Methods for creating woven devices

• US 6,792,979 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Hyodoh, Hideki, Wright, Kenneth C., Konya, Andras
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Lowell A.
• Application Number:
  US10/244,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20030149475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.15, 623/1.22, 140/92.1, 87/9, 87/34
• US Class Current: 140/92.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0105 Open ended, i.e. legs gathered only at one side
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0108 Both ends closed, i.e. legs gathered at both ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/962 having an outer sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/016 made from wire-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/077 having means to fill the space between stent-graft and aneurysm wall, e.g. a sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 : sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 : circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/001 : Figure-8-shaped, e.g. hourglass-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0015 : Kidney-shaped, e.g. bean-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0065 : toroidal, e.g. ring-shaped, doughnut-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 : conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 : ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0078 : hyperboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 : paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 : helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 : Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 : differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/06 : Braid or lace serving particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 3/48 : Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2509/06 : Vascular grafts; stents

Abstract

Self-expandable, woven intravascular devices for use as stents (both straight and tapered), filters (both temporary and permanent) and occluders for insertion and implantation into a variety of anatomical structures. The devices may be formed from shape memory metals such as nitinol. The devices may also be formed from biodegradable materials. Delivery systems for the devices include two hollow tubes that operate coaxially. A device is secured to the tubes prior to the implantation and delivery of the device by securing one end of the device to the outside of the inner tube and by securing the other end of the device to the outside of the outer tube. The stents may be partially or completely covered by graft materials, but may also be bare. The devices may be formed from a single wire. The devices may be formed by either hand or machine weaving. The devices may be created by bending shape memory wires around tabs projecting from a template, and weaving the ends of the wires to create the body of the device such that the wires cross each other to form a plurality of angles, at least one of the angles being obtuse. The value of the obtuse angle may be increased by axially compressing the body.

Claims

1. A method of creating a body suitable for implantation into an anatomical structure, the body having two ends, the method comprising:

providing a weaving system comprising;

a template having first template projections;

bending shape memory wires around the first template projections to create bent portions in the shape memory wires, the bent portions being arranged to define one end of the body, each shape memory wire having two ends; and

weaving the ends of the shape memory wires around the template to create the body such that the shape memory wires cross each other to form a plurality of angles, at least one of the angles being obtuse;

wherein the value of the at least one obtuse angle may be increased by axially compressing the body.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first template projections comprise tabs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first template projections comprise pins.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pins are attached to a ring engaged with the template.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the weaving system further comprises a first weaving plate configured to rotate in a first direction during the weaving.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the weaving system further comprises first bobbins arranged on the first weaving plate, one end of each shape memory wire being attached to each first bobbin prior to the weaving.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the weaving system further comprises a second weaving plate configured to rotate in a second direction during the weaving, the second weaving plate being spaced apart from the first weaving plate.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the weaving system further comprises second bobbins arranged on the second weaving plate, one end of each shape memory wire being attached to each second bobbin prior to the weaving.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising securing the shape memory wires to the template.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming closed structures with the ends of the shape memory wires, the closed structures being arranged to define the other end of the body.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the body and the template.

12. A method of creating a body suitable for implantation into an anatomical structure, the body having two ends, the method comprising:

providing a weaving system comprising;

a template having first template projections;

bending shape memory wires around the first template projections to create bent portions in the shape memory wires, the bent portions being arranged to define one end of the body, each shape memory wire having two ends; and

weaving the ends of the shape memory wires around the template to create the body such that the shape memory wires cross each other in non-interlocking fashion to form a plurality of angles, at least one of the angles being obtuse;

where the value of the at least one obtuse angle may be increased by axially compressing the body.

13. The method of claim 12, where the first template projections comprise tabs.

14. The method of claim 12, where the first template projections comprise pins.

15. The method of claim 14, where the pins are attached to a ring engaged with the template.

16. The method of claim 12, where the weaving system further comprises a first weaving plate configured to rotate in a first direction during the weaving.

17. The method of claim 16, weaving system further comprises first bobbins arranged on the first weaving plate, one end of each shape memory wire being attached to each first bobbin prior to the weaving.

18. The method of claim 16, where the weaving system further comprises a second weaving plate configured to rotate in a second direction during the weaving, the second weaving plate being spaced apart from the first weaving plate.

19. The method of claim 18, where the weaving system further comprises second bobbins arranged on the second weaving plate, one end of each shape memory wire being attached to each second bobbin prior to the weaving.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising securing the shape memory wires to the template.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming closed structures with the ends of the shape memory wires, the closed structures being arranged to define the other end of the body.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising heating the body and the template.