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US 7,008,446 B1Granted
Thermally pliable and carbon fiber stents
OwnerJames Peter Amis, Hoi Sang Uinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A prosthesis for insertion into a body passage is disclosed. The prosthesis includes a plastic or polymer base material which is compatible with living tissue and which possesses a memory of a predetermined configuration. The base material further has a glass transition temperature at which the prosthesis can be molded intravascularly from the predetermined configuration to a larger-radius implant configuration, which is sized and shaped to conform to an internal anatomy of the body passage to expand a narrow segment of or to occlude an opening of an out pouch of the body passage. The glass transition temperature is greater than a temperature of the body passage so that the prosthesis after being molded can be allowed to cool to the temperature of the body passage.
Claims58
A method of inserting a prosthesis into a body passage, comprising:
- providing a prosthesis in the form of a tubular body defined by a plurality of interwoven thread elements, the prosthesis possessing a memory of a predetermined configuration and having a glass transition temperature;
- inserting the prosthesis into a body passage;
- heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature;
- molding the prosthesis, while maintaining the prosthesis at or above the glass transition temperature, from the predetermined configuration to a larger-radius implant configuration, which is sized and shaped to conform to an internal anatomy of the body passage to expand a narrow segment of or to occlude an opening of an out pouch of the body passage;
- allowing the molded prosthesis to cool to a temperature of the body passage;
- and
- after the prosthesis has cooled to a temperature of the body passage, re-heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature.
4 more elements
A method of inserting a prosthesis into a body passage, comprising:
- providing a prosthesis in the form of a tubular body defined by a plurality of interwoven thread elements, the prosthesis possessing a memory of a predetermined configuration and having a glass transition temperature;
- inserting the prosthesis into a body passage;
- heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature;
- applying an outwardly-expanding force to mold the prosthesis, while maintaining the prosthesis at or above the glass transition temperature, from the predetermined configuration to a larger-radius implant configuration, which is sized and shaped to conform to an internal anatomy of the body passage to expand a narrow segment of or to occlude an opening of an out pouch of the body passage;
- allowing the molded prosthesis to cool to a temperature of the body passage;
- and
- re-heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature, whereby the prosthesis is allowed to move back to the predetermined configuration under its own memory.
4 more elements
A method of inserting a prosthesis into a body passage, comprising:
- providing a prosthesis in the form of a tubular body defined by a plurality of interwoven thread elements, the prosthesis possessing a memory of a predetermined configuration and having a glass transition temperature;
- inserting the prosthesis into a body passage;
- heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature;
- molding the prosthesis, while maintaining the prosthesis at or above the glass transition temperature, from the predetermined configuration to a larger-radius implant configuration, which is sized and shaped to conform to an internal anatomy of the body passage, the molding of the prosthesis to the larger-radius implant configuration expanding a narrow segment of the body passage;
- allowing the molded prosthesis to cool to a temperature of the body passage;
- and
- reheating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature.
4 more elements
A method of inserting a prosthesis into a body passage, comprising:
- providing a prosthesis in the form of a tabular body including a carbon fiber and defined by a plurality of interwoven thread elements, the prosthesis possessing a memory of a predetermined configuration and having a glass transition temperature;
- inserting the prosthesis into a body passage;
- heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature;
- molding the prosthesis, while maintaining the prosthesis at or above the glass transition temperature, from the predetermined configuration to a larger-radius implant configuration, which is sized and shaped to conform to an internal anatomy of the body passage, the molding of the prosthesis to the larger-radius implant configuration expanding a narrow segment of the body passage;
- and
- allowing the molded prosthesis to cool to a temperature of the body passage.
3 more elements
A method of inserting a prosthesis into a body passage, comprising;
- providing a prosthesis in the form of a tubular body defined by a plurality of interwoven thread elements, the prosthesis possessing a memory of a predetermined configuration and having a glass transition temperature;
- inserting the prosthesis into a body passage;
- heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature;
- applying an outwardly-expanding force to mold the prosthesis, while maintaining the prosthesis at or above the glass transition temperature, from the predetermined configuration to a larger-radius implant configuration, which is sized and shaped to conform to an internal anatomy of the body passage to expand a narrow segment of or to occlude an opening of an out pouch of the body passage;
- and
- allowing the molded prosthesis to cool to a temperature of the body passage, wherein after the prosthesis has cooled to a temperature of the body passage the method further comprises re-heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature.
3 more elements
A method of inserting a prosthesis into a body passage, comprising:
- providing a prosthesis in the form of a tubular body comprising a carbon fiber and being defined by a plurality of interwoven thread elements, the prosthesis possessing a memory of a predetermined configuration and having a glass transition temperature;
- inserting the prosthesis into a body passage;
- heating the prosthesis to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature;
- applying an outwardly-expanding force to mold the prosthesis, while maintaining the prosthesis at or above the glass transition temperature, from the predetermined configuration to a larger-radius implant configuration, which is sized and shaped to conform to an internal anatomy of the body passage to expand a narrow segment of or to occlude an opening of an out pouch of the body passage;
- and
- allowing the molded prosthesis to cool to a temperature of the body passage.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.