Guidewire loaded stent for delivery through a catheter

• US 8,696,728 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• 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): SHI, KATHERINE MENGLIN
• Application Number:
  US11/897,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20070299501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.11, 623/1.23, 623/1.12, 606/108, 606/191, 606/194, 606/198, 606/200
• 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 stent delivery system comprising:

a radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent radially expandable from a first delivery position to a second placement position, in the first delivery position the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent being in an unexpanded position and having a first diameter and first length and in the second position the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent being in a radially expanded position and having a second diameter greater than the first diameter for placement at a treatment site of a patient;

an elongate flexible metallic guide having a longitudinal axis that extends along a distal portion, a proximal portion and an intermediate portion therebetween, the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent in the first delivery position mounted coaxially and directly on a surface of a reduced diameter stepped portion in the distal portion of the elongate flexible metallic guide, the stepped portion extending longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the elongate flexible metallic guide and underlying a continuous length of the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent when the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent is in the first delivery position, the stepped portion having a second length that is slightly greater than the first length, the elongate flexible metallic guide configured to provide access to the treatment site without being placed over a guidewire and being devoid of a guidewire lumen, the elongate flexible metallic guide configured to carry the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent to the treatment site of the patient, a longitudinal position of the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent on the distal portion of the elongate flexible metallic guide being fixed when the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent is in the first delivery position; and

only a tubular sheath radially constraining an entirety of the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent in the unexpanded position for delivery to the treatment site, said tubular sheath being slidable relative to said elongate flexible metallic guide and said radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent, said tubular sheath being moveable between a first position covering and radially constraining said radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent in contact with the surface of the reduced diameter stepped portion of said elongate flexible metallic guide and a second position in which at least a portion of said radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent is uncovered, said radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent being held on the elongate metallic flexible guide in the first delivery position only by the tubular member, and wherein only relative movement of the tubular sheath and the elongate flexible metallic guide causes the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent to radially expand from the first unexpanded delivery position to a radially expanded position for placement at the treatment site, and the elongate flexible metallic guide is removable from the treatment site to permanently leave the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent at the treatment site.

2. The stent delivery system of claim 1, wherein the elongate flexible metallic guide comprises a hypotube.

3. The stent delivery system of claim 2, wherein the hypotube has a tapered section, the tapered section comprising a progressive reduction in diameter toward the distal portion.

4. The stent delivery system of claim 2, wherein the hypotube has a diameter ranging from 0.007 to 0.014 inches.

5. The stent delivery system of claim 1, wherein the tubular sheath includes one or more drainage ports formed in a wall of the tubular sheath at a position of the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent when the radially self-expanding tubular vascular stent is in the first delivery position.

6. A vascular prosthesis delivery system comprising:

a radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis radially expandable from a first delivery position to a second placement position, in the first delivery position the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis being in an unexpanded position and having a first diameter and in the second position the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis being in a radially expanded position and having a second diameter greater than the first diameter for placement at a treatment site of a patient;

an elongate flexible metallic guide comprising a hypotube and having a longitudinal axis that extends along a distal portion, a proximal portion and an intermediate portion therebetween, the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis mounted coaxially on the distal portion of the elongate flexible metallic guide, the elongate flexible metallic guide configured to provide access to the treatment site without being placed over a guidewire and being devoid of a guidewire lumen, the elongate flexible metallic guide configured to carry the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis to the treatment site of the patient, a longitudinal position of the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis on the distal portion of the elongate flexible metallic guide being fixed when the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis is in the first delivery position; and

a tubular member in which the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis is positioned for delivery to the treatment site, said tubular member being slidable relative to said elongate flexible metallic guide and said radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis, said tubular member being moveable between a first position in which it solely radially constrains an entirety of said radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis in contact with said elongate flexible metallic guide and a second position in which at least a portion of said radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis is uncovered, said radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis being held on the elongate flexible metallic guide in the first delivery position only by the tubular member, and wherein solely by the exposure of the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis from the tubular member is the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis caused to radially expand from the unexpanded delivery position to the radially expanded position for placement at the treatment site, and the elongate flexible metallic guide is removable from the treatment site to permanently leave the radially self-expanding tubular vascular prosthesis at the treatment site.

7. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 6, wherein the tubular member comprises a delivery sheath having a lumen.

8. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 6, wherein the tubular member comprises a sheath.

9. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 6, wherein the elongate flexible metallic guide includes a radiopaque distal end.

10. The vascular prosthesis delivery system of claim 9, wherein the elongate flexible metallic guide includes a proximal marker.