Active stent
First Claim
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1. A method of treating a patient with an obstruction inside a medical appliance, comprising the steps of:
- providing a medical appliance comprising a scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally there between, forming a lumen there through, wherein at least a portion of the scaffolding comprises a material that is responsive to a magnetic field;
radially contracting the cylindrical member in response to exposing the scaffolding to a magnetic field to force an obstruction within the lumen to migrate; and
activating expansion of the medical appliance to the pre-contracted state.
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Abstract
The present invention, in an exemplary embodiment, provides a stent, which combines many of the excellent characteristics of both silicone and metal stents while eliminating the undesirable ones. In particular, a principal objective in accordance with the present invention is to provide a family of stents where the relative hardness/softness of regions of the stent can differ from other regions of the stent to provide additional patient comfort and resistance to radial forces. An exemplary embodiment also provides a family of stents with obstruction clearance and/or radiation therapy capabilities.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of treating a patient with an obstruction inside a medical appliance, comprising the steps of:
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providing a medical appliance comprising a scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally there between, forming a lumen there through, wherein at least a portion of the scaffolding comprises a material that is responsive to a magnetic field; radially contracting the cylindrical member in response to exposing the scaffolding to a magnetic field to force an obstruction within the lumen to migrate; and activating expansion of the medical appliance to the pre-contracted state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of treating a patient with an obstruction inside a medical appliance, comprising the steps of:
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providing a medical appliance comprising a scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally therebetween, forming a lumen therethrough, wherein at least a portion of the comprises a material that is responsive to a magnetic field, and wherein the cylindrical member comprises a plurality of zones such that at least one zone of the cylindrical member is configured to contract in response to exposure to a magnetic field while at least one other zone does not contract in response to exposure to a magnetic field; and radially contracting at least one zone in response to exposing the scaffolding to a magnetic field to force an obstruction within the lumen to migrate while at least one other zone does not radially contract in response to exposure to the magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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Specification