Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Arterial prosthesis – Stent structure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-20
2001-07-17
Milano, Michael J. (Department: 3738)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Arterial prosthesis
Stent structure
C623S001170, C623S001300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261318
ABSTRACT:
Expandable stents are widely used to provide local reinforcement in fluid-carrying vessels within the human body. The stent is essentially a cylindrical member which may be expanded radially to dilate the vessel and to provide support for the wall of the vessel to maintain it in the dilated condition.
In order to insert the stent, it has previously been proposed to place the stent into the vessel on an expandable or balloon catheter. With the stent positioned at the appropriate location, the catheter is inflated and the stent is caused to expand radially against the wall of the vessel. Once the stent is expanded to the required diameter, the catheter is deflated and may be removed, leaving the stent in position.
The stent must of course remain expanded against the wall of the vessel and should be capable of withstanding the forces imposed by the wall of the vessel. Moreover, the stent should be able to negotiate tight turns in the arterial system during placement while minimizing damage to the arterial wall.
A number of different mechanisms have been proposed to permit the expansion of the stent, including devices which reorient the components forming the stent so that they may adopt a greater overall diameter.
In another class of stents, as typified by the stent shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,665 to Palmaz, the stent is configured to be plastically deformable so that after expansion it retains the increased diameter. In the Palmaz stent, the plastic deformation is provided by means of an open-mesh diamond structure. As the catheter is expanded, the intersecting members of the mesh deform so that the stent adopts an increased diameter.
With the arrangements shown in the Palmaz stent and similar configurations, a radial expansion of the stent is accompanied by an axial foreshortening of the stent. The degree of foreshortening is predictable but the ultimate location of the stent along the vessel is not predictable. Thus, one end of the stent may remain stationary relative to the blood vessel so that the opposite end is subjected to the maximum axial displacement or there may be progressive foreshortening from both ends with an intermediate location remaining stationary. The foreshortening of the stent leads to an unpredictable location for the stent in its expanded condition and induces relative movement in an axial direction between the vessel wall and the stent which is generally undesirable.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a stent in which the above disadvantages are obviated or mitigated.
In general terms, the present invention provides a stent in which a plurality of circumferentially-spaced longitudinal struts are interconnected by multi-bar linkages. Adjacent links of the linkages are angularly disposed to one another such that a radial force causes relative rotation between adjacent links to permit radial enlargement of the stent. The longitudinal struts inhibit foreshortening of the stent so that the final location of the stent can be predicted.
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Crewe Katherine H.
Lee J. Michael
Mastrangelo Christine
MedStent Inc.
Milano Michael J.
Pellegrino Brian E.
Pryor Cashman Sherman and Flynn LLP
Waldbaum, Esq. Maxim H.
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