Attachment mechanism for stent release

• US 9,662,238 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Dwork, Joshua, Shipley, Adam, Yeung, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Prone, Christopher D
• Application Number:
  US14/503,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20150018930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of 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 2002/9505 having retaining means other than an outer sleeve, e.g. male-female connector between stent and instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9665 with additional retaining means

Abstract

An attachment mechanism for coupling a stent to a delivery system is disclosed. The attachment mechanism is configured to pivot relative to an inner shaft assembly of the delivery system in order to release the stent from the delivery system. Methods of deploying the stent with the delivery system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of deploying a stent to an implantation site of a patient, the method comprising:

providing a delivery system loaded with a radially expandable stent, the delivery system including a delivery sheath capsule containing the stent in a compressed arrangement over an inner shaft assembly in a loaded state of the system, and the stent coupled to the inner shaft assembly through an attachment mechanism including a lug having a plurality of fingers extending radially outward therefrom, wherein the lug includes a slot surrounding a support tube, the support tube supporting the stent;

wherein the slot defines a range of rotation for the lug about the support tube;

delivering the stent in the compressed arrangement through a bodily lumen of the patient and to the implantation site via the delivery system in the loaded state;

proximally retracting the delivery sheath capsule relative to the stent, wherein a distal region of the stent self-expands toward a deployed arrangement such that the lug and the plurality fingers pivot relative to the inner shaft assembly to release the stent from the delivery system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism further includes a casing coupled to the inner shaft assembly and the lug is coupled to the casing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the attachment mechanism further includes an axle coupling the casing to the lug.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lug includes two fingers on opposite sides of the lug that are configured to engage the stent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a recessed portion of each of the plurality of fingers is coupled with a respective loop of the stent during the step of delivering.

6. A method of deploying a stent to an implantation site of a patient, the method comprising:

providing a delivery system loaded with a radially expandable stent, the delivery system including a delivery sheath capsule containing the stent in a compressed arrangement over a support tube of an inner shaft assembly in a loaded state of the system, and the stent coupled to the inner shaft assembly through an attachment mechanism;

wherein the attachment mechanism includes a casing, a lug positioned within the casing and an axle coupling the casing to the lug, wherein the lug further includes fingers extending therefrom engaging the stent and the lug defines an elongated slot surrounding the support tube to define a range of rotation for the lug about the support tube;

delivering the stent in the compressed arrangement through a bodily lumen of the patient and to the implantation site via the delivery system in the loaded state;

proximally retracting the delivery sheath capsule relative to the stent, wherein a distal region of the stent self-expands toward a deployed arrangement such that the lug pivots in the elongated slot and about the axle relative to the inner shaft assembly to release the stent from the delivery system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a recessed portion of each of the plurality of fingers is coupled with a respective loop of the stent during the step of delivering.