Stent crimping apparatus and method

• US 20080016668A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Castro, Daniel, Gale, David C., Huang, Bin
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/282
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49776 Pressure, force, or weight determining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49925 Inward deformation of aperture or hollow body wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49927 Hollow body is axially joined cup or tube
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53987 Tube, sleeve or ferrule
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53991 Work gripper, anvil, or element

Abstract

A method for crimping a stent onto a balloon includes inflating a balloon with a fluid, sliding a stent over the inflated balloon, crimping the stent onto the balloon, and controlling the pressure inside the balloon below a given value when the stent is being crimped onto the balloon.

Claims

1. A method for crimping a stent onto a balloon, comprising:

inflating a balloon with a fluid;

sliding a stent over the inflated balloon;

crimping the stent onto the balloon; and

controlling the pressure inside the balloon below a given value when the stent is being crimped onto the balloon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling includes releasing the fluid inside the balloon when the pressure exceeds the given value so that the pressure inside the balloon does not exceed the given value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of releasing includes using a pressure release valve to control the fluid inside the balloon below the given value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the stent and balloon in a crimper before the stent is crimped onto the balloon.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising soaking the balloon in a solvent to soften the balloon.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the solvent is acetone.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising soaking the balloon in a solvent to soften the balloon.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the solvent is acetone.

7. A method for crimping a stent onto a balloon, comprising:

sliding a stent over a balloon;

placing the stent and balloon in a stent crimper;

inflating the balloon with a fluid;

crimping the stent onto the balloon; and

controlling the pressure inside the balloon below a given value when the stent is being crimped onto the balloon.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising reducing the crimper'"'"'s inner diameter to the outer diameter of the stent before inflating the balloon with the fluid.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of controlling includes releasing the fluid inside the balloon when the pressure exceeds the given value so that the pressure inside the balloon does not exceed the given value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of releasing includes using a pressure release valve to control the fluid inside the balloon below the given value.

13. A stent crimping apparatus, comprising:

means for inflating a balloon with a fluid;

means for crimping the stent onto the balloon; and

means for controlling the pressure inside the balloon below a given value when the stent is being crimped onto the balloon.

14. A apparatus for crimping a stent onto a balloon, comprising:

a pressurized fluid source;

a stent crimper; and

a pressure regulator for keeping the pressure inside the balloon below a given value when the stent is being crimped onto the balloon by the stent crimper.