Implantable stent having variable diameter
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorLeo J. G. Kretzers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stent which minimizes or solves the problem of restenosis. The present stent is designed so as to have a cyclical change in diameter, the change in diameter corresponding to the changes in blood pressure caused by the cardiac cycle. The present stent is constructed through several structural members, each structural member interlocking in a fashion which permits the stent diameter to be altered from a first, diastolic diameter to a second, systolic diameter. This variable diameter is provided through a series of joints between the interlocking structural members. The joints may be provided in any acceptable manner, including an interlocking dog bone configuration, an interlocking elastic coupling, mating struts, as well as interlocking guides.
Claims35
A stent comprising
- a first structural member;
- a second structural member;
- and
- joint means linking the first and second members together, the joint means for reversibly permitting the stent to expand from a first diameter to a second diameter and thereafter back to the first diameter.
A stent and delivery balloon system comprising
- a delivery balloon mounted upon an angioplasty catheter;
- a stent, the stent comprising
- a curved first structural member mounted upon the delivery balloon;
- a curved second structural member mounted upon the delivery balloon;
- and
- joint means linking the first and second members together, the joint means for reversibly permitting the stent to expand from a first diameter to a second diameter and thereafter back to the first diameter, the joint means mounted upon the delivery balloon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.