Stent thermoforming apparatus and methods
AssigneeInspiremd, Ltd.
InventorsEli BAR, Nimrod MELLER, Dror HAZAN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical stent mold includes a tube having an interior passage sized and dimensioned to receive a stent assembly disposed at least partially about a central portion of a stent balloon. The medical stent mold may also include a housing forming a chamber through which the tube extends. The tube may include a thermally conductive material and may have a body portion that extends within the chamber and an end portion that is proximate the body portion and that extends away from the housing. Forced convection may be used to quickly heat and cool the tube. Methods of increasing retention of an expandable stent assembly on a stent balloon and of detecting a leak in a stent balloon are also included.
Claims18
A stent assembly mold, comprising:
- a tube having an interior passage sized and dimensioned to receive a stent assembly disposed at least partially about a central portion of a stent balloon;
- and
- a housing forming a chamber through which the tube extends;
- wherein the tube comprises a thermally conductive material;
- and
- wherein the tube has a body portion that extends within the chamber and an end portion that is proximate the body portion and that extends away from the housing, wherein a diameter of the end portion of the tube is greater than a diameter of the body portion of the tube.
(canceled)
A stent-assembly apparatus which comprises:
- a stent-assembly mold comprising a first tube including a heat-conductive material and having a seamless inner surface forming a passage;
- a heating unit disposed in proximity and fluidically connected to an outer surface of the mold;
- a housing forming a chamber through which the mold and a second tube extend;
- and
- a temperature sensor disposed within a passage formed within the second tube;
- wherein the heating unit forces a fluid into the chamber to heat the mold and the second tube.
10-11. (canceled)
15-27. (canceled)
A thermoformed, unpressurized, stent-balloon assembly comprising:
- a longitudinally extending stent having a first end and an opposing second end, the longitudinally extending stent forming an interior passage between the first end having a first radially extending surface and the second end having a second radially extending surface;
- and
- a thermoformed stent balloon at least partially disposed in the interior passage of the stent and affixed to the stent;
- wherein a first portion of the stent balloon is in contact with the first end of the stent and the first radially extending surface, and a second portion of the stent balloon is in contact with the second end of the stent and the second radially extending surface, so as to prevent premature separation of the stent from the stent balloon under ambient temperature and pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.