Endoprosthesis for controlled contraction and expansion

• US 20040093072A1
• Filed: 05/06/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Clifford, Anton G., Pappas, Jeff, Cryer, Brett
• Granted Patent: US 7,637,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• 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 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91566 connected trough to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0076 multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable

Abstract

An endoprosthesis that has a plurality of annular elements, each connected to an adjacent annular element at at least one connection location. Each annular element includes an interconnected series of struts, selected strut members of which are each connected to adjacent strut members at a longitudinal apex. The selected strut members extend to a strut end portion at a location on the longitudinally opposite site of the annular element from the apex. At least one of the strut members includes a first end portion at a first end of the strut member, which is located at the strut end portion, an intermediate portion hingedly connected to the first end portion, and a second end portion hingedly connected to the intermediate portion and extending to the apex. The endoprosthesis has a delivery diameter when in a delivery condition and a deployed diameter when in a deployed condition. Some of the strut members can have a nesting feature that is configured for nestingly receiving another strut member when the endoprosthesis is in the delivery condition. A scaffolding body of the endoprosthesis can have an inner and outer component, each having a set of interconnected strut members. The interconnected strut members of one component overlap those of the other to define a cooperating cell pattern. Also, the body of the endoprosthesis can be configured to naturally tend to contract when the body is smaller than a predetermined diameter and naturally tend to expand when the body is larger than a predetermined diameter.

Claims

1. An endoprosthesis, comprising:

a plurality of annular elements, each annular element connected to an adjacent annular element at at least one connection location;

each annular element including an interconnected series of strut members, selected strut members each connected to an adjacent strut member at a longitudinal apex and extending to a strut end portion at a location on a longitudinally opposite side of the annular element from the apex;

at least one strut member includes;

a first end portion at a first end of the strut member, the first end is located at the strut end portion,

an intermediate portion hingedly connected to the first end portion, and

a second end portion hingedly connected to the intermediate portion and extending to the apex; and

wherein the endoprosthesis has a delivery diameter when in a delivery condition and a deployed diameter when in a deployed condition.

2. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein a circumferential member is connected between corresponding ends of at least one pair of adjacent strut members to form a contoured arrowhead shape.

3. The endoprosthesis of claim 2, wherein the contoured arrowhead shape is defined at a selected apex.

4. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein at least one pair of adjacent strut members are hingedly connected together to form an arrowhead shape.

5. The endoprosthesis of claim 4, wherein the arrowhead shape defines an at least five-point hinge configuration.

6. The endoprosthesis of claim 4, wherein at least one pair of adjacent strut members of the arrowhead shape extend substantially equally in opposite circumferential directions when the endoprosthesis is in the deployed condition.

7. The endoprosthesis of claim 4, wherein the connection location includes the arrowhead of at least one adjacent annular element.

8. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion is disposed at an angle of less than 90°

to the first end portion.

9. The endoprosthesis of claim 8, wherein the intermediate portion is disposed at an angle of less than 90°

to the second end portion.

10. The endoprosthesis of claim 2, wherein the arrowhead defines a tip at the apex, and in the deployed condition the intermediate portion is disposed at an angle of about 90°

or less to a longitudinal axis of the endoprosthesis measured on a longitudinal side of the intermediate portion opposite from the arrowhead tip.

11. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the first and second end portions of at least one strut member extend in a first circumferential direction, and the intermediate portion thereof extends in an opposite circumferential direction to define a lightning bolt shape.

12. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the portions of the strut members are hingedly connected to each other at elbows.

13. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein each portion of the strut member is a substantially straight member.

14. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein each strut member is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the endoprosthesis when in the delivery condition.

15. The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the strut members define:

a first generally longitudinal strut member,

a first angled strut member contoured to have a nesting feature, and

a second longitudinal strut member, and a second angled strut member;

wherein the nesting feature is configured for nestingly receiving at least one longitudinal strut member therein when the endoprosthesis body is in the delivery condition.

16. An endoprosthesis, comprising a plurality of strut members interconnected to form a repeating pattern of interconnected cells, each cell including at least two arrowhead portions extending longitudinally and directed in opposite directions, each arrowhead portion connected with an arrowhead portion of an adjacent cell, wherein the cells are connected in a generally tubular shape having a delivery condition for facilitating delivery of the endoprosthesis to a deployment site and a deployed condition for deployment in a vessel at the deployment site.

17. The endoprosthesis of claim 16, wherein the arrowhead portions are configured for compensating for foreshortening of the endoprosthesis during expansion from the delivery to the deployed condition.

18. An endoprosthesis, comprising:

a cell-defining structure radially expandable from a first diameter to a second diameter, the cell-defining structure defining at least one cell, wherein the cell-defining structure includes;

a first set of strut members defining a base cell section; and

a second set of strut members defining an upper cell section having a generally trapezoidal shape when the cell-defining structure is in the second diameter, the upper cell section having generally parallel opposing sides, wherein one of the generally parallel opposing sides of the upper cell section is generally aligned with a first side of the base cell section.

19. The endoprosthesis of claim 18, wherein the base cell section has a quadrilateral shape when the cell-defining structure is in the second diameter.

20. The endoprosthesis of claim 19, wherein the quadrilateral shape is a parallelogram.

21. The endoprosthesis of claim 19, wherein the base cell section has a major axis and a minor axis, and the major axis is oriented generally longitudinally with respect to the cell-defining structure.

22. The endoprosthesis of claim 18, wherein the cell-defining structure further includes a third set of strut portions defining a lower cell section having a generally trapezoidal shape when the cell-defining structure has the second diameter, the lower cell section having generally parallel opposing sides, wherein one of the opposing sides of the lower cell section is generally aligned with a second side of the base cell section that is opposite the first side of the base cell section.

