Stent having a multiplicity of undulating longitudinals
AssigneeCordis Corporation
InventorsRobert E. Fischell, David R. Fischell, Tim A. Fischell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stent which is adapted for placement in the vessels of a human body is provided. The stent may be in the form of a thin-walled metal cylinder having a longitudinal axis. The stent has a proximal end and a distal end and includes a number of circumferentially relatively rigid portions. The relatively rigid portions are joined to each other by one or mor longitudinals which extend in a substantially longitudinal direction. At least a portion of at least one of the longitudinals has an undulating shape where a first relatively rigid portion is located at the proximal end of the stent and a second relatively rigid portion is located at the distal end of the stent.
Claims20
A post-deployment stent structure for maintaining patency of a vessel of a human body comprising:
- a multiplicity of closed, generally circular rings, the plane of each ring being generally parallel to the plane of each adjacent ring, the rings having a common longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the plane of each ring and which longitudinal axis passes through the geometric center of each ring;
- and
- a multiplicity of elongated wire structures forming longitudinals which longitudinals are fixedly attached to the rings so as to be generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rings.
The stent of claim 2 wherein the rings have a multiplicity of cutouts for the placement therethrough of the longitudinals.
An initial structure that is capable of being formed into a pre-deployment stent structure which in turn is capable of being deployed into a post-deployment stent structure for placement within a vessel of the human body, the initial structure comprising:
- a multiplicity of flat ovals, the plane of each oval being generally parallel to the plane of all other ovals, the ovals having a common longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the plane of each oval and which longitudinal axis passes through the geometric center of the ovals;
- and
- a multiplicity of longitudinals which are fixedly attached to the ovals, the longitudinals being positioned onto the ovals so as to be generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ovals.
A generally cylindrical pre-deployment stent structure which is capable of being deployed into a post-deployment stent structure for placement within a vessel of the human body, the pre-deployment structure being formed from an initial structure which consists of a multiplicity of flat ovals, the plane of each oval being generally parallel to the plane of all other ovals, the ovals also having a minor axis and a major axis and a minor axis dimension and a major axis dimension;
- the ovals having a common longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the plane of each oval and which longitudinal axis passes through the geometric center of the ovals;
- and a multiplicity of longitudinals which are fixedly attached to the ovals, the longitudinals being positioned onto the ovals so as to be generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ovals;
- the pre-deployment stent structure being formed by folding the ovals around a distal portion of a stent delivery catheter, the pre-deployment stent structure being adapted to form a post-deployment stent structure having a multiplicity of generally circular rings that are formed from the ovals, the circular rings being joined together by the longitudinals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.