Flexible stent with torque-absorbing connectors

• US 9,320,627 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Limited (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Limited (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Casey, Brendan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharma, Yashita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mathew, Seema
• Application Number:
  US13/411,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20120165921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0031 made from both resorbable and non-resorbable prosthetic parts, e.g. adjacent parts

Abstract

A stent includes an essentially tubular body formed by a web structure that is composed of a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings, each including a plurality of web elements that are disposed circumferentially around the longitudinal axis of the stent and that are adjoined one to the other by a junction bend. Each junction bend in a first web ring is coupled to another junction bend in a neighboring ring by a connector having a step-wise configuration, in which a central segment of the connector is disposed essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent and may become twisted to absorb torque imposed on the stent.

Claims

1. An endoprosthesis configured to transition from a contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration, the endoprosthesis comprising:

a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining an essentially tubular web structure, each web ring including a plurality of adjoined web elements; and

a plurality of junction bends adjoining pairs of the plurality of adjoined web elements, a first junction bend in a first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings is connected to a second junction bend in an adjacent neighboring web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings by a first S-shaped connector, the second junction bend being longitudinally offset from the first junction bend and being circumferentially separated from the first junction bend by a plurality of unadjoined junction bends, a third junction bend in the first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings is connected to a fourth junction bend in the adjacent neighboring web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings by a second S-shaped connector, the fourth junction bend being longitudinally offset from the third junction bend and being circumferentially separated from the third junction bend, the first junction bend being circumferentially separated from the third junction bend by at least three unadjoined junction bends, the first and second S-shaped connectors having a plurality of segments disposed one in relation to the other in step-wise configuration, the plurality of segments being interconnected by connectors.

2. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein a central segment of the plurality of segments within the connector is disposed in a direction essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the essentially tubular web structure.

3. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the S-shaped connector is disposed within a gap disposed between the adjacent web rings.

4. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein each of the web elements comprises a central member having a first and a second ends, wherein the central member is disposed essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis in the contracted delivery configuration, wherein the central member is connected at the first end to a first end member at a first obtuse angle, and wherein the central member is connected at the second end to a second end member at a second obtuse angle.

5. The endoprosthesis of claim 4, wherein the first and the second obtuse angles are essentially equal.

6. The endoprosthesis of claim 4, wherein the web elements of each web ring are nested one into the other in the contracted delivery configuration, and wherein the junction bends have an arcuate shape.

7. The endoprosthesis of claim 4, wherein the web elements in the first web ring are oriented at approximately 180 degrees in relation to the web elements in the neighboring web ring.

8. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the S-shaped connectors have a cross-sectional area different from the cross-sectional area of the web elements.

20. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the second junction bend is circumferentially separated from the first junction bend by at least two unadjoined junction bends.

9. An endoprosthesis configured to transition from a contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration, the endoprosthesis comprising:

a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining a web structure, each web ring including a plurality of sequentially adjoined web elements,

a plurality of junction bends in each of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings, pairs of the plurality of sequentially adjoined web elements being sequentially adjoined at individual junction bends of the plurality of junction bends; and

a plurality of S-shaped connectors joining adjacent web rings of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings in a step-wise configuration, each S-shaped connector of the plurality of S-shaped connectors extending between a first junction bend in a first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings and a second junction bend in a second web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings, the second junction bend being longitudinally offset and circumferentially separated from the first junction bend by at least two unadjoined junction bends, a third junction bend in the first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings is connected to a fourth junction bend in the adjacent neighboring web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings by a second S-shaped connector, the fourth junction bend being longitudinally offset from the third junction bend and being circumferentially separated from the third junction bend, the first junction bend being circumferentially separated from the third junction bend by at least three unadjoined junction bends to form an open connected structure between the adjacent web rings, the first and second S-shaped connectors having a plurality of segments interconnected by connectors, the endoprosthesis being formed of a superelastic material,

wherein the S-shaped connector is configured to twist as the endoprosthesis transitions from a contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration.

10. The endoprosthesis of claim 9, wherein the second junction bend is circumferentially offset in a clockwise direction from the first junction bend about the web structure and another second junction bend is circumferentially offset in a counter-clockwise direction from another first junction bend.

11. The endoprosthesis of claim 9, wherein a central segment of the S-shaped connector is disposed in a direction essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the web structure.

12. The endoprosthesis of claim 9, wherein the S-shaped connector comprises a first segment, a second segment, and a central segment disposed between the first segment and the second segment, a junction between the first segment and the central segment being non-parallel to a junction between the second segment and the central segment.

13. The endoprosthesis of claim 12, wherein the junction between the first segment and the central segment and the junction between the second segment and the central segment are transverse to a longitudinal axis of the web structure.

14. The endoprosthesis of claim 12, the junction between the first segment and the central segment is tilted in a direction opposite the junction between the second segment and the central segment when in a deployed configuration.

15. The endoprosthesis of claim 12, wherein an angle between the first segment and the central segment, and the central segment and the second segment, is between about 45 and 135 degrees or about 100 and 170 degrees.

16. A method of deploying an endoprosthesis in a body lumen, the method comprising:

locating an endoprosthesis in a contracted delivery configuration in the body lumen, the endoprosthesis comprising;

a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining an essentially tubular web structure, each web ring including a plurality of adjoined web elements; and

a plurality of junction bends adjoining pairs of the plurality of adjoined web elements, a junction bend in a first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings is connected to a second junction bend in an adjacent neighboring web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings by an S-shaped connector, the second junction bend being longitudinally offset from the first junction bend and being circumferentially separated from the first junction bend by a plurality of unadjoined junction bends, a third junction bend in the first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings is connected to a fourth junction bend in the adjacent neighboring web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings by a second S-shaped connector, the fourth junction bend being longitudinally offset from the third junction bend and being circumferentially separated from the third junction bend, the first junction bend being circumferentially offset from the third junction bend by at least three unadjoined junction bends, the first and second S-shaped connectors having a plurality of segments disposed one in relation to the other in step-wise configuration, the plurality of segments being interconnected by connectors,

disposing the endoprosthesis in a location of the body lumen to receive the endoprosthesis in an expanded deployed configuration; and

deploying the endoprosthesis to transition the endoprosthesis from the contracted delivery configuration to the expanded deployed configuration.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the S-shaped connector comprises three segments, two segments of the three segments being essentially parallel, wherein deploying the endoprosthesis comprises translating one of the two essentially parallel segments relative to the other essentially parallel segments by application of a bending force on the essentially tubular web structure.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein deploying the endoprosthesis further comprises applying pressure to an interior surface of the essentially tubular web structure.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein disposing the endoprosthesis comprises advancing the endoprosthesis through the body lumen.

21. An endoprosthesis configured to transition from a contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration, the endoprosthesis comprising:

a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining a web structure, each web ring including a plurality of sequentially adjoined web elements,

a plurality of junction bends in each of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings, pairs of the plurality of sequentially adjoined web elements being sequentially adjoined at individual junction bends of the plurality of junction bends; and

a plurality of S-shaped connectors joining adjacent web rings of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings in a step-wise configuration, each S-shaped connector of the plurality of S-shaped connectors extending between a first junction bend in a first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings and a second junction bend in a second web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings, the second junction bend being longitudinally offset and circumferentially separated from the first junction bend by at least two unadjoined junction bends, a third junction bend in the first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings is connected to a fourth junction bend in the adjacent neighboring web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings by a second S-shaped connector, the fourth junction bend being longitudinally offset from the third junction bend and being circumferentially separated from the third junction bend, the first junction bend being circumferentially separated from the third junction bend by at least three unadjoined junction bends to form an open connected structure between the adjacent web rings, the first and second S-shaped connectors having a plurality of segments interconnected by connectors, the endoprosthesis being formed of a superelastic material,

wherein the S-shaped connector is configured to absorb torsional stress as the endoprosthesis transitions from a contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration, the S-shaped connector comprising a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment disposed one in relation to the other in a step-wise configuration which allows relative movements of the first segment and the third segment and a twisting motion of the second segment such that the torsional stress from the first segment is not entirely transferred to the third segment.