Stent graft tapered spring

• US 20040215319A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Berra, Humberto, Letort, Michel
• Granted Patent: US 7,279,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/826 more than one stent being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0029 differing in bending or flexure capacity

Abstract

A stent graft includes a stent graft material of cylindrical shape and tapered stent springs coupled to the stent graft material. Each stent spring includes a first stent cell and a second stent cell contiguous with the first stent cell. The first stent cell and the second stent cell are coupled. The second stent cell of each tapered stent spring is smaller than the first stent cell thereby defining a tapered shape to the tapered stent springs. The stent graft is placed in a curved segment of a tortuous body lumen and rotationally positioned such that the smallest stent cell of each tapered stent spring is placed at an inside radius of the curved segment.

Claims

1. A stent graft comprising:

a cylindrical shape stent graft material; and

tapered stent springs coupled to said stent graft material.

2. The stent graft of claim 1 wherein said stent graft material is inside said tapered stent springs.

3. The stent graft of claim 1 wherein said stent graft material is outside said tapered stent springs.

4. The stent graft of claim 1 wherein said tapered stent springs comprise a first tapered stent spring comprising:

a first stent cell; and

a second stent cell contiguous with said first stent cell.

5. The stent graft of claim 4 wherein said second stent cell is coupled to said first stent cell.

6. The stent graft of claim 5 wherein said second stent cell is smaller than said first stent cell.

7. The stent graft of claim 5 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are closed.

8. The stent graft of claim 5 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are diamond shape.

9. The stent graft of claim 4 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are integral.

10. The stent graft of claim 9 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are open.

11. The stent graft of claim 9 wherein said first stent cell and said second stent cell are serpentine shape.

12. The stent graft of claim 9 wherein said serpentine shape is selected from the group consisting of zigzag, and stepped.

13. A stent graft comprising:

a cylindrical shape stent graft material;

a first tapered stent spring coupled to said cylindrical shape graft material; and

a second tapered stent spring coupled to said cylindrical shape graft material and adjacent to said first tapered stent spring, wherein said second tapered stent spring is spaced apart from said first tapered stent spring by a spacing distance.

14. The stent graft of claim 13 wherein said first tapered stent spring and said second tapered stent spring are coupled to said stent graft material by sutures.

15. The stent graft of claim 13 wherein said spacing distance decreases as said stent graft is bent.

16. A method comprising:

forming a first tapered stent spring comprising a first stent cell and a second stent cell contiguous with said first stent cell, wherein said second stent cell of said first tapered stent spring is coupled to said first stent cell of said first tapered stent spring, and further wherein said second stent cell is smaller than said first stent cell;

forming a second tapered stent spring comprising a first stent cell and a second stent cell contiguous with said first stent cell, wherein said second stent cell of said second tapered stent spring is coupled to said first stent cell of said second tapered stent spring, and further wherein said second stent cell is smaller than said first stent cell;

sewing said first tapered stent spring and said second tapered stent spring to a stent graft material, wherein said first tapered stent spring is spaced apart from said second tapered stent spring by a spacing distance.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

rotationally positioning said first tapered stent spring such that said second stent cell of said first tapered stent spring is placed along an inside radius of a curved body lumen; and

rotationally positioning said second tapered stent spring such that said second stent cell of said second tapered stent spring is placed along said inside radius of said curved body lumen.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising

subjecting said first tapered stent spring and said second tapered stent spring to a bending force imposed by said curved body lumen, wherein said spacing distance decreases.

19. A stent graft comprising:

tapered stent spring means comprising;

stent cell means;

cylindrical shape support means for supporting said tapered stent spring means; and

means for coupling said tapered stent spring means to said cylindrical shape support means.