Delivery system for endoluminal implant

• US 7,959,661 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifeport Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hijlkema, Lukas J., Friel, Fionnan, McMahon, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VI X
• Application Number:
  US12/619,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 606/108, 606190-194, 606/151, 623/1.11, 623/1.12
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9505 having retaining means other than an outer sleeve, e.g. male-female connector between stent and instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means

Abstract

A delivery system for delivering an endoluminal implant to a distal deployment location inside a body lumen from a proximal access location outside the lumen. The system includes the implant, a catheter, and a slidable sheath having an advanced position in which the sheath covers the implant and a retracted position in which the implant is exposed. The catheter includes a stabilizer having a distal end adjacent the implant proximal end and/or a catheter tip attached to a central core slideably disposed relative to the implant and having a proximal end adjacent the implant distal end. The catheter tip proximal end and/or the stabilizer distal end includes a docking section adapted to releasably engage a portion of the implant. Each docking section has an engagement geometry including a flared engagement surface that extends inside a short axial length of the implant or a pocket having a bottleneck geometry.

Claims

1. A delivery system for delivering an endoluminal implant to a distal deployment location inside a body lumen from a proximal access location outside the body lumen, the delivery system comprising:

the implant having a proximal end and a distal end;

a catheter comprising at least one of a stabilizer, a catheter tip, or a combination thereof, the stabilizer having a distal end located adjacent the implant proximal end, the catheter tip attached to a central core slideably disposed relative to the implant and having a proximal end located adjacent the implant distal end;

at least one of the catheter tip proximal end or the stabilizer distal end comprising a docking section adapted to releasably engage a portion of the implant, each docking section comprising an engagement geometry for engaging the implant, and;

a slidable sheath having an advanced position in which the sheath covers the implant and a retracted position in which the implant is exposed;

each docking section engagement geometry comprising an outwardly flared engagement surface that extends inside a short axial length of the implant or a pocket having a bottleneck geometry;

wherein the sheath cooperates with the docking section to keep the implant in a compressed configuration, the docking section adapted to release engagement of the portion of the compressed implant upon retraction of the sheath beyond a location at which the sheath at least partially overlies the docking section.

2. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the docking section comprises a member adapted to contact a complete circumferential portion of the implant.

3. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the docking section comprises a plurality of members each adapted to engage a limited portion of the implant.

4. The delivery system of claim 3, wherein the limited portion of the implant comprises a partial circumferential portion.

5. The delivery system of claim 3, wherein the docking section comprises a plurality of fingers.

6. The delivery system of claim 5, wherein each finger has an end portion with a different cross-sectional area than a reminder of the finger.

7. The delivery system of claim 6, wherein the different cross-sectional area comprises an inward radial protrusion.

8. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the endoluminal implant comprises a self-expanding stent.