Method for contracting or crimping stents

• US 8,533,925 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Austin, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): COZART, JERMIE E
• Application Number:
  US13/180,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 295/08, 295/16, 292/835, 294/47, 724/02
• US Class Current: 29/447
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9524 Iris-type crimpers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1029 Production methods of the balloon members, e.g. blow-moulding, extruding, deposition or by wrapping a plurality of layers of balloon material around a mandril
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4981 Utilizing transitory attached element or associated separate material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49865 by temperature differential [e.g., shrink fit]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49908 Joining by deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49913 by constricting outer annulus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49925 Inward deformation of aperture or hollow body wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49927 Hollow body is axially joined cup or tube
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53096 including means to provide a controlled environment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5367 Coupling to conduit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53717 Annular work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53987 Tube, sleeve or ferrule
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53996 by deforming

Abstract

An apparatus for manipulating a medical device is formed of at least three coupled movable blades which are disposed about a reference circle to form an aperture whose size may be varied. The aperture capable of being sized to contain a medical device. Each blade is in communication with an actuation device which is capable of moving the blade to alter the size of the aperture. Each blade includes a single radial point which a) lies on the circumference of the reference circle prior to movement of the blade, and b) may be moved only along a radius of the reference circle on movement of the blade.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a medical device, comprising:

providing an apparatus including a plurality of movable blades arranged around a reference circle to define a variable diameter aperture, each movable blade including first and second surfaces converging at a tip, the first surface of any one of the plurality of movable blades facing a second surface of an adjacent one of the plurality of movable blades;

placing a medical balloon within the aperture;

actuating the apparatus to reduce the diameter of the aperture with the balloon positioned in the aperture; and

heating the balloon while the balloon is positioned in the aperture.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inflating the balloon with an inflation fluid while the balloon is positioned in the aperture.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the balloon is heated while inflating the balloon.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the balloon is inflated to the diameter of the aperture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first surface of each blade is tangent to the reference circle when the aperture is in an expanded configuration.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first surface of each blade remains tangent to the reference circle while the apparatus is actuated to reduce the diameter of the aperture.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus applies a radially inward force on the balloon positioned in the aperture.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second surfaces of each blade are flat surfaces.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes an actuation mechanism coupled to each of the plurality of movable blades, and the actuation mechanism is rotated to simultaneously actuate the plurality of movable blades to reduce the diameter of the aperture.

10. A method of manufacturing a device for use in a medical procedure, comprising:

providing an apparatus including a plurality of movable blades arranged around a reference circle to define a variable diameter aperture, the apparatus including an actuation mechanism for simultaneously actuating the plurality of movable blades from a first position in which the aperture has a first diameter to a second position in which the aperture has a second diameter less than the first diameter;

placing a medical device within the aperture with the plurality of movable blades in the first position;

actuating the actuation mechanism to simultaneously move the plurality of movable blades to the second position to reduce the diameter of the aperture with the medical device positioned in the aperture; and

heating the medical device while the medical device is positioned in the aperture.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the medical device is a medical balloon.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

inflating the balloon with an inflation fluid while the balloon is positioned in the aperture.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the balloon is heated while inflating the balloon.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the balloon is inflated to the diameter of the aperture.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the apparatus applies a radially inward force on the medical device positioned in the aperture.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein each movable blade includes first and second surfaces converging at a tip, the first surface of each blade facing the aperture and being tangent to the reference circle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first surface of any one of the plurality of movable blades slides along a second surface of an adjacent one of the plurality of movable blades as the apparatus is actuated to reduce the diameter of the aperture.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the actuation mechanism is coupled to each of the plurality of movable blades.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the actuation mechanism is rotated to reduce the diameter of the aperture.