# US 12,376,955 B2 · Endoprosthesis with stress reducing features

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- Number: US 12,376,955 B2
- Document ID: US12376955B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/697,551
- Filed: 2022-03-17
- Published: 2022-09-29
- Granted: 2025-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-23
- Assignees: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
- Applicants: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
- Inventors: Martin Burke; Daniel Tuck; Molly Solomon; Robert Sears
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12376955B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/04: Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts (A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95)
- A61F 2/07: Stent-grafts
- A61F 2/90: characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
- A61F 2002/043: {Bronchi}
- A61F 2002/046: {Tracheae}
- A61F 2210/0014: using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
- A61F 2250/001: for adjusting a diameter
- A61F 2250/0073: Force-limiting means
- 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

An endoprosthesis configured to shift between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration may include a tubular scaffold formed from a single filament knitted about a central longitudinal axis and defining a length from a proximal end to a distal end, the tubular scaffold including a plurality of rows of loops and a plurality of rows of rungs arranged around the central longitudinal axis in an alternating fashion; and a polymeric covering extending along the tubular scaffold. Each row of loops and each row of rungs extends longitudinally along the tubular scaffold between the proximal end and the distal end. The tubular scaffold includes a first cutout region extending along a majority of the length of the tubular scaffold and a second cutout region extending along a majority of the length of the tubular scaffold. The polymeric covering is uninterrupted along the first cutout region and the second cutout region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An endoprosthesis configured to shift between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the endoprosthesis comprising:
a tubular scaffold formed from a single filament knitted about a central longitudinal axis and defining a length from a proximal end to a distal end, the tubular scaffold including a plurality of rows of loops and a plurality of rows of rungs arranged around the central longitudinal axis in an alternating fashion; and
a polymeric covering extending along the tubular scaffold;
wherein each row of loops extends longitudinally along the tubular scaffold between the proximal end and the distal end;
wherein each row of rungs extends longitudinally along the tubular scaffold between the proximal end and the distal end;
wherein the tubular scaffold includes:
a first cutout region extending along a majority of the length of the tubular scaffold and defining a first proximal end oriented toward the proximal end of the tubular scaffold and a first distal end oriented toward the distal end of the tubular scaffold; and
a second cutout region extending along a majority of the length of the tubular scaffold and defining a second proximal end oriented toward the proximal end of the tubular scaffold and a second distal end oriented toward the distal end of the tubular scaffold;
wherein the polymeric covering is uninterrupted along the first cutout region and the second cutout region; and
wherein the first cutout region is formed by removing a medial portion of a first row of loops and medial portions of rows of rungs immediately adjacent to the first row of loops along the majority of the length of the tubular scaffold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein forming the first cutout region causes the single filament to be discontinuous within the first cutout region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The endoprosthesis of claim 2, wherein the discontinuous single filament comprises a first plurality of terminal ends extending along the first cutout region.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the second cutout region is formed by removing a medial portion of a second row of loops and medial portions of rows of rungs immediately adjacent to the second row of loops along the majority of the length of the tubular scaffold.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The endoprosthesis of claim 4, wherein forming the second cutout region causes the single filament to be discontinuous within the second cutout region.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The endoprosthesis of claim 5, wherein the discontinuous single filament comprises a second plurality of terminal ends extending along the second cutout region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the second cutout region is circumferentially spaced apart from the first cutout region.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the first proximal end and the second proximal end are disposed distal of the proximal end of the tubular scaffold;
wherein the first distal end and the second distal end are disposed proximal of the distal end of the tubular scaffold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the first cutout region extends along at least 60% of the length of the tubular scaffold.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the first cutout region extends along at least 75% of the length of the tubular scaffold.

### Claim 11

An endoprosthesis configured to shift between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the endoprosthesis comprising:
a tubular scaffold formed from a single filament knitted about a central longitudinal axis and defining a length from a proximal end to a distal end, the tubular scaffold including a plurality of rows of loops and a plurality of rows of rungs arranged around the central longitudinal axis in an alternating fashion; and
a polymeric covering extending along the tubular scaffold;
wherein each row of loops extends longitudinally along the tubular scaffold between the proximal end and the distal end;
wherein each row of rungs extends longitudinally along the tubular scaffold between the proximal end and the distal end;
wherein a first row of loops of the plurality of rows of loops is discontinuous along a medial region of the tubular scaffold and rows of rungs on circumferentially opposite sides of the first row of loops are discontinuous along the medial region of the tubular scaffold;
wherein a second row of loops of the plurality of rows of loops circumferentially opposite the first row of loops is discontinuous along the medial region of the tubular scaffold and rows of rungs on opposite sides of the second row of loops are discontinuous along the medial region of the tubular scaffold;
wherein the polymeric covering is continuous along the medial region of the tubular scaffold;
wherein the polymeric covering is formed from silicone;
where the medial region extends along at least 60% of the length of the tubular scaffold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The endoprosthesis of claim 11, wherein within the medial region the single filament comprises a plurality of discontinuous segments.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The endoprosthesis of claim 12, wherein the plurality of discontinuous segments forms a plurality of terminal ends along the medial region, the plurality of terminal ends being embedded within the polymeric covering.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The endoprosthesis of claim 11, wherein the endoprosthesis is self-biased toward the expanded configuration.