Intravascular Stent

• US 9,675,480 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Uyen Ta, Diem, Gomez, Andreina P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/600,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20120330403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 623 115, 623 116
• 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 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 2002/91575 connected peak to trough

Abstract

The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implanting in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery, peripheral artery, or other body lumen. The invention provides for an intravascular stent having a plurality of cylindrical rings connected by undulating links. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen. The stent can be compressed or crimped onto a catheter to a very low profile since the peaks that are adjacent the curved portion of the undulating link are shorter than other peaks in the same cylindrical ring to prevent overlap yet still achieve a very low profile, tightly crimped stent onto a catheter.

Claims

1. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis and interconnected to form the stent, each cylindrical ring having a first delivery diameter and a second implanted diameter;

each cylindrical ring having a plurality of first peaks, each of the first peaks having a first height;

each cylindrical ring having a plurality of second peaks, each second peak having a second height, the second height being shorter than the first height;

each cylindrical ring having a plurality of valleys; and

a plurality of undulating links attaching each cylindrical ring to an adjacent cylindrical ring, the undulating links having a curved portion extending transverse to the stent longitudinal axis toward the second peak, the second height of the second peak being sized so that as the stent is compressed to the first delivery diameter, the curved portion of the undulating link is longitudinally aligned with the second peak, wherein each undulating link has a first end attached to a valley of a cylindrical ring and a second end attached to a valley of an adjacent cylindrical ring, the two adjacent valleys which are attached to each undulating link being in phase with each other when the cylindrical rings are in the first delivery diameter, the undulating links attaching a first set of cylindrical rings being circumferentially offset 60°

from the undulating links attaching an adjacent second set of cylindrical rings; and

the undulating links attaching every other set of cylindrical rings being longitudinally aligned along a longitudinal axis of the stent.

2. The stent of claim 1, further including a proximal end ring and a distal end ring, each of the distal end ring and the proximal end ring being connected to adjacent cylindrical rings by three straight links.

3. The stent of claim 2, the straight links are less flexible longitudinally than are the undulating links.

4. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis and interconnected to form the stent, each cylindrical ring having a first delivery diameter and a second implanted diameter;

each cylindrical ring having a plurality of first peaks, each of the first peaks having a first height;

each cylindrical ring having a plurality of second peaks, each second peak having a second height, the second height being shorter than the first height;

each cylindrical ring having a plurality of valleys; and

an undulating link attaching each cylindrical ring to an adjacent cylindrical ring, the undulating link having a curved portion extending transverse to the stent longitudinal axis toward the second peak, the second height of the second peak being sized so that as the stent is compressed to the first delivery diameter, the curved portion of the undulating link is longitudinally aligned with the second peak, wherein the undulating link has a first end attached to a valley of a cylindrical ring and a second end attached to a valley of an adjacent cylindrical ring, the two adjacent valleys which are attached to the undulating link being in phase with each other when the cylindrical rings are in the first delivery diameter, the undulating links attaching a first set of cylindrical rings being circumferentially offset 60°

from the undulating links attaching an adjacent second set of cylindrical rings; and

the undulating links attaching every other set of cylindrical rings being longitudinally aligned along a longitudinal axis of the stent.

5. The stent of claim 4, further including a proximal end ring and a distal end ring, wherein both the distal end ring and the proximal end ring are connected to an adjacent cylindrical ring by a straight link.

6. The stent of claim 4, further including a proximal end ring and a distal end ring, wherein each of the distal end ring and the proximal end ring is connected to adjacent cylindrical rings by three straight links.

7. The stent of claim 5, wherein the straight links are less flexible longitudinally than are the undulating links.