23. The endoprosthesis of claim 22, wherein the base cell section has a quadrilateral shape when the cell-defining structure has the second diameter, the cell-defining structure defines a plurality of cells, each cell having a base cell section, an upper cell section, and a lower cell section, each of the upper and lower cell sections oriented at opposite sides of their respective base cell section, each cell of the plurality of cells being connected to a circumferentially adjacent cell by a strut member extending between adjacent upper and lower cell sections.

24. The endoprosthesis of claim 23, wherein the strut member is a common strut member of two longitudinally adjacent base cell sections.

25. The endoprosthesis of claim 23, wherein a plurality of circumferentially adjacent cells are arranged to provide at least two adjacent annular elements.

26. The endoprosthesis of claim 24, wherein the at least two adjacent annular elements have common strut portions defining adjacent upper and lower cell sections.

27. The endoprosthesis of claim 23, wherein a plurality of circumferentially adjacent cells are arranged to provide at least two adjacent annular elements, wherein the adjacent annular elements share at least one strut member.

28. The endoprosthesis of claim 22, wherein when the cell-defining structure has the first diameter, one strut member of the second set of strut members is folded toward one strut member of the first set of strut members, and one strut member of the third set of strut members is folded toward one strut member of the first set of strut members.

29. The endoprosthesis of claim 18, wherein one strut member of the second set of strut members is folded toward one strut member of the first set of strut members when the cell-defining structure has the first diameter.

30. The endoprosthesis of claim 18, wherein a selected one of the strut members is contoured to nestingly receive an adjacent strut member of the first or second sets in nested association therein when the cell-defining structure has the first diameter.

31. An endoprosthesis, comprising:

a generally tubular endoprosthesis body radially expandable from a first diameter and a second diameter,

the endoprosthesis body comprising a plurality of annular elements, including a first series of interconnected strut members having a repeating group of;

a first generally longitudinal strut member,

a first angled strut member contoured to have a nesting feature, and

a second longitudinal strut member;

wherein the nesting feature is configured for nestingly receiving at least one longitudinal strut member therein when the endoprosthesis body has the first diameter.

32. The endoprosthesis of claim 31, wherein the annular elements comprise first and second annular elements that share at least one common second angled strut member.

33. The endoprosthesis of claim 31, wherein the annular elements comprise first and second annular elements that are connected by a connector member.

34. An endoprosthesis comprising a generally tubular scaffolding body, the scaffolding body having a delivery configuration at a first diameter and a deployed configuration at a second diameter, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter, the scaffolding body having an outer component including a first set of interconnected strut members, the scaffolding body further having an inner component including a second set of interconnected strut members;

the first set of interconnected strut members overlapping the second set of interconnected strut members to define a cooperating cell pattern.

35. The endoprosthesis of claim 34, wherein the inner and outer components comprise inner and outer tubes, respectively, that are substantially coaxial.

36. The endoprosthesis of claim 34, wherein the first and second set of interconnected strut members are at abutting when the tubular scaffolding body is in its expanded state.

37. The endoprosthesis of claim 34, wherein each of the inner and outer components independently comprise an integral tubular structure.

38. An endoprosthesis, comprising a generally tubular scaffolding body configured to have a compressed diameter and an expanded diameter, the body having a first bias when in a first range of diameter between the compressed and expanded diameters, the body having a second bias when in a second range of diameter between the first range and the expanded diameter, wherein the second bias is expansive and has a greater expansive magnitude than the first bias.

39. The endoprosthesis of claim 38, wherein the first bias is contractive.

40. The endoprosthesis of claim 39, wherein the body includes a contractile portion that is biased to contract the body and an expansive portion that is biased to expand the body.

41. The endoprosthesis of claim 40, wherein the contractile portion is disposed expansive within the portion.

42. The endoprosthesis of claim 40, wherein the contractile portion and expansive portion are disposed in longitudinally adjacent annular elements of the body.

43. The endoprosthesis of claim 42, wherein body comprises a plurality of longitudinal spines coupling a plurality of the adjacent rings.

44. The endoprosthesis of claim 43, wherein at least one of the longitudinal spines extends across at least three adjacent annular elements.

45. The endoprosthesis of claim 40, wherein the one of the contractile and extensive portions comprises an outer tubular structure, and the other comprises an inner tubular structure received coaxially within the outer tubular structure.

46. The endoprosthesis of claim 45, wherein the contractile portion comprises the outer tubular structure, and the expansive portion comprises the inner tubular structure.

47. The endoprosthesis of claim 40, wherein the contractile portion has a geometry for decreasing the leverage of the bias thereof when the body is expanded.

48. The endoprosthesis of claim 40, wherein the expansive portion has a geometry for increasing the leverage of the bias thereof when the body is expanded.

49. The endoprosthesis of claim 48, wherein the contractile portion has a geometry for decreasing the leverage of the bias thereof when the body is expanded.

50. The endoprosthesis of claim 38, wherein the endoprosthesis is a stent.

51. A method of manufacturing an endoprosthesis, comprising:

setting a contractile portion of an endoprosthesis body to bias the body toward a contracted diameter; and

setting an expansive portion of the body to bias the body toward an expanded diameter that is larger than the contracted diameter.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the contractile portion comprises a first tubular structure, and the expansive portion comprises a second tubular structure, wherein one of the tubular structures is placed within the other and coupled therewith.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the contractile portion is formed with a first geometry for decreasing the leverage of the bias thereof when the body is expanded, and the expansive portion is formed with a second geometry for increasing the bias thereof when the body is expanded