponds to a distal end of the tubular support frame, wherein every other transitional section at the proximal and distal ends of the tubular support frame has a widened head end having a larger maximum width measured transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tubular support frame than a head end of an adjacent transitional section, wherein each widened head end axially projects proximally at the proximal end and distally at the distal end and has a convexly rounded front section, concavely rounded throat sections between the head end and the struts connected to the head end, and convexly rounded edge sections extending between the convexly rounded front section and the concavely rounded throat sections, wherein the concavely rounded throat sections are configured to intermesh with, and extend at least partially over and abut, adjacent transitional sections in the initial state, and wherein each of the struts are parallel to one another in the initial state.

4. The stent according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of deflection elements for a thread looping around the outside of the support frame that are arranged on the annular segments at the proximal and distal ends of the support frame, wherein each deflection element comprises an eyelet configured to receive a thread therethrough.

5. The stent according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of each deflection element is configured to be positioned adjacent to at least a portion of an adjacent connector in the initial state.

6. The stent according to claim 4, wherein each deflection element projects axially from a respective transitional section.

7. The stent according to claim 6, wherein each deflection element is configured to intermesh with, and extend at least partially over, an adjacent transitional section in the initial state.

8. The stent according to claim 4, wherein each strut comprises first and second ends, and wherein each widened head end is located at the first ends of the struts at the proximal and distal ends of the support frame and each deflection element is located at the second ends of the struts.

9. The stent according to claim 8, wherein each connector comprises a longitudinal section running substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stent and a compensation section, and wherein each deflection element is configured to extend adjacent to an adjacent longitudinal section and extend between a compensation section of an adjacent annular segment and at least a portion of the second ends of adjacent struts in the initial state.

10. The stent according to claim 3, wherein each connector has a longitudinal section running substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stent and comprises a compensation section aligned transversally to the latter and configured to a U or V shape.

11. The stent according to claim 10, wherein the U-shaped or V-shaped compensation sections of the connectors are arranged in an area between two axially adjacent, spaced annular segments.

12. The stent according to claim 10, wherein the longitudinal section of each connector is substantially parallel to each of the struts in the initial state.

13. The stent according to claim 3, further comprising an annular segment interconnected to an adjacent annular segment at the proximal or distal ends of the tubular support frame, wherein the connectors extend out from a ridge area of two struts of the annular segment to the transitional section of the adjacent annular segment at the proximal or distal ends of the tubular support frame.

14. The stent according to claim 3, wherein the connectors are aligned in axial succession.

15. The stent according to claim 3, wherein each strut comprises first and second ends, and wherein each head end is spaced outwardly from the first ends of adjacent struts by a distance corresponding to the concavely rounded throat sections.

16. The stent according to claim 3, wherein each widened head end axially projects further proximally at the proximal end of the tubular support frame and further distally at the distal end of the tubular support frame than an adjacent transitional section.

17. The stent according to claim 3, wherein each transitional section comprises convexly curved side edges that are configured to intermesh with adjacent concavely rounded throat sections in the initial state.

18. The stent according to claim 3, wherein the rounded edge sections of adjacent widened head ends are spaced apart from another in the initial state.