Expandable medical device with ductile hinges
First Claim
1. An expandable medical device comprising:
- a plurality of elongated beams, the plurality of elongated beams, each having a width, joined together to form a substantially cylindrical device which is expandable from a first diameter to a second diameter and;
a plurality of ductile hinges, each of the ductile hinges having a width and first and second opposing ends such that the first end connects to a circumferential link having an increased cross-sectional area with respect to the ductile hinge and the second end connects to one of the beams, thereby connecting the plurality of beams together in the substantially cylindrical device;
wherein the hinge width is smaller than the beam width such that as the device is expanded from the first diameter to the second diameter the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed, each of the ductile hinges being in the shape of a curved beam having first and second arcuate surfaces facing the same direction with the second arcuate surface being larger than the first arcuate surface, the curved beams being positioned such that during expansion tensile strain is distributed along the second arcuate surface of the curved prismatic beam; and
wherein circumferentially adjacent beams joined by one circumferential link are substantially parallel prior to expansion.
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Abstract
An expandable tissue supporting device employs ductile hinges at selected points. When expansion forces are applied to the device as a whole, the ductile hinges concentrate expansion stresses and strains in small well defined areas. The expandable medical device including ductile hinges provides the advantages of low expansion force requirements, relatively thick walls which are radio-opaque, improved crimping properties, high crush strength, reduced elastic recoil after implantation, and control of strain to a desired level. The expandable tissue supporting device includes a plurality of elongated beams arranged in a cylindrical device and connected together by a plurality of ductile hinges. The ductile hinges can have a substantially constant hinge cross sectional area which is smaller than a beam cross sectional area such that as the device is expanded from a first diameter to a second diameter, the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An expandable medical device comprising:
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a plurality of elongated beams, the plurality of elongated beams, each having a width, joined together to form a substantially cylindrical device which is expandable from a first diameter to a second diameter and; a plurality of ductile hinges, each of the ductile hinges having a width and first and second opposing ends such that the first end connects to a circumferential link having an increased cross-sectional area with respect to the ductile hinge and the second end connects to one of the beams, thereby connecting the plurality of beams together in the substantially cylindrical device; wherein the hinge width is smaller than the beam width such that as the device is expanded from the first diameter to the second diameter the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed, each of the ductile hinges being in the shape of a curved beam having first and second arcuate surfaces facing the same direction with the second arcuate surface being larger than the first arcuate surface, the curved beams being positioned such that during expansion tensile strain is distributed along the second arcuate surface of the curved prismatic beam; and wherein circumferentially adjacent beams joined by one circumferential link are substantially parallel prior to expansion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An expandable medical device comprising:
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a plurality of elongated beams each defining a beam width in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical device, the plurality of elongated beams joined together to form a substantially cylindrical device which is expandable from a first diameter to a second diameter; and a plurality of ductile hinges, each of the ductile hinges having first and second opposing ends such that the first end connects to a circumferential link having an increased cross-sectional area with respect to the ductile hinge and the second end connects to one of the beams, thereby connecting the plurality of beams together in the substantially cylindrical device, each hinge defining a hinge width in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical device and having first and second side surfaces, wherein the hinge width is smaller than the beam width such that as the device is expanded from the first diameter to the second diameter the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed, the ductile hinges being asymmetrically configured with a first side surface placed in compression during expansion of the device and a second side surface placed intension during expansion of the device, wherein the first side surface has a length smaller than a length of the second side surface; wherein the second side surface is a convex arcuate surface; and wherein circumferentially adjacent beams joined by one circumferential link are substantially parallel prior to expansion. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification