ENDOPROSTHESIS DEPLOYMENT METHODS FOR TREATING VASCULAR BIFURCATIONS
First Claim
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1. A method of treating a vascular bifurcation of a main vessel into first and second branch vessels, comprising the steps of:
- providing a delivery catheter carrying a first stent, the first stent having an upstream end, a downstream end, and a single central lumen extending therebetween, wherein the first stent is self-expandable, and wherein upstream end has a smaller diameter than the downstream end when the first stent is expanded;
positioning the delivery catheter such that the first stent is at a treatment site within the main vessel and the downstream end is adjacent the vascular bifurcation; and
deploying the first stent in the main vessel such that the first stent self expands to a configuration in which the upstream end of the first stent has a smaller diameter than the downstream end of the first stent, and in which the downstream end communicates with both the first and second branch vessels.
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Abstract
A device and method for treating pathological narrowing of fluid-carrying conduits of the human body (such as blood vessels) in an area of a bifurcation is disclosed. In particular, a stent system comprising a pair of dissimilar stents, one of which is particularly suited for treating a widened portion of a blood vessel immediately proximal to a bifurcation. A stent delivery system including a handpiece adapted to selectively deliver the stents is also disclosed.
157 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of treating a vascular bifurcation of a main vessel into first and second branch vessels, comprising the steps of:
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providing a delivery catheter carrying a first stent, the first stent having an upstream end, a downstream end, and a single central lumen extending therebetween, wherein the first stent is self-expandable, and wherein upstream end has a smaller diameter than the downstream end when the first stent is expanded;
positioning the delivery catheter such that the first stent is at a treatment site within the main vessel and the downstream end is adjacent the vascular bifurcation; and
deploying the first stent in the main vessel such that the first stent self expands to a configuration in which the upstream end of the first stent has a smaller diameter than the downstream end of the first stent, and in which the downstream end communicates with both the first and second branch vessels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of treating a vascular bifurcation of a main vessel into first and second branch vessels, comprising the steps of:
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deploying a substantially cylindrical stent in a first branch vessel, wherein the first branch vessel is downstream with respect to the bifurcation; and
deploying a tapered stent in the main vessel, wherein the main vessel is upstream with respect to the bifurcation;
wherein the tapered stent has a single central lumen and tapers in a downstream direction from a smaller upstream diameter to a larger downstream diameter which faces the bifurcation. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of treating a bifurcation of a main vessel into first and second branch vessels, comprising the steps of:
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providing a catheter having a self expandable tapered stent thereon which, in an unconstrained expansion, has a single central lumen extending between a relatively smaller diameter end and a relatively larger diameter end;
positioning the catheter in the vicinity of the bifurcation;
partially deploying the self expandable tapered stent into a vessel;
introducing contrast media to permit visualization of the self expandable tapered stent; and
deploying the self-expandable tapered stent into the vessel such that the relatively smaller diameter end is in an upstream orientation with respect to blood flow, and the relatively larger diameter end is in a downstream orientation with respect to blood flow through the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification