Stent with tether interface
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use with one or more tissue anchors and one or more tethers, the apparatus comprising:
- a radially-expandable stent, which, when unconstrained in a radially-expanded state, is generally tubular and shaped so as to define;
one or more tether interfaces at one or more tether circumferential locations, respectively, each of which tether interfaces extends circumferentially contiguously around a portion of a circumference of the stent,a lower-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous lower-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around a contiguous lower-securement circumferential portion of the stent, which lower-securement axial segment and lower-securement circumferential portion include the one or more tether interfaces,a higher-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous higher-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around between 215 and 330 degrees of the circumference, at all circumferential locations other than those of the lower-securement circumferential portion, anda plurality of outward protrusions at respective circumferential locations around the higher-securement portion, and not around the lower-securement portion,wherein the lower-securement axial segment of the stent extends along at least 30% of an axial length of the stent, when the stent is unconstrained in the radially-expanded state.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A radially-expandable stent (20) is shaped so as to define one or more tether interfaces (50), a lower-securement portion (56), and a higher-securement portion (64). The lower-securement portion (56) extends (a) along at least a contiguous lower-securement axial segment (58) of the stent (20) and (b) circumferentially around a contiguous lower-securement circumferential portion (60) of the stent (20), which lower-securement axial segment (58) and lower-securement circumferential portion (60) include the one or more tether interfaces (50). The higher-securement portion (64) extends (a) along at least a contiguous higher-securement axial segment (65) of the stent (20) and (b) circumferentially around between 215 and 330 degrees of a circumference (C), at all circumferential locations other than those of the lower-securement circumferential portion (60). The stent (20) is shaped so as to define a plurality of outward protrusions (70) at respective circumferential locations (72) around the higher-securement portion (64), and not around the lower-securement portion (56). One or more tethers (34) are coupled to the one or more tether interfaces (50), respectively, and to one or more tissue anchors (30), respectively.
627 Citations
48 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for use with one or more tissue anchors and one or more tethers, the apparatus comprising:
-
a radially-expandable stent, which, when unconstrained in a radially-expanded state, is generally tubular and shaped so as to define; one or more tether interfaces at one or more tether circumferential locations, respectively, each of which tether interfaces extends circumferentially contiguously around a portion of a circumference of the stent, a lower-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous lower-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around a contiguous lower-securement circumferential portion of the stent, which lower-securement axial segment and lower-securement circumferential portion include the one or more tether interfaces, a higher-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous higher-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around between 215 and 330 degrees of the circumference, at all circumferential locations other than those of the lower-securement circumferential portion, and a plurality of outward protrusions at respective circumferential locations around the higher-securement portion, and not around the lower-securement portion, wherein the lower-securement axial segment of the stent extends along at least 30% of an axial length of the stent, when the stent is unconstrained in the radially-expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. Apparatus for use with one or more tissue anchors, the apparatus comprising:
-
a radially-expandable stent, which, when unconstrained in a radially-expanded state, is generally tubular and shaped so as to define; one or more tether interfaces at one or more tether circumferential locations, respectively, each of which tether interfaces extends circumferentially contiguously around a portion of a circumference of the stent, a lower-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous lower-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around a contiguous lower-securement circumferential portion of the stent, which lower-securement axial segment and lower-securement circumferential portion include the one or more tether interfaces, a higher-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous higher-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around between 215 and 330 degrees of the circumference, at all circumferential locations other than those of the lower-securement circumferential portion, and a plurality of outward protrusions at respective circumferential locations around the higher-securement portion, and not around the lower-securement portion, wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more tethers, which have respective first longitudinal portions that are coupled to the one or more tether interfaces, respectively, and wherein the stent is shaped so as to define one or more tension-distributing elements, which (a) extend along at least a tension-distribution axial segment of the stent at the one or more tether circumferential locations, respectively, (b) define the one or more tether interfaces, respectively, and (c) are configured to distribute tension applied by the one or more tethers, respectively, along the tension-distribution axial segment of the stent, and wherein each of the one or more tension-distributing elements has a circumferential arc of between 1 and 15 degrees, when the stent is unconstrained in the radially-expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. Apparatus for use with one or more tissue anchors and one or more tethers, the apparatus comprising:
-
a radially-expandable stent, which, when unconstrained in a radially-expanded state, is generally tubular and shaped so as to define; one or more tether interfaces at one or more tether circumferential locations, respectively, each of which tether interfaces extends circumferentially contiguously around a portion of a circumference of the stent, a lower-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous lower-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around a contiguous lower-securement circumferential portion of the stent, which lower-securement axial segment and lower-securement circumferential portion include the one or more tether interfaces, a higher-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous higher-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around between 215 and 330 degrees of the circumference, at all circumferential locations other than those of the lower-securement circumferential portion, and a plurality of outward protrusions at respective circumferential locations around the higher-securement portion, and not around the lower-securement portion, wherein an interior of the stent defines a right circular cylindrical shape having a radius, and wherein the outward protrusions extend radially outward from the cylindrical shape by a distance equal to between 5% and 25% of the radius, when the stent is unconstrained in the radially-expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. Apparatus for use with one or more tissue anchors and one or more tethers, the apparatus comprising:
-
a radially-expandable stent, which, when unconstrained in a radially-expanded state, is generally tubular and shaped so as to define; one or more tether interfaces at one or more tether circumferential locations, respectively, each of which tether interfaces extends circumferentially contiguously around a portion of a circumference of the stent, a lower-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous lower-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around a contiguous lower-securement circumferential portion of the stent, which lower-securement axial segment and lower-securement circumferential portion include the one or more tether interfaces, a higher-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous higher-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around between 215 and 330 degrees of the circumference, at all circumferential locations other than those of the lower-securement circumferential portion, and a plurality of outward protrusions at respective circumferential locations around the higher-securement portion, and not around the lower-securement portion, wherein the lower-securement portion has a circumferential arc that equals at least 200% of an average of circumferential distances between circumferential midpoints of circumferentially-adjacent ones of the outward protrusions around the higher-securement portion, when the stent is unconstrained in the radially-expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. Apparatus for use with one or more tissue anchors and one or more tethers, the apparatus comprising:
-
a radially-expandable stent, which, when unconstrained in a radially-expanded state, is generally tubular and shaped so as to define; one or more tether interfaces at one or more tether circumferential locations, respectively, each of which tether interfaces extends circumferentially contiguously around a portion of a circumference of the stent, a lower-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous lower-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around a contiguous lower-securement circumferential portion of the stent, which lower-securement axial segment and lower-securement circumferential portion include the one or more tether interfaces, a higher-securement portion that extends (a) along at least a contiguous higher-securement axial segment of the stent and (b) circumferentially around between 215 and 330 degrees of the circumference, at all circumferential locations other than those of the lower-securement circumferential portion, and a plurality of outward protrusions at respective circumferential locations around the higher-securement portion, and not around the lower-securement portion, wherein the stent comprises a plurality of columnar struts and a plurality of circumferential stent meanders coupled to the columnar struts at respective axial locations, and wherein one or more of the circumferential stent meanders are shaped so as to define the outward protrusions at the respective circumferential locations around the higher-securement portion, when the stent is unconstrained in the radially-expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
Specification