Medical implant having a curlable matrix structure and method of use

• US 8,632,584 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: USSC Medical GmbH (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dendron GmbH (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Henkes, Hans, Flesser, Achim, Kontek, Ronald, Bodenburg, Ralph, Speder, Jrgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Marcia
• Application Number:
  US11/935,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20080125855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,269 Days
• Field of Search: 623 13- 133
• US Class Current: 623/1.17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12118 for positioning in conjunction with a stent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12063 electrolytically detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2215 having an open distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/92 Stents in the form of a rolled-up sheet expanding after insertion into the vessel , e.g. with a spiral shape in cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3008 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9528 for retrieval of stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9534 for repositioning of stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0008 elliptical or oval
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

A medical implant, having a proximal and a distal end, that is preformed to assume a superimposed structure at an implantation site but can be made to take on a volume-reduced form making it possible to introduce it by means of a micro-catheter and a guide wire arranged at the proximal end, with the implant in its superimposed structure assuming the form of a longitudinally open tube and having a mesh structure of interconnected strings or filaments. The implant has a tapering structure at its proximal end where the strings or filaments converge at a connection point.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

a first portion comprising a first plurality of cells of a first cell size, the first portion having a distal and a proximal end, the first portion further comprising a first lateral edge extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the first portion, and a second lateral edge opposite the first lateral edge, the second lateral edge extending from the proximal to the distal end of the first portion;

a second portion comprising a second plurality of cells of a second cell size, the second portion having a distal and a proximal end, the second portion being located proximal to the first portion; and

a single connection at which the proximal end of the second portion terminates; and

a wire comprising a terminal distal end portion attached to the connection and configured to introduce the first and second portions through a microcatheter;

wherein the first portion and the second portion form a self-expandable longitudinal tube with the distal end of the first portion and the proximal end of the second portion being substantially open;

wherein the first and second lateral edges are overlapped in a coiled configuration about the longitudinal axis when the medical device is in a volume-reduced form;

wherein the proximal end of the second portion tapers toward the single connection.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal tube is self-expandable due to shape memory of the first and second portions.

3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein:

the cells of the first portion are smaller than the cells of the second portion.

4. The medical device of claim 3, wherein:

the cells of the first portion are smaller, in a latitudinal direction of the medical device, than the cells of the second portion.

5. The medical device of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the first and second portions comprises one of;

a plurality of interconnected filaments;

or

a mesh braiding of individual filaments.

6. The medical device of claim 5, wherein the filaments are interconnected to one another by welding.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second portions comprises Nitinol.

8. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the device is retractable proximally by the wire into a catheter to provide the volume-reduced form.

9. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the wire is detachably coupled to the connection via an electrolytically corrodible element.

10. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the wire is detachably coupled to the connection.

11. A method, comprising:

providing a medical device having a first portion comprising a first plurality of cells of a first cell size, the first portion having a distal and a proximal end, the first portion comprising a first lateral edge extending from the proximal to distal end of the first portion, and a second lateral edge opposite the first lateral edge, the second lateral edge extending from the proximal to the distal end of the first portion, the medical device further comprising a second portion comprising a second plurality of cells of a second cell size, the second portion having a distal and a proximal end, the second portion located proximal the first portion, a single connection at which the proximal end of the second portion terminates, and a wire comprising a terminal distal end portion attached to the connection and configured to introduce the first and second portions through a microcatheter, wherein the first portion and the second portion form a self-expandable longitudinal tube with the distal end of the first portion and the proximal end of the second portion being substantially open;

preforming the medical device to have a first preformed shape;

curling the medical device into a longitudinally-shaped open tube configuration tapering toward the connection;

maintaining the medical device, via a mechanical restraint, in the open tube configuration;

placing the medical device in a vessel of a patient;

removing the mechanical restraint; and

leaving the medical device positioned in the vessel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first preformed shape is a flat substantially planar form.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the open tube configuration comprises a spiral shape.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the wire is detachably coupled to the connection, and further comprising detaching the wire from the connection.

15. A method, comprising:

advancing a compressed medical device that is coupled to a wire towards a position in a vessel of a patient, the medical device comprising a first mesh portion comprising a plurality of cells, the first portion having a distal and a proximal end, the first portion comprising a first lateral edge extending from the proximal to distal end of the first portion, and a second lateral edge opposite the first lateral edge, the second lateral edge extending from the proximal to the distal end of the first portion, the first and second lateral edges overlapped in a coiled configuration about a longitudinal axis of the medical device, the medical device further comprising a second portion extending from the proximal end of the first portion to the wire, the second portion having a distal and a proximal end, wherein the first portion and the second portion form a self-expandable longitudinal tube with the distal end of the first portion and the proximal end of the second portion being substantially open;

releasing the compressed medical device from a distal end of catheter to allow the self-expandable longitudinal tube to uncurl into a larger expanded configuration; and

pulling on the wire to compress the self-expandable longitudinal tube from the larger expanded configuration and to retract the self-expandable longitudinal tube into the catheter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cells of the first portion are smaller than the cells of the second portion.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cells of the first portion are smaller, in a latitudinal direction of the medical device, than the cells of the second portion.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and second portions comprises one of:

a plurality of interconnected filaments;

or

a mesh braiding of individual filaments.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the filaments are interconnected to one another by welding.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the wire is detachably coupled to the medical device, and further comprising detaching the wire from the medical device.