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US 10,307,277 B2Granted
Method of uniform crimping and expansion of medical devices
AssigneeAbbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
InventorYunbing Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical device-includes a scaffold crimped to a catheter having an expansion balloon. The scaffold is crimped to the balloon by a process that includes one or more balloon pressurization steps. The balloon pressurization steps are selected to enhance scaffold retention to the balloon, maintain a relatively uniform arrangement of balloon folds about the inner surface of the crimped scaffold so that the scaffold expands in a uniform manner when the balloon is inflated, and to avoid any possible over-stretching of balloon material.
Claims19
A method, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first balloon and a second balloon, wherein a nominal inflation diameter of the first balloon is greater than a nominal inflation diameter of the second balloon;
- and
- crimping a stent or scaffold to the second balloon, the stent or scaffold having an outer diameter, wherein prior to the crimping the outer diameter is equal to a pre-crimp diameter, wherein the crimping to the second balloon comprises the following steps:
- performing a first crimping of the stent or scaffold while the stent or scaffold is supported by the first balloon, the first crimping including reducing the outer diameter from the pre-crimp diameter to a first diameter,
- replacing the first balloon with the second balloon,
- inflating the second balloon, and
- after the first crimping, performing a second crimping wherein the stent or scaffold is crimped to the second balloon, the second crimping comprising:
- while the second balloon is inflated, performing crimping steps (a), (b), (c) and (d):
- (a) reducing the outer diameter to a second diameter,
- (b) maintaining the second diameter for a first dwell period,
- (c) reducing the outer diameter to a third diameter that is less than the second diameter, and
- (d) maintaining the third diameter for a second dwell period.
9 more elements
A method comprising the steps of:
- crimping a stent or scaffold to a balloon of a balloon catheter, the stent or scaffold having an outer diameter, wherein prior to the crimping the outer diameter is equal to a pre-crimp diameter of the stent or scaffold, the crimping comprising the following steps:
- performing a first crimping to reduce the outer diameter from the pre-crimp diameter to a first diameter while supporting the stent or scaffold on an inflated first balloon having a nominal inflation diameter greater than a nominal inflation diameter of the catheter balloon;
- replacing the first balloon with the catheter balloon;
- inflating the catheter balloon;
- and
- performing a second crimping of the stent or scaffold to the catheter balloon, comprising:
- while the catheter balloon is inflated and supporting the stent or scaffold, performing steps (a), (b), (c) and (d):
- (a) reducing the outer diameter to a second diameter,
- (b) maintaining the second diameter for a first dwell period,
- (c) reducing the outer diameter to a third diameter that is less than the second diameter, and
- (d) maintaining the third diameter for a second dwell period.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.