Method and apparatus for contracting, loading or crimping self-expanding and balloon expandable stent devices
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorMichael Austin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for manipulating a medical device is formed of at least three coupled movable blades which are disposed about a reference circle to form an aperture whose size may be varied. The aperture capable of being sized to contain a medical device. Each blade is in communication with an actuation device which is capable of moving the blade to alter the size of the aperture. Each blade includes a single radial point which a) lies on the circumference of the reference circle prior to movement of the blade, and b) may be moved only along a radius of the reference circle on movement of the blade.
Claims18
1-26. (canceled)
A stent crimper comprising:
- a plurality of movable dies arranged to form an iris having a longitudinal axis, the iris defining an aperture, the dies disposed about the aperture and
- a rotatable actuation device coupled to the dies, rotation of the actuation device causing the dies to move inward and reduce the size of the aperture or outward so as to increase the size of the aperture;
- each die having a first side and a second side, the first side and the second side converging at a tip;
- the first side having a portion that faces the aperture when the size of the aperture is increased or decreased, the second side substantially in contact with an adjacent die when the size of the aperture is increased or decreased.
A stent crimper comprising:
- a plurality of movable dies arranged to form an iris, the dies disposed about an aperture, the aperture having a longitudinal axis and a substantially regular polygonal shape, each of the dies having an inward facing straight side which faces the longitudinal axis of the aperture, both when the dies move to maximize the aperture and when the dies move to minimize the aperture,
- a rotatable actuation device coupled to the dies, rotation of the actuation device causing the inward facing straight sides of the dies to move inward and reduce the size of the aperture or outward so as to increase the size of the aperture.
The stent crimper of claim 36 wherein a stent is disposed about a medical balloon, the medical balloon disposed about a catheter.
The stent crimper of claim 36 wherein the dies are disposed between two stationary end-walls disposed about the longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis passing through a point substantially centered on the end-walls.
The stent crimper of claim 36 wherein the dies are constructed and arranged such that any radial line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and radiating from the center of the aperture to outside the crimper will encounter at least one of the dies.
The stent crimper of claim 36 wherein an entire stent is disposed in the aperture.
A stent crimper comprising:
- an aperture with a plurality of movable blades disposed thereabout, the aperture being substantially polygonal, the blades coupled to one another so as to be movable inward or outward simultaneously, movement of the blades outward increasing the size of the aperture, movement of the blades inward decreasing the size of the aperture, the aperture remaining substantially regular polygonal when it is sized to receive a stent therein and when sized to crimp the stent therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.