Methods of manufacture and use of endoluminal devices

• US 8,337,520 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: Cully, Edward H, Vonesh, Michael J
• Primary Examiner(s): Severson, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US10/907,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20050192620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,804 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200, 623/901, 264/299, 642/99
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12109 in a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0105 Open ended, i.e. legs gathered only at one side
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0108 Both ends closed, i.e. legs gathered at both ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/013 Distal protection devices, i.e. devices placed distally in combination with another endovascular procedure, e.g. angioplasty or stenting
• 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 2002/016 made from wire-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0015 Kidney-shaped, e.g. bean-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped

Abstract

A seamless, self-expanding implantable device having a low profile is disclosed along with methods of making and using the same. The implantable device includes a frame cut out of a single piece of material that is formed into a three-dimensional shape. The implantable device may comprise an embolic filter, stent, or other implantable structure. The present invention also allows complicated frame structures to be easily formed from planar sheets of starting material, such as through laser cutting, stamping, photo-etching, or other cutting techniques.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a uni-body, self-expanding filter frame comprising:

extracting a substantially two-dimensional filter frame pattern from a flat sheet of material by cutting;

configuring said two-dimensional pattern into a uni-body and seamless three-dimensional filter frame configuration; and

thermally annealing said uni-body and seamless three-dimensional filter frame configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pattern includes attachment struts, support struts and filter support struts.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said filter struts are adapted to incorporate a radio-opaque marker without adding thickness.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional filter frame has at least one closed cell, the at least one cell including an area that has a circumference defined by a seamlessly continuous ribbon or strut of the same precursor material.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising attaching a filter media to the filter frame before or after annealing.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the filter media includes a pharmacological agent.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a portion of said frame is positioned and laminated between two portions of media.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein said pattern includes attachment struts and support struts.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said attachment struts have at least one articulation region.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the precursor material is a shape memory alloy.

11. A method of assembly a filter comprising

providing a conical filter element;

providing a uni-body three-dimensional seamless filter frame; and

laminating said filter element and frame together.

12. A method of constructing a uni-body frame comprising:

extracting a substantially two-dimensional plastically deformable frame pattern from a flat sheet of plastically deformable material by cutting;

configuring said two-dimensional pattern into a uni-body and seamless, three-dimensional frame configuration; and

thermally treating said uni-body and seamless three-dimensional frame configuration.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said pattern includes attachment struts and/or support struts.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said pattern includes attachment struts, and/or support struts and/or filter support struts.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein any of said struts are adapted to incorporate a radio-opaque marker without adding thickness.

16. A method of constructing a uni-body, self-expanding frame comprising:

extracting a substantially two-dimensional frame pattern from a flat sheet of shape-memory alloy, self-expanding material by cutting;

configuring said two-dimensional pattern into a uni-body and seamless three-dimensional frame configuration; and

thermally annealing said uni-body and seamless three-dimensional frame configuration.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said pattern includes attachment struts and/or support struts.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said pattern includes attachment struts and/or support struts and/or filter support struts.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein any of said struts are adapted to incorporate a radio-opaque marker without adding thickness.