Guidewire loaded stent for delivery through a catheter

• US 8,641,748 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Back Bay Medical Incorporated (Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Bay Street Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Hebert, Stephen, Levine, Marc-Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Severson, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILES, JONATHAN WADE
• Application Number:
  US11/335,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,938 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.11, 623/1.12, 623/1.23, 606/108, 606/109
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9583 Means for holding the stent on the balloon, e.g. using protrusions, adhesives or an outer sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09008 having a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09183 having tools at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

A guidewire loaded stent for delivery through a catheter is described herein. The stent delivery assembly can deliver and place a stent within tortuous regions of the body which are accessible to guidewires but inaccessible to stenting catheters. The assembly comprises a guidewire covered in part by a retractable sheath and a radially expandable stent near or at the distal end of the guidewire. The whole assembly is advanced through conventional catheters or it may be used alone. In either case, when the stent is adjacent to a treatment site within the body, the sheath is retracted proximally to expose the stent for radial expansion into contact with the vessel wall. Radio-opaque marker bands are optionally located on either side or both sides of the stent on the guidewire body to aid in visual placement. The assembly can optionally include an expandable balloon on the guidewire for different treatment modalities.

Claims

1. A vascular prosthesis delivery system comprising:

a radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis having a proximal end and a distal end and expandable from a first delivery position to a second placement position, in the first delivery position the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis being in an unexpanded position and having first inner and outer diameters and in the second position the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis being in a radially expanded position and having second inner and outer diameters greater than the first inner and outer diameters, respectively, for placement at a treatment site within the coronary or intracranial vasculature of a patient;

an elongate metallic wire comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the elongate metallic wire being devoid of an internal through lumen that extends between the proximal and distal ends and having a radially extending proximal stop in a fixed position directly on the elongate metallic wire proximal a distal-most end of the elongate metallic wire, and a radially extending distal stop in a fixed position directly on the elongate metallic wire proximal the distal-most end of the elongate metallic wire and distal to the proximal stop, the elongate metallic wire configured for carrying the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis to the treatment site of the patient, the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis releasably mounted directly on the elongate metallic wire, the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis directly mounted on the elongate metallic wire and radially constrained on a segment of the elongate metallic wire between the distal stop and the proximal stop solely by an elongated sheath, the proximal stop having a diameter greater than the unexpanded first inner diameter of the proximal end of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis and a surface for abutting the proximal end of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis to restrict proximal movement of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis as the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis is carried by the elongate metallic wire to the treatment site, and the distal stop having a radial diameter greater than the unexpanded first inner diameter of the distal end of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis and a surface for abutting the distal end of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis to restrict distal movement of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis as the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis is carried by the elongate metallic wire to the treatment site; and

the elongated sheath covering at least a portion of the elongate metallic wire, said sheath being slidable over said elongate metallic wire between a first position covering and constraining said radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis in direct contact with said elongate metallic wire and a second position in which at least a portion of said radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis is uncovered.

2. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the elongate metallic wire comprises a coil.

3. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 2 wherein the coil comprises a radiopaque material.

4. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the elongate metallic wire comprises a taper on a distal-most segment of the metallic elongate wire.

5. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 4 wherein the distal end of the elongate metallic wire comprises a coil placed over the distal-most taper segment of the elongate metallic wire.

6. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 5 wherein the coil comprises a radiopaque material.

7. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the elongate metallic wire comprises a plastic doped radiopaque material.

8. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 1 wherein the proximal stop is formed integrally into the elongate metallic wire.

9. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 1 wherein the proximal stop is radiopaque.

10. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 1 wherein one or both of the proximal and distal stops is formed integrally into the elongate metallic wire.

11. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 1 wherein one or both of the proximal and distal stops is radiopaque.

12. A device for carrying a radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis to a treatment site in the coronary or intracranial vasculature of a patient comprising:

an elongate metallic wire having a proximal portion, a distal portion and a distal-most end and configured for carrying the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis to the treatment site of the patient, the distal portion of the elongate metallic wire configured for the direct mounting thereon of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis, the elongate metallic wire having a proximal end and a distal end and being devoid of a longitudinal through lumen that extends between the proximal and distal ends,

a radially extending proximal stop in a fixed position directly on the elongate metallic wire proximal to the distal-most end of the elongate metallic wire and having a surface for abutting a proximal end of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis to restrict proximal movement of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis as the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis is carried by the elongate metallic wire to the treatment site, and

a radially extending distal stop in a fixed position directly on the elongate metallic wire proximal the distal-most end of the elongate metallic wire and distal to the proximal stop, the distal stop having a surface for abutting the distal end of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis to restrict distal movement of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis as the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis is carried by the elongate metallic wire to the treatment site.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the proximal stop is formed integrally into the elongate metallic wire.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the proximal stop is radiopaque.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein one or both of the proximal and distal stops is radiopaque.

16. A device for carrying a radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis having proximal and distal ends to a treatment site in the coronary or intracranial vasculature of a patient comprising:

an elongate metallic wire configured to navigate the tortuous intracranial or coronary vasculature having a proximal end and a distal end and being devoid of an internal lumen that extends between the proximal and distal ends, the distal end comprising an elongate reduced diameter section for coaxially mounting the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis directly thereon, said elongate reduced diameter section having a diameter less than a remainder of the elongate metallic wire, a proximal end and distal end, and a radially extending proximal stop located at the proximal end of the reduced diameter section, a radially extending distal stop located at the distal end of the reduced diameter section, the proximal stop having a surface for abutting the proximal end of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis, and the distal stop having a surface for abutting the distal end of the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis for confining the radially self-expandable tubular vascular prosthesis between said proximal and distal stops.