Slide-and-lock stent
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal axis, said tubular member comprising:
- a first radial element comprising an elongate rail comprising a deflectable tooth, wherein said elongate rail defines upper and lower portions and first and second ends, said upper portion tapering circumferentially from a first radial thickness to a second radial thickness in a first direction approaching a distal edge of said upper portion, said lower portion tapering circumferentially from said first radial thickness to said second radial thickness in a direction opposite the first direction approaching a distal edge of said lower portion, the first radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in an expanded state;
a second radial element comprising an engagement means configured to circumferentially overlap and slidably engage said elongate rail of the first radial element in an expanded state to define an overlapped section of the elongate rail, said engagement means configured to deflect said deflectable tooth as the tooth contacts said engagement means such that said tubular member achieves circumferential expansion with reduced recoil, wherein said overlapped section of the elongate rail of the first radial element tapers along substantially its entire length for reducing a radial thickness of the stent; and
a flexible linkage element engaging the first and second ends of the elongate rail of the first radial element, the first end comprising the distal edge of the upper portion and the second end comprising the distal edge of the lower portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to an expandable stent comprising circumferentially adjacent modules. The modules comprise longitudinally adjacent slide-and-lock radial elements which permit one-way sliding of the radial elements from a collapsed diameter to an expanded/deployed diameter, but inhibit radial recoil from the expanded diameter.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal axis, said tubular member comprising:
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a first radial element comprising an elongate rail comprising a deflectable tooth, wherein said elongate rail defines upper and lower portions and first and second ends, said upper portion tapering circumferentially from a first radial thickness to a second radial thickness in a first direction approaching a distal edge of said upper portion, said lower portion tapering circumferentially from said first radial thickness to said second radial thickness in a direction opposite the first direction approaching a distal edge of said lower portion, the first radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in an expanded state; a second radial element comprising an engagement means configured to circumferentially overlap and slidably engage said elongate rail of the first radial element in an expanded state to define an overlapped section of the elongate rail, said engagement means configured to deflect said deflectable tooth as the tooth contacts said engagement means such that said tubular member achieves circumferential expansion with reduced recoil, wherein said overlapped section of the elongate rail of the first radial element tapers along substantially its entire length for reducing a radial thickness of the stent; and a flexible linkage element engaging the first and second ends of the elongate rail of the first radial element, the first end comprising the distal edge of the upper portion and the second end comprising the distal edge of the lower portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal axis, said tubular member comprising:
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a first radial element comprising an elongate rail comprising a plurality of deflectable teeth, the first radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in an expanded state; and a second radial element, circumferentially adjacent to the first radial element, and comprising an elongate rail and an engagement means comprising a slot configured to slidably engage said elongate rail of the first radial element and deflect said deflectable teeth in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis as said elongate rail of the first radial element passes through the slot such that said tubular member achieves circumferential expansion with reduced recoil, the second radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in the expanded state; wherein said elongate rail of said first element defines upper and lower portions and a first radial thickness, said upper portion tapering circumferentially from said first thickness to a second radial thickness in a first direction approaching a distal edge of said upper portion, said lower portion tapers circumferentially from said first radial thickness to said second radical thickness in a direction opposite the first direction approaching a distal edge of said lower portion; and wherein said second radical element overlaps with the first radial element in an expanded state to define an overlapped section of the first radial element, and wherein the overlapped section tapers along substantially its entire length for reducing a radial thickness of the stent when the stent is in the expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising:
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a first radial element comprising a first elongate rail, the first elongate rail defining a first tapered section having a radial thickness that tapers in a first circumferential direction, the first radial element comprising an engagement structure disposed along the first tapered section; and a second radial element comprising a second elongate rail, the second elongate rail defining a second tapered section having a radial thickness that tapers in a second circumferential direction that is generally opposite to the first circumferential direction, the second radial element comprising an engagement means configured to slidably engage the engagement structure of the first elongate rail such that the stent achieves expansion with reduced recoil, the engagement means not including paired slots; wherein the second tapered section circumferentially overlaps the first tapered section when the stent is in an expanded state and the first and second tapered sections taper along substantially their entire length to minimize a combined radial thickness of the first and second tapered sections for reducing the radial thickness of the stent at the overlapping first and second tapered sections of the first and second radial elements. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal axis, said tubular member comprising:
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a first radial element comprising an elongate rail comprising a deflectable tooth, wherein said elongate rail defines upper and lower portions, said upper portion tapering circumferentially from a first radial thickness to a second radial thickness in a first direction approaching a distal edge of said upper portion, said lower portion tapering circumferentially from said first radial thickness to said second radial thickness in a direction opposite the first direction approaching a distal edge of said lower portion, the first radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in an expanded state; and a second radial element comprising an engagement means configured to circumferentially overlap and slidably engage said elongate rail of the first radial element in an expanded state to define an overlapped section of the elongate rail, said engagement means configured to deflect said deflectable tooth as the tooth contacts said engagement means such that said tubular member achieves circumferential expansion with reduced recoil, wherein said overlapped section of the elongate rail of the first radial element tapers along substantially its entire length for reducing a radial thickness of the stent; wherein said engagement means tapers circumferentially from a radial thickness of approximately 1 1/2 of said first radial thickness to said second radial thickness approaching a distal edge of said engagement means.
