Flexible and expandable stent

• US 8,142,489 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Doran, Burns P., Lenz, Jason Todd, Kveen, Graig L., Girton, Timothy Samuel, Hemerick, James F., Ley, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Vy Q
• Application Number:
  US12/205,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.17, 623/1.18, 623/1.19, 623/1.2, 623/1.21, 623/1.22, 606/194, 606/195, 606/198
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• 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 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91583 by a bridge, whereby at least one of its ends is connected along the length of a strut between two consecutive apices within a band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0019 operated at only one temperature whilst inside or touching the human body, e.g. constrained in a non-operative shape during surgery, another temperature only occurring before the operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0018 differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a stent may be provided comprising a first undulating band having alternating peaks and troughs, a second undulating band having alternating peaks and troughs, a first substantially longitudinal connector extending between the first and second undulating bands and a second very short connector extending between the first and second undulating bands, the first connector substantially longer than the second very short connector.

Claims

1. A stent comprising a first undulating band having alternating peaks and troughs, a second undulating band having alternating peaks and troughs, a first substantially longitudinal connector extending between the first and second undulating bands and a second very short connector extending between the first and second undulating bands, the first connector substantially longer than the second very short connector, the first undulating band forming an end of the stent, wherein the first connector extends between one of the peaks on the first undulating band and a peak on the second band which is circumferentially aligned therewith and the second very short connector extends between another of the peaks of the first band and a trough on the second band which is circumferentially aligned therewith.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein the second band is characterized by an amplitude and a width, the length of the first connector at least equal to the amplitude of the second band, the length of the second very short connector no more than three times the width of the second band.

3. The stent of claim 1 wherein the second band is characterized by an amplitude and a width, the length of the first connector at least equal to the amplitude of the second band, the length of the second very short connector no more than three times the width of the second band.

4. The stent of claim 1 comprising a plurality of first connectors and a plurality second very short connectors, the first connectors substantially longer than the second very short connectors.

5. A stent having a plurality of undulating bands, including a first pair of undulating bands which are interconnected by one or more first longitudinal connectors and by one or more very short connectors, and a second pair of undulating bands which are interconnected by one or more first longitudinal connectors and by one or more very short connectors, the very short connectors being shorter than the first longitudinal connectors, others of the undulating bands interconnected only by first longitudinal connectors, wherein the undulating bands have peaks and troughs, some of the first longitudinal connectors extend from peak to peak others of the first longitudinal connectors extend from trough to trough and the very short connectors extend from peak to trough.

6. The stent of claim 5, wherein undulating bands which are adjacent one another at one end of the stent are interconnected by one or more first longitudinal connectors and one or more very short connectors and undulating bands which are adjacent one another at a second end of the stent are interconnected only by first longitudinal connectors.

7. The stent of claim 6 wherein undulating bands which are adjacent one another at a middle region of the stent are interconnected by one or more first longitudinal connectors and one or more very short connectors.

8. The stent of claim 5 wherein undulating bands which are adjacent one another at a middle region of the stent are interconnected by one or more first longitudinal connectors and one or more very short connectors and undulating bands which are adjacent one another at end regions of the stent are interconnected only by first longitudinal connectors.

9. The stent of claim 5 wherein the undulating bands include first undulating bands of a first wavelength and second undulating bands of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

10. The stent of claim 9 wherein the first and second undulating bands alternate with one another.

11. The stent of claim 5 wherein undulating bands which are adjacent one another between a first end of the stent and a middle region of the stent are connected to one another by one or more first longitudinal connectors and one or more very short connectors and undulating bands which are adjacent one another between a second end of the stent and a middle region of the stent are connected to one another only by first longitudinal connectors.

12. The stent of claim 5 wherein some of the first longitudinal connectors are in alignment with some of the very short connectors to form a straight longitudinal path connecting at least three undulating bands.

13. The stent of claim 5 further comprising a coating containing a drug.

14. A stent having a plurality of undulating bands including first undulating bands of a first wavelength and second undulating bands of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, first and second undulating bands which are adjacent one another connected via a plurality of longitudinal connectors, some, but not all first and second bands which are adjacent one another further connected to one another by second connectors which are shorter than the longitudinal connectors, wherein the undulating bands have peaks and troughs, some of the longitudinal connectors extend from peak to peak, others of the longitudinal connectors extend from trough to trough and the second connectors extend from peak to trough.

15. The stent of claim 14 wherein first and second undulating bands which are adjacent one another at a first end of the stent are connected by longitudinal connectors and by second connectors and first and second undulating bands which are adjacent one another at a second end of the stent are connected only by longitudinal connectors.

16. The stent of claim 14 wherein first and second undulating bands which are adjacent one another between a first end of the stent and a middle region of the stent are connected by longitudinal connectors and by second connectors and first and second undulating bands which are adjacent one another between a second end of the stent and a middle region are connected only by longitudinal connectors.

17. The stent of claim 14 wherein some of the longitudinal connectors are in alignment with some of the second connectors to form a straight longitudinal path connecting at least three undulating bands.

18. The stent of claim 14 further comprising a coating containing a drug.