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US 8,282,680 B2Granted
Multiple independent nested stent structures and methods for their preparation and deployment
AssigneeJ. W. Medical Systems Ltd.
InventorsStephen Kao, Bernard Andreas, Hanson S. Gifford, III, Mark E. Deem, David W. Snow, Jeffry J. Grainger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Blood vessels and other body lumens are stented using stent structures comprising a plurality of radially expansible rings where at least some of the rings comprise axially extending elements which interleave with axially extending elements on adjacent unconnected rings. The ring structures may be open cell structures or closed cell structures, and the axially extending elements will typically be formed as part of the open cell or closed cell structure.
Claims66
A stent structure comprising:
- a plurality of radially expansible closed cell rings arranged along an axial line, each of the rings having an unexpanded crimped configuration suitable for mounting on a delivery catheter for delivery into a blood vessel and an expanded configuration in which an expanded ring engages a wall of the vessel, wherein at least some of the axially adjacent rings are separable from an adjacent ring and wherein at least some of the axially separable rings comprise axially extending closed cell structures which, when the radially expansible closed cell rings are in the unexpanded crimped configuration, interleave with axially extending closed cell structures on an adjacent separable ring, without interlocking with the adjacent separable ring, none of the axially extending closed cell structures constraining axial separation of the adjacent rings in the unexpanded crimped configuration, and wherein the axially extending closed cell structures widen as the rings are expanded and wherein at least some of the axially separable rings further comprise spacers which engage the axially extending closed cell structures on adjacent rings to provide a preselected spacing between adjacent rings upon radial expansion, wherein the spacer comprises an axially extending strut having an axial extension length, the axially extending strut disposed between two adjacent axially extending closed cell structures on the same ring, the two adjacent axially extending closed cell structures having an axial length greater than the axial extension length of the strut.
A stent deployment system comprising:
- an elongated carrier having a central axis;
- a plurality of radially expansible closed cell rings expandable into an expanded configuration in which an expanded ring engages a blood vessel wall, the rings arranged over a surface of the elongated carrier in an unexpanded crimped configuration suitable for delivery into the blood vessel, wherein at least some of the radially expansible closed cell rings are separable from an adjacent ring and comprise axially extending closed cell structures which, when the rings are in the unexpanded crimped configuration, interleave with axially extending closed cell structures on an adjacent unconnected ring without interlocking with the adjacent radially expansible ring, none of the axially extending closed cell structures constraining axial separation of the adjacent rings in the unexpanded crimped configuration, and wherein the axially extending closed cell structures widen as the rings are expanded and wherein at least some of the axially separable rings further comprise spacers which engage the axially extending closed cell structures on adjacent rings to provide a preselected spacing between adjacent rings upon radial expansion, wherein the spacer comprises an axially extending strut having an axial extension length, the axially extending strut disposed between two adjacent axially extending closed cell structures on the same ring, the two adjacent axially extending closed cell structures having an axial length greater than the axial extension length of the strut.
A stent structure comprising:
- a plurality of radially expansible closed cell rings arranged along an axial line and uncovered by material extending between adjacent rings, each of the rings having an unexpanded crimped configuration suitable for mounting on a delivery catheter for delivery into a blood vessel and an expanded configuration in which an expanded ring engages a wall of the vessel, wherein at least some of the axially adjacent rings are separable from an adjacent ring and wherein at least some of the axially separable rings comprise axially extending closed cell structures which, when the radially expansible closed cell rings are in the unexpanded crimped configuration, interleave with axially extending closed cell structures on an adjacent separable ring without interlocking with the adjacent separable ring, none of the axially extending closed cell structures constraining axial separation of the adjacent rings in the unexpanded crimped configuration, thereby allowing each of the separable rings to be expanded without expanding an adjacent unconnected ring and wherein at least some of the axially separable rings further comprise spacers which engage the axially extending closed cell structures on adjacent rings to provide a preselected spacing between adjacent rings upon radial expansion, wherein the spacer comprises an axially extending strut having an axial extension length, the axially extending strut disposed between two adjacent axially extending closed cell structures on the same ring, the two adjacent axially extending closed cell structures having an axial length greater than the axial extension length of the strut.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.