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US 6,475,233 B2Granted
Stent having tapered struts
AssigneeInterventional Technologies, Inc.
InventorThomas Trozera
Life of this patent
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AssigneeInterventional Technologies, Inc.
InventorThomas Trozera
Estimating the term…
The present invention is directed to an expandable stent which is relatively flexible along its longitudinal axis to facilitate delivery through tortuous body lumens, but which is stiff and stable enough radially in an expanded condition to maintain the patency of a body lumen such as an artery when implanted therein. The struts of the present invention have a specific trapezoidal, triangular or a reduced radii configuration projecting radially outward that functions to reduce the forces necessary to penetrate the vessel wall thereby minimizing trauma or damage imparted to the wall during deployment. In addition, this design feature of the present invention helps secure the expanded stent so that it does not move once it is implanted and furthermore, minimizes projections into the blood stream. The invention generally includes a plurality of radially expandable loop elements which are relatively independent in their ability to expand and to flex relative to one another. The individual radially expandable elements of the stent are dimensioned to minimize the strut from twisting or rotating during expansion. Interconnecting elements or a backbone extends between the adjacent loop elements to provide increased stability and a preferable position for each loop to prevent warping of the stent upon the expansion thereof. The resulting stent structure is a series of radially expandable loop elements which are spaced longitudinally close enough so that the obstruction, vessel wall and any small dissections located at the treatment site of a body lumen may be dilated or pressed back into position against the lumenal wall. The manufacturing process of the present invention utilizes optimized stress-strain curve characteristics to achieve, unlike other non-wire stent designs, improved mechanical properties throughout the stent. The optimized stress-strain curve of the materail increases both the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength of the expanded stent, increasing its resistance to structural failure (fracture) or stent crushing.
A stent having a flowpath therethrough for implanting in a vessel comprising:
A stent for implanting in a vessel the stent having an inner surface and an outer surface, the stent having a flowpath therethough, the stent comprising:
A stent having an outer surface for supporting a vessel wall, said stent defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:
A stent to support a vessel wall, said stent defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:
A stent for implantation in a vessel of a living body formed by a wall having a lumen therein comprising a cylindrical wall having a circumference and defining a flow passage extending therethrough, said cylindrical wall having inner and outer surfaces and being perforate, said cylindrical wall being comprised of a plurality of spaced apart circumferential elements extending around the circumference and having a plurality spaced apart convolutions therein and at least one longitudinally extending element interconnecting said circumferential elements to provide a unitary cylindrical wall, at least certain of said elements of being formed with substantially trapezodial cross sections with inner cross sectional surfaces having first widths, said inner cross sectional surfaces being substantially flat and forming at least a part of the inner surface of the cylindrical wall and outer cross sectional surfaces having second widths, said outer cross sectional surfaces forming at least part of the outer surfaces of the cylindrical wall, said outer cross sectional surfaces having second widths which are substantially less than the first widths of the inner cross sectional surfaces, said at least certain of said elements having first and second substantially planar inclined surfaces disposed between the inner cross sectional surfaces and the outer cross sectional surfaces,
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.