# US 11,026,716 B2 · Medical device shaft resistant to compression and/or tension > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,026,716 B2 - Document ID: US11026716B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/815,682 - Filed: 2017-11-16 - Published: 2018-05-24 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-22 - Assignees: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. - Applicants: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel J. Foster; Kevin Robert Poppe; Bradley S. Swehla; Christopher Jay Scheff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11026716B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/3417: {Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating (syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00)} - A61F 2/2436: {Deployment by retracting a sheath} - A61F 2/962: having an outer sleeve - A61M 25/0043: {characterised by structural features} - A61M 25/0138: {having flexible regions as a result of weakened outer material, e.g. slots, slits, cuts, joints or coils} - A61M 25/0144: {having flexible regions as a result of inner reinforcement means, e.g. struts or rods} - A61B 17/1631: {Special drive shafts, e.g. flexible shafts (A61B17/1642, A61B17/164 take precedence)} - A61B 2017/00526: {Methods of manufacturing} - A61B 2017/0443: {the shaft being resilient and having a coiled or helical shape in the released state} - A61F 2/954: for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation - A61M 25/0136: {Handles therefor} - A61M 39/1011: {Locking means for securing connection; Additional tamper safeties (A61M39/16 takes precedence)} - A61M 2025/0058: {having an electroactive polymer material, e.g. for steering purposes, for control of flexibility, for locking, for opening or closing} - A61M 2025/0059: {having means for preventing the catheter, sheath or lumens from collapsing due to outer forces, e.g. compressing forces, or caused by twisting or kinking} - A61M 2025/0063: {having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - 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) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may be a medical device with increased compression resistance. The medical device may include an elongate shaft having a proximal end region, a distal end region, a lumen extending therethrough, and a tension resistance member extending at least partially between the proximal end region and the distal end region. An exoskeleton may be disposed along an outer surface of the shaft. The exoskeleton may include a plurality of discrete segments engaged with one another. At least one of the segments may be coupled to the tension resistance member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical device with increased compression resistance, comprising: an elongate shaft having a proximal end region, a distal end region, a lumen extending therethrough, and a tension resistance member extending at least partially between the proximal end region and the distal end region of the elongate shaft; an exoskeleton disposed along an outer surface of the elongate shaft, the exoskeleton including a plurality of discrete segments including first segments and second segments alternating with one another and engaged with one another along rounded surfaces forming arcs having a shared center; and wherein at least one of the plurality of discrete segments is coupled to the tension resistance member, wherein the tension resistance member extends within and through a central lumen of at least one discrete segment of the plurality of discrete segments. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the first segments include a barrel member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the second segments include a bead member having a rounded proximal end and a rounded distal end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The medical device of claim 3, wherein the rounded proximal end and the rounded distal end of the bead member define an axis of rotation that is centered on the bead member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete segments are engaged with one another to exert tension on the elongate shaft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the tension resistance member includes a metallic wire. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the elongate shaft is part of a delivery system for delivering an implantable medical device. ### Claim 8 A delivery system, comprising: a compression-resistant inner shaft having a distal end region, a tension resistance member extending at least partially along the compression-resistant inner shaft, an outer surface, and within a central lumen of an exoskeleton disposed along the outer surface; wherein the exoskeleton includes a plurality of bead members alternating with a plurality of barrel members engaged with one another along rounded surfaces forming arcs having a shared center; wherein at least one of the plurality of bead members is attached to the tension resistance member; an implantable medical device coupled to the distal end region; and a sheath slidably disposed about the compression-resistant inner shaft. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The delivery system of claim 8, wherein at least some of the plurality of bead members include a rounded proximal end and a rounded distal end. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The delivery system of claim 9, wherein the rounded proximal end and the rounded distal end of the at least some bead members define an axis of rotation that is centered on the at least some of the plurality of bead members. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The delivery system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of bead members and the plurality of barrel members are engaged with one another to exert tension on the compression-resistant inner shaft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The delivery system of claim 8, wherein the tension resistance member includes a metallic wire. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The delivery system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of bead members and the plurality of barrel members alternate along the compression-resistant inner shaft. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The delivery system of claim 8, wherein the compression-resistant inner shaft includes a pair of tension resistance members disposed along opposite sides of the compression-resistant inner shaft. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The delivery system of claim 8, wherein the implantable medical device includes a prosthetic heart valve.