Flexible stent with torque-absorbing connectors

• US 8,128,679 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Limited (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Limited (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Casey, Brendan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweet, Thomas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swaminathan, Seema
• Application Number:
  US11/973,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.13, 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.11, 623/1.22
• US Class Current: 623/1.22
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0031 made from both resorbable and non-resorbable prosthetic parts, e.g. adjacent parts

Abstract

Disclosed is a stent with a highly flexible structure that is configured to provide an elevated degree of vessel scaffolding and to absorb torque applied on the stent. The stent may include an essentially tubular body formed by a web structure that is composed of a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings, each including a plurality of web elements that are disposed circumferentially around the longitudinal axis of the stent and that are adjoined one to the other by a junction bend. Each junction bend in a first web ring is coupled to another junction bend in a neighboring ring by a connector having a step-wise configuration, in which a central segment of the connector is disposed essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent and may become twisted to absorb torque imposed on the stent.

Claims

1. A method of stenting a bodily vessel comprising:

providing a stent having a web structure defining an essentially tubular body expandable from a contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration, a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining the web structure, and a plurality of sequentially adjoined web elements defining the web rings, the web elements being disposed substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body in the contracted delivery configuration, pairs of the web elements being sequentially adjoined at a plurality of junction bends, a first junction bend in a first web ring being connected to a second junction bend in a neighboring web ring by a connector having a plurality of segments disposed one in relation to the other in step-wise configuration, the plurality of segments being joined by connecting areas, the connecting areas extending through a wall of the essentially tubular body from an exterior surface toward a lumen of the essentially tubular body, two of the connecting areas extending towards the lumen of the essentially tubular body through the wall being non-parallel to each other through the wall, at least one of the plurality of segments being disposed in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body, the second junction bend being laterally offset from the first junction bend and being circumferentially offset from the first junction bend by three junction bends of the plurality of junction bends;

disposing the stent in the contracted delivery configuration in the bodily vessel; and

causing an expansion of the stent from the contracted delivery configuration to the expanded deployed configuration, the connector absorbing at least some of a torque applied on the stent by the expansion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the stent comprises providing the connector with three sequentially connected segments, the first and the third segments being disposed essentially parallel to each other, the second segment connecting the first and the third segments, the second segment being disposed essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the connector comprises providing the first and the second segments, and the second and the third segments, disposed one with respect to the other at angles between 45 and 135 degrees.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein causing an expansion of the stent further comprises deflection of the second segment towards a helical disposition.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the connector comprises providing the second segment configured to be twisted upon application of a radial force on the essentially tubular body.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the connector comprises providing the first and third segments configured to translate one in relation to the other upon application of a bending force on the essentially tubular body.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the connector comprises providing the second segment with a cross-sectional area different from the cross-sectional area of the first and third segments.

8. A method of stenting a bodily vessel comprising:

providing a stent having a web structure defining an essentially tubular body expandable from a contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration, the stent comprising;

a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining the web structure,

a plurality of sequentially adjoined web elements defining the web rings, the web elements being disposed substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body in the contracted delivery configuration, pairs of the web elements being sequentially adjoined at a junction bend, and

a connector connecting a first junction bend of a plurality of first web ring junction bends in a first web ring to a second junction bend of a plurality of second web ring junction bends in a second neighboring web ring, the second junction bend being laterally offset from the first junction bend and being circumferentially offset from the first junction bend by three junction bends of a plurality of junction bends, the connector having three segments disposed one in relation to the other in step-wise configuration, adjacently positioned segments of the three segments being joined by connecting areas, the connecting areas extending through a wall of the essentially tubular body from an exterior surface toward a lumen of the essentially tubular body, two of the connecting areas extending towards the lumen of the essentially tubular body through the wall being non-parallel one to another relative to a line extending through the wall and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body, at least one of the plurality of segments being disposed in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body;

disposing the stent in the contracted delivery configuration in the bodily vessel; and

causing an expansion of the stent from the contracted delivery configuration to the expanded deployed configuration, the connector absorbing at least some of a torque applied on the stent by the expansion.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the stent comprises providing the connector with three sequentially connected segments, the second segment connecting the first and the third segments, the second segment being disposed essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body and the first and second segments being essentially parallel one to another in the contracted delivery configuration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the connector comprises providing the first and the second segments, and the second and the third segments, disposed one with respect to the other at angles between 100 and 170 degrees.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a first connecting area connects the first segment and the second segment and a second connecting area connects the second segment and the third segment, the first connecting area being tilted in a direction opposite to the second connecting area when in a deployed configuration.

12. A method of stenting a bodily vessel comprising:

providing a stent having a web structure defining an essentially tubular body expandable from a contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration, the stent comprising;

a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining the web structure,

a plurality of sequentially adjoined web elements defining the web rings, the web elements being disposed substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body in the contracted delivery configuration, pairs of the web elements being sequentially adjoined at a junction bend, and

a connector connecting a middle of a first junction bend of a plurality of first web ring junction bends in a first web ring to a middle of a second junction bend of a plurality of second web ring junction bends in a second neighboring web ring, the second junction bend being laterally offset from the first junction bend and being circumferentially offset from the first junction bend by at least three junction bends, the connector having a three sequentially connected segments disposed one in relation to the other in step-wise configuration, a first segment connected to the first junction bend, a second segment connected to the first segment by a first connecting area, and a third segment connected to the second segment by a second connecting area and being connected to the second junction bend, the first and second connecting areas extending through a wall of the essentially tubular body from an exterior surface toward a lumen of the essentially tubular body and being non-parallel one to another relative to a line extending through the wall and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body, at least one of the plurality of segments being disposed in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body;

disposing the stent in the contracted delivery configuration in the bodily vessel; and

causing an expansion of the stent from the contracted delivery configuration to the expanded deployed configuration, the second segment of the connector twisting to absorb at least some of a torque applied on the stent by the expansion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the stent comprises providing the second segment being disposed essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular body and the first and second segments being essentially parallel one to another in the contracted delivery configuration.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the stent comprising providing the first connecting area being tilted in a direction opposite to the second connecting area when in a deployed configuration.