Partial encapsulation of stents

• US 7,914,639 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bard Peripheral Vascular Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Bard Peripheral Vascular Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Layne, Richard E., Bebb, Debra A., Cundy, Sandra M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray; Linda L
• Application Number:
  US12/538,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20090294035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 156/244.24, 156/298, 156/252, 156/257, 156/308.2, 156/290, 156/256, 156/272.8, 623/1.13, 623/1.44, 623/1.2, 623/1.27, 623/23.7, 623/901
• US Class Current: 156/252
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0029 differing in bending or flexure capacity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/901 Method of manufacturing prosthetic device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1026 with slitting or removal of material at reshaping area prior to reshaping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1056 Perforating lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/109 Embedding of laminae within face of additional laminae

Abstract

A method of making an implantable medical device includes extruding a first ePTFE tube and a second ePTFE tube, cutting a plurality of slits in the first ePTFE tube, positioning a radially expandable support layer between the first and second ePTFE tubes so that the slits span portions of the support layer, and laminating the first ePTFE tube to the second ePTFE tube through openings in the support layer.

Claims

1. A method for making an implantable medical device, comprising:

extruding a first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube;

extruding a second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube;

cutting a plurality of openings in both the first and second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tubes;

positioning the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube with openings on a mandrel, followed by placing a support layer comprising at least one stent on the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube, followed by placing the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube with openings on the support layer such that the openings in the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube are out of phase with the openings in the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube such that none of the openings of the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube overlap the openings of the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube; and

laminating the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube to the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube through openings in the support layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the support layer comprises a plurality of unconnected ring stents formed in a zigzag pattern of alternating peaks and valleys, the positioning step comprising orienting the alternating peaks and valleys of adjacent ring stents in phase with one another.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the positioning step further comprises positioning each of the openings to pass over two or more ring stent peaks or valleys.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cutting step comprises utilizing a laser to slice through a wall of the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cutting step comprises utilizing a razor blade to slice through a wall of the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube.