Radially expandable stent featuring accordion stops
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A surgical stent comprising in combination:
- at least one elongate helical element positioned to define at least a portion of a generally cylindrical contour for said stent;
said helical element extending angularly more than 360 degrees around a central axis of said cylindrical contour of said stent, such that said helical element has at least two turns, each turn spaced axially from adjacent turns by a gap;
at least one axial element having at least two extremities including a first extremity and a second extremity, said first extremity attached to said helical element on a first turn of said at least two turns and said second extremity attached to said helical element on a second turn of said at least two turns, such that said axial element spans said gap;
wherein said at least one axial element is S-shaped including two curves facing in opposite directions between said first extremity and said second extremity, said two curves joined together at an inflection point; and
wherein said two curves include a smaller curve and a larger curve, said smaller curve having a radius of curvature less than a radius of curvature of said larger curve, said smaller curve adjacent said second extremity, said second extremity attached to a trough side of one of said bends in said helical element and said first extremity attached to a crest side of one of said bends in said helical element.
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Abstract
A radially expandable surgical stent is provided with a helical element 20 extending from a first end 12 of the stent 10 to a second end 14 of the stent 10 with a series of turns 26. Each turn 26 of the helical element 20 includes bends 30, 32, 34 therein which can have their radius of curvature 35 increased to expand the stent 10 radially. The stent 10 resists an accordion effect caused when axial contracting forces are applied to the stent, by having axial elements 50 between turns 26 in the helical element 20. The axial elements 50 span gaps 44 between adjacent turns 26 and maintain a spacing between the turns 26.
154 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A surgical stent comprising in combination:
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at least one elongate helical element positioned to define at least a portion of a generally cylindrical contour for said stent; said helical element extending angularly more than 360 degrees around a central axis of said cylindrical contour of said stent, such that said helical element has at least two turns, each turn spaced axially from adjacent turns by a gap; at least one axial element having at least two extremities including a first extremity and a second extremity, said first extremity attached to said helical element on a first turn of said at least two turns and said second extremity attached to said helical element on a second turn of said at least two turns, such that said axial element spans said gap; wherein said at least one axial element is S-shaped including two curves facing in opposite directions between said first extremity and said second extremity, said two curves joined together at an inflection point; and wherein said two curves include a smaller curve and a larger curve, said smaller curve having a radius of curvature less than a radius of curvature of said larger curve, said smaller curve adjacent said second extremity, said second extremity attached to a trough side of one of said bends in said helical element and said first extremity attached to a crest side of one of said bends in said helical element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A surgical stent featuring radial expandability and limited axial contraction when expanded radially, the stent comprising in combination:
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a cylindrical contour having a constant inner radius from a central axis and a constant outer radius from said central axis; a series of at least two helical gaps passing through said cylindrical contour from said inner radius to said outer radius, each said helical gap spaced axially from adjacent helical gaps by a helical element having at least three turns about said central axis and each said helical gap spaced helically from said adjacent helical gaps by at least one axial element having at least two extremities including a first extremity and a second extremity, said at least one axial element extending between two of said turns in said helical element adjacent each said gap; wherein said at least one axial element is S-shaped including two curves facing in opposite directions between said first extremity and said second extremity, said two curves joined together at an inflection point; and wherein said two curves include smaller curve and a larger curve, said smaller curve having a radius of curvature less than a radius of curvature of said larger curve, said smaller curve adjacent said second extremity, said second extremity attached to a trough side of one of said bends in said helical element and said first extremity attached to a crest side of one of said bends in said helical element. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A flexible radially expandable surgical stent comprising in combination:
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at least one elongate helical element extending helically from a first end of said stent to a second end of said stent within a cylindrical contour a substantially constant distance from a central axis of said stent; said helical element having at least two turns as said helical element extends from said first end to said second end; at least one axial element having at least two extremities including a first extremity and a second extremity, said at least one axial element extending between two of said at least two turns which are adjacent to each other; wherein said at least one axial element is S-shaped including two curves facing in opposite directions between said first extremity and said second extremity, said two curves joined together at an inflection point; and wherein said two curves include a smaller curve and a larger curve, said smaller curve having a radius of curvature less than a radius of curvature of said larger curve, said smaller curve adjacent said second extremity, said second extremity attached to a trough side of one of said bends in said helical element and said first extremity attached to a crest side of one of said bends in said helical element. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification