Methods of using a self-adjusting stent assembly and kits including same

A stent assembly, comprising:

• an expansible stent;
• and
• a knitted stent jacket, which controls a local pressure exerted by the expansible stent on a body lumen wall in which the stent assembly is implanted so that the stent assembly is configured to expand upon deployment in any body lumen having a diameter in a range of expanded diameters between 5.5 millimeters and 9 millimeters from an initial crimped diameter to an extent such that the stent assembly applies a chronic radial force to a wall of the body lumen,
• wherein when the stent assembly is expanded to a diameter of 5.5 millimeters, the stent assembly applies a radial force acceptable as not unduly stressing walls of the lumen, of less than about 0.33 N/mm,
• wherein the knitted stent jacket comprises an expansible mesh structure formed from fibers having a diameter between about 7 micrometers and about 40 micrometers, and
• wherein the expansible mesh structure comprises a retracted state that is associated with the initial crimped diameter and a deployed state that is associated with an expanded diameter, wherein the expansible mesh structure defines apertures having a minimum center dimension greater than about 100 micrometers and no more than about 300 micrometers when the expansible mesh structure is in the deployed state, wherein the expansible mesh structure has a thickness of greater than about 12.5 micrometers to no more than about 100 micrometers.

A method of using a stent assembly adapted to stent a range of body lumen sizes, which comprises:

• providing stenting instructions, which comprise instructions to:
• estimate body lumen diameter(s) associated with a portion of a body lumen in which the stent assembly will be placed;
• determine, based on the estimated body lumen diameter(s), target expanded stent diameter(s) of the stent assembly;
• select the stent assembly for stenting the portion of the body lumen based on the target expanded stent diameter(s);
• and
• implant the stent assembly in the portion of the body lumen;
• and
• providing the selected stent assembly in association with the stenting instructions;
• wherein the stent assembly is configured to expand upon deployment, in any body lumen having a diameter in a range of expanded diameters between 5.5 millimeters and 9 millimeters, from an initial diameter to an extent such that the stent assembly applies a chronic radial force to a wall of the body lumen, wherein when the stent assembly is expanded to a diameter of 5.5 millimeters, the stent assembly applies a radial force acceptable as not unduly stressing walls of the lumen, of less than about 0.33 N/mm,
• wherein the stent assembly comprises:
• a knitted stent jacket, comprising an expansible mesh structure formed from fibers having a diameter between about 7 micrometers and about 40 micrometers;
• and
• an expansible stent, operatively associated with the knitted stent jacket;
• wherein the expansible mesh structure comprises a retracted state that is associated with the initial diameter and a deployed state that is associated with an expanded diameter, wherein the expansible mesh structure defines apertures having a minimum center dimension greater than about 100 micrometers and no more than about 300 micrometers when the expansible mesh structure is in the deployed state, wherein the expansible mesh structure has a thickness of greater than about 12.5 micrometers to no more than about 100 micrometers.

A method of stenting, which comprises:

• estimating a base reference diameter(s) associated with a portion of a body lumen in which a stent assembly will be placed;
• determining, based on the estimated base reference diameter(s), target expanded stent diameter(s) of the stent assembly which is to be placed in the portion of the body lumen;
• selecting the stent assembly for stenting the portion of the body lumen, wherein the stent assembly is configured to:
• expand upon deployment from an initial diameter to any body lumen diameter within a range from about 5.5 mm to about 9 mm;
• and
• apply a chronic radial force to a wall that forms the portion of the body lumen in which the stent assembly will be placed, wherein the chronic radial force is less than about 0.33 N/mm;
• and
• implanting the stent assembly in the portion of the body lumen,
• wherein the stent assembly comprises:
• a knitted stent jacket, comprising an expansible mesh structure formed from fibers having a diameter of about 7 micrometers to about 40 micrometers;
• and an expansible stent, operatively associated with the knitted stent jacket;
• wherein the expansible mesh structure comprises a retracted state that is associated with the initial diameter and a deployed state that is associated with the expanded diameter(s), wherein the expansible mesh structure defines apertures having a minimum center dimension of at least about 100 micrometers to no more than about 300 micrometers when the expansible mesh structure is in the deployed state, wherein the expansible mesh structure has a thickness of at least about 12.5 micrometers to no more than about 100 micrometers.

A method of stenting a plurality of body lumens, which comprises:

• positioning a first stent assembly in a retracted state within a first body lumen;
• expanding the first stent assembly to place the first stent assembly in a deployed state within the first body lumen;
• wherein, when the first stent assembly is in the deployed state, the first stent assembly has a first expanded diameter and applies a first radial force to a first wall that forms the first body lumen;
• positioning a second stent assembly in a retracted state within a second body lumen that is different from the first body lumen;
• and
• expanding the second stent assembly to place the second stent in a deployed state within the second body lumen;
• wherein, when the second stent assembly is in the deployed state, the second stent assembly has a second expanded diameter and applies a second radial force to a second wall that forms the second body lumen;
• wherein the first and second stent assemblies are at least substantially identical prior to deployment, and the second expanded diameter is greater than the first expanded diameter;
• wherein the second expanded diameter is between about 220% to about 110% of the first expanded diameter;
• wherein the second radial force is greater than about 50% of the first radial force;
• and
• wherein both the first and second stent assemblies are configured to expand, from an initial diameter in any body lumen having a diameter in a range of expanded diameters between 5.5 millimeters and 9 millimeters, wherein when the first stent assembly is expanded to a diameter of 5.5 millimeters, the first stent assembly applies a radial force acceptable as not unduly stressing walls of the first body lumen, of less than about 0.33 N/mm,
• wherein each of the first and second stent assemblies comprises:
• a knitted stent jacket, comprising an expansible mesh structure formed from fibers having a diameter of about 7 micrometers to about 40 micrometers;
• and
• an expansible stent, operatively associated with the knitted stent jacket;
• wherein the expansible mesh structure defines apertures having a minimum center dimension of at least about 100 micrometers to no more than about 300 micrometers when the stent assembly is in the deployed state,
• wherein the expansible mesh structure has a thickness of at least about 12.5 micrometers to no more than about 100 micrometers.