Apparatus and method for deploying an implantable device within the body

• US 9,956,102 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taheri Laduca LLC
• Original Assignee: Taheri Laduca LLC
• Inventors: Arnault De La Menardiere, Brice, Alavar, Frederich A. L., Laduca, Robert C., Laduca, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Howie
• Application Number:
  US14/981,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20160346108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/82 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 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9517 handle assemblies therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• 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 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0006 for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for deploying implantable devices within the body. The delivery and deployment systems include at least one catheter or an assembly of catheters for selectively positioning the lumens of the implant to within target vessels. Various deployment and attachment mechanisms are provided for selectively deploying the implants.

Claims

1. A method of implanting a device at a target site within a main vessel and at least one side branch vessel, the device comprising a main lumen and at least one branched lumen extending laterally therefrom, the method comprising:

advancing the device using a catheter system, wherein each of a proximal end and a distal end of the main lumen and a distal end of the at least one branched lumen is releasably attached to the catheter system;

selectively advancing the distal end of the main lumen and the distal end of the at least one branched lumen from a distal end of the catheter system, wherein the distal end of the main lumen and the distal end of the at least one branched lumen remains releasably attached to the catheter system;

selectively tensioning the main lumen, independently of the at least one branched lumen when the at least one branched lumen is within the at least one side branch vessel, to expand the main lumen into a partial deployed position prior to releasing the distal end of the main lumen from the catheter system to allow repositioning of the device; and

detaching at least one of the main lumen or the at least one branched lumen from the catheter system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the advanced luminal ends are retractable to within the catheter system prior to detachment from the catheter system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one luminal end of the device is releasably attached to the catheter system by a spring-loaded mechanism.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the spring-loaded mechanism comprises a plurality of extensions and a receptacle for engaging the extensions, and wherein the plurality of extensions are biased to be unengaged with the receptacle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the luminal ends comprise apices and the catheter system is configured to releasably capture the apices between the extensions and the receptacle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one luminal end of the device is releasably attached to the catheter system by at least one string.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively tensioning the main lumen comprises applying tension to the distal end of the main lumen to elongate the main lumen when the main lumen is within the main vessel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the at least one branched lumen is urged or pulled into a side branch vessel.

9. A method of implanting a device at a target site within a main vessel and at least one side branch vessel, the device comprising a main lumen and at least one branched lumen extending laterally therefrom, the method comprising:

advancing the device using a catheter system, wherein each of a proximal end and a distal end of the main lumen and a distal end of the at least one branched lumen is releasably attached to the catheter system;

selectively tensioning the main lumen and the at least one branched lumen when the at least one branched lumen is within the at least one side branch vessel to selectively expand the main lumen and the at least one branched lumen into a partial deployed position prior to detaching the main lumen or the at least one branched lumen from the catheter system to allow repositioning of the device; and

detaching at least one of the main lumen or the at least one branched lumen from the catheter system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein selectively tensioning the main lumen and the at least one branched lumen comprises selectively applying tension to the main lumen to elongate the main lumen when the main lumen is within the main vessel and selectively applying tension to the at least one branched lumen to elongate the at least one branched lumen when the at least one branched lumen is within a side branch vessel.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the distal end of the at least one side branch lumen is urged or pulled into a side branch vessel.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the distal ends are retractable to within the catheter system prior to detachment from the catheter system.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one distal end of the device is releasably attached to the catheter system by a spring-loaded mechanism.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the spring-loaded mechanism comprises a plurality of extensions and a receptacle for engaging the extensions, and wherein the plurality of extensions are biased to be unengaged with the receptacle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the distal ends comprise apices and the catheter system is configured to releasably capture the apices between the extensions and the receptacle.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one distal end of the device is releasably attached to the catheter system by at least one string.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the main vessel comprises an aortic arch, and wherein the at least one side branch vessel comprises a vessel selected from the group consisting of an innominate artery, a common carotid artery, and a subclavian artery.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the main vessel comprises an infrarenal aorta, and wherein the at least one side branch vessel comprises a renal artery.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein detaching at least one of the main lumen or the at least one branched lumen from the catheter system comprises first expanding the main lumen in the main vessel while the at least one branched lumen remains in a tensioned state.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising positioning the main lumen in the main vessel while in a stretched condition and subsequently positioning at least one branched lumen extending from the main lumen in a side branch vessel while in a stretched or tensioned state.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the device comprises a wire stent structure where the side branch lumen is adjustable relative to the main lumen until the device expands against the main vessel and a side branch vessel.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein the device comprises a wire stent structure where an angular orientation of the side branch lumen is adjustable on the device until the device expands against the main vessel and a side branch vessel.

23. The method of claim 9, further comprising maintaining continuous blood flow around the implantable device during placement.

24. The method of claim 9, further comprising repositioning the device before fully detaching at least one of the distal ends from the catheter system to implant the device.

25. A method of implanting a device at a target site within a main vessel and at least one side branch vessel, the device comprising a main lumen and at least one branched lumen extending laterally therefrom, the method comprising:

advancing the device using a catheter system, wherein each of a proximal end and a distal end of the main lumen and a distal end of the at least one branched lumen is releasably attached to the catheter system;

selectively advancing the distal end of the main lumen and the distal end of the at least one branched lumen from a distal end of the catheter system, wherein the distal end of the main lumen and the distal end of the at least one branched lumen remains releasably attached to the catheter system;

selectively tensioning the main lumen, independently of the at least one branched lumen after at least a portion of the at least one branched lumen is advanced from the distal end of the catheter system, to expand the main lumen into a partial deployed position prior to releasing the distal end of the main lumen from the catheter system to allow repositioning of the device; and

detaching at least one of the main lumen or the at least one branched lumen from the catheter system.