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33. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal axis, said tubular member comprising:
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a first radial element comprising an elongate rail comprising a deflectable tooth, wherein said elongate rail defines upper and lower portions, said upper portion tapering circumferentially from a first radial thickness to a second radial thickness in a first direction approaching a distal edge of said upper portion, said lower portion tapering circumferentially from said first radial thickness to said second radial thickness in a direction opposite the first direction approaching a distal edge of said lower portion, the first radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in an expanded state; and a second radial element comprising an engagement means configured to circumferentially overlap and slidably engage said elongate rail of the first radial element in an expanded state to define an overlapped section of the elongate rail, said engagement means configured to deflect said deflectable tooth as the tooth contacts said engagement means such that said tubular member achieves circumferential expansion with reduced recoil, wherein said overlapped section of the elongate rail of the first radial element tapers along substantially its entire length for reducing a radial thickness of the stent; wherein a combined radial thickness of the overlapped section of the first radial element and the second radial element does not exceed 1 ½
of the first radial thickness.
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34. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal axis, said tubular member comprising:
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a first radial element comprising an elongate rail comprising a deflectable tooth, wherein said elongate rail defines upper and lower portions, said upper portion tapering circumferentially from a first radial thickness to a second radial thickness in a first direction approaching a distal edge of said upper portion, said lower portion tapering circumferentially from said first radial thickness to said second radial thickness in a direction opposite the first direction approaching a distal edge of said lower portion, the first radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in an expanded state; and a second radial element comprising an engagement means configured to circumferentially overlap and slidably engage said elongate rail of the first radial element in an expanded state to define an overlapped section of the elongate rail, said engagement means configured to deflect said deflectable tooth as the tooth contacts said engagement means such that said tubular member achieves circumferential expansion with reduced recoil, wherein the engagement means tapers from a radial thickness of approximately 1 ½
of the thickness of the non-tapered portion to approximately one-half of a radial thickness of the non-tapered portion;wherein said overlapped section of the elongate rail of the first radial element tapers along substantially its entire length for reducing the radial thickness of the stent; and wherein at least one of the first and second radial elements further comprises a radially non-tapered portion.
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35. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal axis, said tubular member comprising:
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a first radial element comprising an elongate rail comprising a plurality of deflectable teeth, the first radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in an expanded state; and a second radial element, circumferentially adjacent to the first radial element, and comprising an elongate rail and an engagement means comprising a slot configured to slidably engage said elongate rail of the first radial element and deflect said deflectable teeth as said elongate rail of the first radial element passes through the slot such that said tubular member achieves circumferential expansion with reduced recoil, the second radial element not overlapping itself when the stent is in the expanded state; wherein said elongate rail of said first radial element defines upper and lower portions and a first radial thickness, said upper portion tapering circumferentially from said first radial thickness to a second radial thickness in a first direction approaching a distal edge of said upper portion, said lower portion tapers circumferentially from said first radial thickness to said second radial thickness in a direction opposite the first direction approaching a distal edge of said lower portion; wherein said second radial element overlaps with the first radial element in an expanded state to define an overlapped section of the first radial element, and wherein the overlapped section tapers along substantially its entire length for reducing a radial thickness of the stent when the stent is in the expanded state; and wherein at least one of the first and second radial elements further comprise a radially non-tapered portion, and the maximum radial thickness of the stent is less than or equal to approximately 1 ½
of the radial thickness of the non-tapered portion.
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36. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising:
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a first radial element comprising a first elongate rail, the first elongate rail defining a first tapered section having a radial thickness that tapers in a first circumferential direction, the first radial element comprising an engagement structure disposed along the first tapered section; and a second radial element comprising a second elongate rail, the second elongate rail defining a second tapered section having a radial thickness that tapers in a second circumferential direction that is generally opposite to the first circumferential direction, the second radial element comprising an engagement means configured to slidably engage the engagement structure of the first elongate rail such that the stent achieves expansion with reduced recoil, wherein the engagement means tapers circumferentially for minimizing the combined radial thickness at the overlapping first and second tapered sections of the first and second radial elements; wherein the second tapered section circumferentially overlaps the first tapered section when the stent is in an expanded state and the first and second tapered sections taper along substantially their entire length to minimize a combined radial thickness of the first and second tapered sections for reducing the radial thickness of the stent at the overlapping first and second tapered sections of the first and second radial elements.
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37. A slide-and-lock stent, comprising:
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a first radial element comprising a first elongate rail, the first elongate rail defining a first tapered section having a radial thickness that tapers in a first circumferential direction, the first radial element comprising an engagement structure disposed along the first tapered section; and a second radial element comprising a second elongate rail, the second elongate rail defining a second tapered section having a radial thickness that tapers in a second circumferential direction that is generally opposite to the first circumferential direction, the second radial element comprising an engagement means configured to slidably engage the engagement structure of the first elongate rail such that the stent achieves expansion with reduced recoil; wherein the second tapered section circumferentially overlaps the first tapered section when the stent is in an expanded state and the first and second tapered sections taper along substantially their entire length to minimize a combined radial thickness of the first and second tapered sections for reducing the radial thickness of the stent at the overlapping first and second tapered sections of the first and second radial elements; wherein at least one of the first and second radial elements further comprise a radially non-tapered portion; and wherein the first and second tapered sections taper from a first radial thickness to a second radial thickness, the combined radial thickness of the first and second tapered sections along the overlap thereof not exceeding approximately 1 ½
of the thickness of the non-tapered portion.
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Specification