Apparatus and methods for deployment of multiple custom-length prostheses

• US 9,198,784 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JW Medical Systems Ltd
• Original Assignee: JW Medical Systems Ltd
• Inventors: Andreas, Bernard H., Snow, David
• Primary Examiner(s): YABUT, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US11/421,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,470 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.11, 606/194
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00309 Cut-outs or slits
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• 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 2002/826 more than one stent being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• 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 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• 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: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0033 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementary-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0007 for adjusting length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0032 differing in radiographic density
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/007 O-rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

Apparatus for delivering stents to body lumens include one or more tubular prostheses carried at the distal end of a catheter shaft, a sheath slidably disposed over the prostheses, and a guidewire tube extending from within the sheath to the exterior of the sheath through an exit port in a sidewall thereof. A guidewire extends slidably through the guidewire tube. The sheath can be moved relative to the catheter shaft and the guidewire tube to expose the prostheses for deployment. Methods of delivering stents are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a prosthesis in a target vessel of a patient, comprising:

inserting a guidewire through the patient'"'"'s vasculature to the target vessel;

slidably coupling a catheter to the guidewire, the catheter having an outer sheath and an inner shaft, and having an expandable member attached to a distal end thereof;

advancing the catheter over the guidewire to the target vessel;

retracting the outer sheath relative to the inner shaft to expose a first tubular prosthesis carried on the expandable member, the first tubular prosthesis being selected to have a number of stent segments in response to a length of a lesion to be covered by the stent segments such that the outer sheath is retracted accordingly;

expanding the expandable member to deploy the first tubular prosthesis in the target vessel while covering a proximal portion of the expandable member by the outer sheath to constrain the proximal portion from expansion such that an adjacent prosthesis is inhibited from expanding while a distal portion of the expandable member expands and deploys the first tubular prosthesis; and

pushing distally a second prosthesis in the catheter relative to the expandable member when unexpanded until the second prosthesis engages a stop member attached to a distal portion of the catheter,

wherein the stop member comprises a partial cylindrical member positioned proximal to a distal tip and having at least one relief region formed on a lateral surface of the stop sufficient to reduce interference with a garage member having a relatively high cirumferential strength sufficient to prevent the expandable member from inflating and having a length at least as long as the first or second prosthesis but less than a combined length of the first and second prostheses, the garage member being attached to a distal end of the outer sheath.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said stop member comprises a layer of a first material located on an external surface of the expandable member.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first material comprises a polymeric material.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said first material comprises a polyurethane.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said layer of material is a continuous layer located on said expandable member.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said layer of material has a thickness that increases in the distal direction.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said layer of material is provided with one or more surface features selected from the group consisting of bumps, ridges, projections, or scales.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tubular prosthesis comprises a plurality of prosthesis segments, further comprising positioning a first selected number of the prosthesis segments on the expandable member for expansion therewith.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the partial cylindrical member further comprises an additional relief formed on a second lateral surface opposed to the at least one relief region.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one relief region comprises a flat area on the partial cylindrical member.

11. The method claim 1, wherein the at least one relief region defines a shape which is a different from a shape of remainder of the cylindrical member.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the partial cylindrical member further defines at least one flat portion along a first surface which engages the second prosthesis.