Mounting stents on stent delivery systems
AssigneeAbbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
InventorJason Van Sciver
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for mounting a stent on a balloon catheter includes two positioning and alignment stations, which are used to prepare a stent and catheter for crimping using the same crimping head. The system is configured for automated assembly of the stent and catheter prior to crimping. A catheter and stent are placed on a computer-controlled carriage that delivers the stent and catheter to the crimper head. Before placing the stent and catheter into the crimper head, an automated alignment system locates the stent between balloon markers.
Claims21
1-21. (canceled)
An apparatus, comprising:
- a stent comprising a polymer having a glass transition temperature;
- a non-stick material;
- a crimping station including a crimper head having jaws;
- and
- a processor for crimping the stent, whereupon receiving a user command, the processor causes the crimping station to
- (a) insert the stent into the crimper head, wherein the non-stick material is disposed between the jaws and the stent;
- (b) heat the stent;
- and
- (c) crimp the stent from a first diameter to a second diameter.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a stent made from a polymer material having a glass transition temperature;
- a balloon catheter;
- a non-stick material;
- a crimping station including a crimper head having jaws;
- and
- a processor for crimping the stent to the balloon catheter, whereupon receiving a user command, the processor causes the crimping station to
- (a) insert the stent and balloon catheter into the crimper head;
- (b) heat the stent;
- (c) crimp the stent from a first diameter to a second diameter;
- (d) hold the crimper jaws at the second diameter for a first dwell period to allow for stress relaxation in the polymer material;
- (e) crimp the stent from the second diameter to a third diameter.
- (f) hold the crimper jaws at the third diameter for a second dwell period to allow for stress relaxation in the polymer material;
- and
- (g) crimp the stent from the third diameter to a fourth diameter.
A crimping method, comprising
- providing a stent made from a polymer material having a glass transition temperature, the stent having an initial diameter;
- crimping the polymer stent to a polymer balloon, including
- (a) placing the stent over the balloon,
- (b) removing a static charge between the stent and the balloon, and
- (c) using a crimping device, crimping the stent from the initial diameter to a first diameter less than the initial diameter while the stent is being heated.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a crimper head having jaws and a non-stick material arranged for being placed between the jaws and a stent received within the crimper head;
- and
- a first station and a second station disposed adjacent the crimper head and configured to receive, respectively, a first stent and a first balloon catheter assembly and a second stent and a second balloon catheter assembly;
- a processor for crimping the first stent to the first balloon catheter and the second stent to the second balloon catheter using the crimper head, whereupon receiving a user command, the processor causes
- (a) the first station to insert the first stent and first balloon catheter into the crimper head and the second station to insert the second stent and second balloon catheter into the crimper head, and
- (b) the crimper head to perform a crimping sequence including the first stent being crimped to the first balloon catheter and the second stent being crimped to the second balloon catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.