Balloon-stent interaction to help reduce foreshortening
AssigneeCordis Corporation
InventorDavid C. Majercak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention envisions an improved flexible connecting link used in conjunction with in-phase and half-phase circumferential sets of strut members. By increasing the total length and diagonality of the undulating connecting links, the present invention is a stent that provides increased flexibility during delivery and enhanced conformability to the shape of a curved artery when the stent is deployed into a curved vessel such as a tortuous coronary artery.
Claims3
A combination of a balloon and stent:
- the stent having a series of struts and a preferential direction of foreshortening due an offset of struts along the longitudinal length of the stent, and the balloon having a twist applied to its closed state in the opposite direction of the stent, so that upon expansion of said balloon, the stent will minimally foreshorten.
A balloon catheter having a balloon with pleats, said pleats closed on said balloon prior to expansion of said balloon, and said pleats rotationally twisted so as to open in a preferential twisting direction.
A balloon stent combination, wherein said stent and said balloon interact with one another so that upon said balloon opening, said stent will open without foreshortening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.