# US 8,782,873 B2 · Loading apparatus and method for expandable intraluminal medical devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,782,873 B2 - Document ID: US8782873B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/453,170 - Filed: 2012-04-23 - Published: 2012-08-09 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2008-04-09 - Assignees: Cook Medical Technologies LLC - Applicants: Arman Valaie - Inventors: Arman Valaie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8782873B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/95: Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts - A61F 2/9522: {Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument} - Y10T 29/49913: by constricting outer annulus - Y10T 29/49925: Inward deformation of aperture or hollow body wall - Y10T 29/53909: Means comprising hand manipulatable tool - Y10T 29/53917: Tube with tube - Y10T 29/53987: Tube, sleeve or ferrule - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Methods of loading an expandable intraluminal medical device into a delivery device adapted for delivery of the expandable intraluminal medical device to a point of treatment in a body vessel are described. The expandable intraluminal medical device can be compressed and forced out of a loading apparatus—and into a delivery device—by applying one or both of a rotational force and a substantially translational force to an end of the loading apparatus. Related kits and apparatuses are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of loading an expandable intraluminal medical device into a delivery device adapted for delivery of said expandable intraluminal medical device to a point of treatment in a body vessel, said method comprising the step of: applying a substantially translational force to an end of a loading apparatus, the loading apparatus comprising a flexible main body having inner and outer surfaces, first and second opposing edges, and first and second ends, the main body having a helical configuration in which the main body is coiled upon itself such that each of the first and second opposing edges defines a helical path, a substantial portion of the inner surface is disposed adjacent to and in contact with the outer surface, and the helical path defined by one of the first and second opposing edges is free of contact with the inner surface, the helical configuration having a length and defining an interior chamber within which said expandable intraluminal medical device is disposed; wherein the step of applying a substantially translational force causes the length of the helical configuration to be reduced and results in advancement of said expandable intraluminal medical device along a lengthwise axis of the loading apparatus toward a device chamber of said delivery device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a rotational force to an end of the loading apparatus; wherein the step of applying a rotational force results in compression of an outer diameter of the helical configuration of the main body and of an outer diameter of said expandable intraluminal medical device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the steps of applying a rotational force to an end of the loading apparatus and applying a substantially translational force to an end of the loading apparatus is repeated at least once. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent with a biologically-active coating. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent with an attached graft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the graft comprises a graft of biological origin. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the graft comprises tissue. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the graft comprises tissue-derived material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a prosthetic valve device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the prosthetic valve device comprises a prosthetic heart valve. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the prosthetic valve device comprises a prosthetic venous valve. ### Claim 13 A method of loading an expandable intraluminal medical device into a delivery device adapted for delivery of said expandable intraluminal medical device to a point of treatment in a body vessel, said method comprising the steps of: applying a rotational force to an end of a loading apparatus, the loading apparatus comprising a flexible main body having inner and outer surfaces, first and second opposing edges, and first and second ends, the main body having a helical configuration in which the main body is coiled upon itself such that each of the first and second opposing edges defines a helical path, a substantial portion of the inner surface is disposed adjacent to and in contact with the outer surface, and the helical path defined by one of the first and second opposing edges is free of contact with the inner surface, the helical configuration having a length and defining an interior chamber within which said expandable intraluminal medical device is disposed; and applying a substantially translational force to an end of the loading apparatus; wherein the step of applying a rotational force results in compression of an outer diameter of the helical configuration of the main body and of an outer diameter of said expandable intraluminal medical device; wherein the step of applying a substantially translational force causes the length of the helical configuration to be reduced and results in advancement of said expandable intraluminal medical device along a lengthwise axis of the loading apparatus toward a device chamber of said delivery device; and wherein the steps of applying a rotational force to an end of the loading apparatus and applying a substantially translational force to an end of the loading apparatus are conducted sequentially. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent with a biologically-active coating. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent with an attached graft. ### Claim 17 A method of loading an expandable intraluminal medical device into a delivery device adapted for delivery of said expandable intraluminal medical device to a point of treatment in a body vessel, said method comprising the steps of: applying a rotational force to an end of a loading apparatus, the loading apparatus comprising a flexible main body having inner and outer surfaces, first and second opposing edges, and first and second ends, the main body having a helical configuration in which the main body is coiled upon itself such that each of the first and second opposing edges defines a helical path, a substantial portion of the inner surface is disposed adjacent to and in contact with the outer surface, and the helical path defined by one of the first and second opposing edges is free of contact with the inner surface, the helical configuration having a length and defining an interior chamber within which said expandable intraluminal medical device is disposed; and applying a substantially translational force to an end of the loading apparatus; wherein the step of applying a rotational force results in compression of an outer diameter of the helical configuration of the main body and of an outer diameter of said expandable intraluminal medical device; wherein the step of applying a substantially translational force causes the length of the helical configuration to be reduced and results in advancement of said expandable intraluminal medical device along a lengthwise axis of the loading apparatus toward a device chamber of said delivery device; and wherein the steps of applying a rotational force to an end of the loading apparatus and applying a substantially translational force to an end of the loading apparatus are conducted simultaneously. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent with a biologically-active coating. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said expandable intraluminal medical device comprises a stent with an attached graft.