Articulated commissure valve stents and methods

• US 9,301,860 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences CardiAQ LLC (Edwards Lifesciences Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jenesis Surgical LLC
• Inventors: White, Jennifer K.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWEET, THOMAS
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bissing, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/205,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/243 Deployment by mechanical expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/844 folded prior to deployment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0091 connected by a hinged linkage mechanism, e.g. of the single-bar or multi-bar linkage type
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/001 Figure-8-shaped, e.g. hourglass-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0069 Sealing means

Abstract

A support structure includes strut members interconnected by rotatable joints to form a series of linked scissor mechanisms. The structure can be remotely actuated to compress or expand its shape by adjusting the scissor joints within a range of motion. In particular, the support structure can be repositioned within the body lumen or retrieved from the lumen. The support structure can be employed to introduce and support a prosthetic valve within a body lumen.

Claims

1. A biocompatible articulated support structure, comprising a tubular support body with a proximal opening, a distal opening, and a lumen and a longitudinal axis between the proximal and distal openings;

wherein the tubular support body comprises a plurality of discrete struts coupled by a plurality of rotatable hinge joints, each rotatable hinge joint comprising an axis of rotation with a radial orientation;

wherein the plurality of rotatable hinge joints comprise;

a set of proximal rotatable hinge joints configured to reside in a proximal plane with the proximal opening;

a set of distal rotatable hinge joints configured to reside in a distal plane with the distal opening;

a first set of middle rotatable hinge joints, located between the proximal plane and the distal plane; and

at least one commissural point hinge joint distal to the distal plane;

wherein the plurality of discrete struts and the rotatable hinge joints therebetween intrinsically provide a self-expansion force; and

wherein the plurality of discrete struts comprise a plurality of inner struts and a plurality of outer struts.

2. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one commissural point hinge joint is linked by at least two of the plurality of discrete struts to two commissural base hinge joints.

3. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 2, wherein the two commissural base hinge joints are located at or proximal to the distal plane.

4. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 1, wherein the first set of middle rotatable hinge joints, when the tubular support body is in an expanded state, are located closer to the proximal plane than the distal plane.

5. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inner struts comprises at least one commissural strut, and the plurality of outer struts comprises at least one commissural strut.

6. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 1, wherein when the tubular support body is in an expanded state, the average angle of the at least one commissural point hinge joint is less than the average angle of the set of distal rotatable hinge joints.

7. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 1, wherein when the tubular support body is in an expanded state, a distance between the at least one commissural point hinge joint and the distal plane is at least 20% of a longitudinal distance between the proximal and distal planes.

8. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 1, further comprising an expandable hourglass securing body comprising a proximal opening, and a distal opening, with a lumen and a longitudinal axis between the proximal and distal openings, and wherein the tubular support body is configured to reside within the lumen of the expandable hourglass securing body.

9. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 8, wherein the expandable hourglass securing body comprises a distal tapered section, a proximal tapered section, and a narrow section therebetween, and wherein the tubular support body is secured to the narrow section.

10. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 9, wherein the expandable hourglass securing body comprises a plurality of discrete non-linear struts interconnected by rotatable hinge joints, each rotatable hinge joint comprising an axis of rotation with a radial orientation.

11. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 9, further comprising at least one locking ring secured to at least one of the distal tapered section and the proximal tapered section.

12. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 11, wherein the at least one locking ring is located within the lumen of the expandable hourglass securing body.

13. The biocompatible articulated support structure of claim 11, wherein the at least one locking ring comprises a plurality of inner struts and a plurality of outer struts interconnected by rotatable hinge joints, each rotatable hinge joint comprising an axis of rotation with a radial orientation.