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US 12,691,489 B2Granted
Expandable devices
AssigneeThe Foundry, LLC
InventorsHanson S. Gifford, III, Edward Dewitt Gifford, Vrad W. Levering
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Expandable devices are disclosed herein. Several of the embodiments are directed towards an expandable device configured to be expanded within a conduit. The expandable device may comprise a tubular sidewall having first portions and second portions. Radial expansion of the expandable device may cause the first portions to bow outwardly and out of radial alignment with the second portions.
Claims32
An expandable device comprising:
- a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration in which the expandable device is configured to be positioned in a conduit,
- a plurality of spines and a plurality of struts, the spines extending along a longitudinal axis of the expandable device and the struts connecting adjacent spines, wherein:
- the spines include a spine having first and second end portions, each of the first and second end portions branching into a first leg and a second leg,
- the struts include a first strut, a second strut, a third strut, and a fourth strut, the first, second, third, and fourth struts being linear, wherein—
- the first strut having first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion of the first strut is connected to the first end portion of the third strut,
- the second strut having first and second end portions, wherein the second end portion of the second strut is connected to the second end portion of the fourth strut,
- the first leg of the first end portion of the spine is connected to the first strut between the first and second end portions of the first strut,
- the second leg of the first end portion of the spine is connected to the third strut between the first and second end portions of the third strut,
- the first leg of the second end portion of the spine is connected to the second strut between the first and second end portions of the second strut,
- the second leg of the second end portion of the spine is connected to the fourth strut between the first and second end portions of the fourth strut,
- wherein radial expansion of the expandable device decreases a longitudinal distance between the first end portion of the first strut and the second end portion of the second strut, decreases a longitudinal distance between the first end portion of the third strut and the second end portion of the fourth strut, and decreases a longitudinal distance between the first and second end portions of the spine, thereby causing the spine to buckle out of radial alignment with the first, second, third, and fourth struts.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing an expandable device, the expandable device comprising:
- a sidewall formed of a plurality of interconnected structural members including spines and struts, the struts extending between the spines, wherein:
- the spines include a spine having first and second end portions, each of the first and second end portions branching into a first leg and a second leg,
- the struts include a first strut, a second strut, a third strut, and a fourth strut, the first, second, third, and fourth struts being linear, wherein—
- the first strut having first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion of the first strut is connected to the first end portion of the third strut,
- the second strut having first and second end portions, wherein the second end portion of the second strut is connected to the second end portion of the fourth strut,
- the first leg of the first end portion of the spine is connected to the first strut between the first and second end portions of the first strut,
- the second leg of the first end portion of the spine is connected to the third strut between the first and second end portions of the third strut,
- the first leg of the second end portion of the spine is connected to the second strut between the first and second end portions of the second strut, and
- the second leg of the second end portion of the spine is connected to the fourth strut between the first and second end portions of the fourth strut;
- increasing an arc length between circumferentially adjacent spines, thereby decreasing a longitudinal distance between the first end portions of longitudinally adjacent strut and increasing a circumferential distance between the second end portions of the longitudinally adjacent struts, wherein the first end portions of the longitudinally adjacent struts are coupled to a same one of the spines, and wherein the same one of the spines comprises a buckling region between the first end portions of the longitudinally adjacent struts;
- longitudinally compressing the spines by decreasing the longitudinal distance between the first end portions of the longitudinally adjacent struts;
- and
- forcing the buckling regions of the spines to bow out of radial alignment with the struts and other regions of the spines, thereby forming arched protrusions along the sidewall of the expandable device.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.