# US 10,369,029 B2 · Stent apparatus and treatment methods

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- Number: US 10,369,029 B2
- Document ID: US10369029B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/886,629
- Filed: 2018-02-01
- Published: 2018-07-19
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: Veryan Medical Limited
- Applicants: Veryan Medical Limited
- Inventors: Colin Gerald Caro; Martin G. Burke; Paul Gilson; Kevin B. Heraty; Nicholas Yeo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369029B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/852: Two or more distinct overlapping stents
- 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)
- A61F 2/915: with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
- A61F 2/958: Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
- A61F 2002/068: {Modifying the blood flow model, e.g. by diffuser or deflector}
- A61F 2002/828: {Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure}
- A61F 2210/0014: using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
- A61F 2230/0091: helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

There is disclosed a method of treating hypoxia in tissue of a blood vessel, the method comprising placing a stent in the vessel, the stent having a center line which curves in three dimensions to promote the supply of oxygen from the blood flowing in the lumen of the stented vessel to the vessel wall. There is disclosed a method of treating a subject with diabetic atherosclerosis, the method comprising placing a stent in a blood vessel of the subject, the stent having a center line which curves in three dimensions to promote the supply of oxygen from the blood flowing in the lumen of the stented vessel to the vessel wall.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of treating a subject for whom blood vessel stenting is indicated, comprising:
identifying a treatment site;
determining whether natural vessel geometry at that treatment site will impart right-handed swirl flow or left-handed swirl flow to the blood flow along the vessel; and
selecting for placement at the treatment site a stent having a centre line with three-dimensional curvature;
the selected stent having right-handed curvature if the vessel has been determined to naturally impart right handed swirl flow and the selected stent having left-handed curvature if the vessel has been determined to naturally impart left-handed swirl flow.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the natural vessel geometry at that treatment site will impart right-handed swirl flow or left-handed swirl flow comprises scanning the vessel, optionally using a method selected from: x-ray scanning transverse colour doppler ultrasound, computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, c-arm cone beam CT.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is determined that the treatment site will impart right-handed swirl flow if the vessel is one of: left iliac artery, left iliac vein, left femoropopliteal artery, left femoropopliteal vein, left coronary artery, left anterior descending artery.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is determined that the treatment site will impart left-handed swirl flow if the vessel is one of: right iliac artery, right iliac vein, right femoropopliteal artery, left coronary circumflex, right femoropopliteal vein.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising placing the selected stent in the vessel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the selected stent is placed downstream of a bifurcation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stent when expanded ex vivo has a helical centre line.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stent comprises a shape memory material, optionally nitinol.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stent comprises a plastically deformable material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising expanding the stent in the vessel with the aid of a balloon.