Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Arterial prosthesis – Stent structure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-02
2001-03-27
Willse, David H. (Department: 3738)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Arterial prosthesis
Stent structure
C623S001170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206911
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to vascular stents and the like and more particularly to intraluminal stents and to such stent and biomembrane combinations which can be carried to a desired in vivo location and then expanded, as by use of a balloon catheter, into an operative configuration. Reference is made to Disclosure Document No. 404,393 which was filed on Sep. 9, 1996.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Expandable stents have now proved to be extremely useful in treating occluded blood vessels and/or diseased blood vessels. Whereas there are numerous expandable stents that are now commercially available, these stents invariably undergo a foreshortening in axial length as a result of their radial expansion. When treating a diseased blood vessel, and oftentimes when treating an occluded blood vessel, such as a coronary artery or other peripheral vessel, there is a desire to carry a tubular graft in surrounding relationship to the stent in order to deliver the graft with the stent to patch a diseased vascular location affected with lesions or the like. It is believed such grafts may prevent intimal cell proliferation caused by direct contact of a metal stent with the vessel wall which frequently otherwise results in early stent occlusion. Heretofore, truly acceptable techniques have not been developed for carrying such grafts to a desired location in surrounding relationship to a stent on a balloon catheter or the like. Because such present commercially available stents undergo axial foreshortening as a result of expansion, tubular grafts secured to the exterior of such a stent would be likewise subject to such foreshortening and would undergo undesirable wrinkling even if they were slightly elastic.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides multiple designs of expandable stents which are created so as to undergo essentially no axial foreshortening (or only minimal axial foreshortening) when expanded from an unexpanded or compressed configuration to an operative configuration. Moreover, tubular biological membranes can now be effectively interconnected with expandable stents of this character and effectively located in surrounding, isolating relationship to the stent. Interconnection may be via pairs of needle-like projections or prongs which may be bent to have a radial orientation during the installation of such a tubular biomembrane upon the unexpanded stent and then bent in opposite directions back into the plane of the stent, preferably in opposite axially extending directions, to secure the tubular biomembrane in such a mating connection.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5556414 (1996-09-01), Turi
patent: 5667523 (1997-09-01), Bynon et al.
patent: 5681345 (1997-10-01), Euteneuer
patent: 5695516 (1997-12-01), Fischell et al.
patent: 5800526 (1998-09-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 5807404 (1998-09-01), Richter
patent: 5824037 (1998-10-01), Fogarty et al.
patent: 5843164 (1998-12-01), Frantzen et al.
patent: 5871535 (1999-02-01), Wolff et al.
patent: 5931867 (1999-08-01), Haindl
Arnall Golden & Gregory LLP
Pellegrino Brian E.
Willse David H.
LandOfFree
Stent combination does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Stent combination, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Stent combination will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2450115