Uniformly expandable stent

• US 9,066,825 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Chanduszko, Andrzej J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manahan, Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Casey B
• Application Number:
  US13/797,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.13, 623/1.14, 623/1.15, 623/1.16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/825 having longitudinal struts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0076 multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 Controlled or regulated

Abstract

An intraluminal prosthesis includes a stent architecture having a series of stent elements repeating along a circumferential axis. One series of stent elements includes v-shaped stent elements having at least four different orientations, and V-shaped stent elements connecting adjacent v-shaped stent elements. One series of stent elements includes R-shaped stent elements having at least four different orientations, and U-shaped stent elements having at least two different orientations, the U-shaped stent elements connecting adjacent R-shaped stent elements. Adjacent series of stent elements can be connected by connectors. Portions of the stent elements may narrow in width along a length thereof. The stent architecture may include radiopaque element receiving members. The stent architecture may be formed by machining a metal or polymer tube. The intraluminal prosthesis may include one or more graft layers.

Claims

1. An intraluminal prosthesis comprising a stent architecture comprising a series of stent elements repeating along a circumferential axis, adjacent series of stent elements connected by a plurality of connectors, the stent elements including:

v-shaped stent elements having a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a peak portion, the v-shaped stent elements having at least four different orientations,

and

V-shaped stent elements connecting adjacent v-shaped stent elements such that the second leg portion of each of the v-shaped stent elements is connected to a V-shaped element, the second leg portion of each of the v-shaped stent elements narrowing in width toward the V-shaped stent element,

wherein the intraluminal prosthesis substantially exhibits 3-fold longitudinal symmetry and

wherein the plurality of connectors are straight and connect peak portions of select v-shaped stent elements of adjacent series of stent elements.

2. The intraluminal prosthesis according to claim 1, further comprising one or more graft layers attached to the stent architecture.

3. The intraluminal prosthesis according to claim 2, wherein there are two or more graft layers and the graft layers include an inner ePTFE graft layer and an outer ePTFE graft layer.

4. The intraluminal prosthesis according to claim 3, wherein the inner ePTFE graft layer and the outer ePTFE graft layer are positioned over the stent architecture as extruded tubes of unsintered ePTFE, and wherein the inner ePTFE graft layer and the outer ePTFE graft layer are sintered together through openings in the stent architecture.

5. The intraluminal prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the first leg portion of each of the v-shaped stent elements is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the prosthesis.

6. The intraluminal prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the connectors have a width equal to a width of the first leg portion of the v-shaped stent elements.

7. The intraluminal prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the peak portion of a first orientation of the v-shaped stent element is longitudinally spaced a distance from the peak portion of a second orientation of the v-shaped stent element, wherein the first orientation and second orientation are adjacent to one another.

8. The intraluminal prosthesis according to claim 7, further comprising a third orientation of the v-shaped stent element and a fourth orientation of the v-shaped stent element, wherein the peak portion of each of the four orientations of the v-shaped stent element is longitudinally spaced a distance from the peak portion of its adjacent v-shaped stent element.

9. The intraluminal prosthesis according to claim 7, wherein the distance is in the range from about 0.005 inch to about 0.035 inch.