Method of recapturing a stent

Abstract

A method to retrieve a deployed stent in a blood vessel. In one embodiment, the method includes the introduction of a retrieval stent within the lumen of the deployed stent, enlarging the retrieval stent to contact a surface of the deployed stent and contracting the retrieval stent which in turn causes the deployed stent to contract for removal from the blood vessel. The retrieval stent may contain one or more fluid passageways through which heated or cooled fluid can circulate and may be connected to a catheter for circulation of the fluid. Fluid flow may be regulated by a valve or valve assembly incorporated in the stent and / or the catheter.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 638,182, filed Aug. 7, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,881,220, which is a division of application Ser. No. 09 / 975,743, filed Oct. 11, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,519, which is a division of application Ser. No. 09 / 321,496, filed May 27, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,276, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 105,768, filed Sep. 30, 1998. This application expressly incorporates by reference the entirety of each of the above-mentioned applications as if fully set forth herein.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not applicable. REFERENCE TO A COMPACT DISK APPENDIX [0003] Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] The present invention relates generally to endoluminal devices, and more particularly to stents. [0005] Stents and similar endoluminal devices have been used to expand a constricted vessel to maintain an ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] In its simplest embodiment the present invention is an endoluminal coil stent comprising a hollow tube formed into a series of loops or other known stent shapes which initially has a low profile and diameter. This structure can be delivered into a patient's vascular system and expanded to full size. The present invention to provides a stent that is hollow allowing the passage of fluid. The stent has either one or a plurality of passageways for fluid flow. The stent is attached to a catheter via a special fitting so that when engaged with the catheter, fluid flows freely from the catheter to the stent with a possible return circuit through the catheter. When disengaged, the fitting prevents leakage from the stent permitting the stent to remain in place in a patient's vasculature.

[0010] This invention provides a way of treating vascular areas affected with malignant growths or experiencing restenosis from smooth muscle cell proliferation, etc. The stent is inserted in a small diameter configuration and after being enlarged to a larger diameter, acts as a support device for the areas of restenosis or malignant growth. In addition, the stent can treat these affected areas in a unique way by flowing radioactive, heated or cryogenic fluids through the stent.

[0013] Special fittings are incorporated at the ends of the hollow stent. These fittings facilitate the injection and removal of fluid and also allow the stent to be detached from the insertion device to be left in place in a patient. The hollow stent has an inlet and an outlet so that a complete fluid path can be created, and fluid can be continually circulated through the stent. In the simplest configuration the inlet and outlet are at opposite ends of the stent. However, if the stent is equipped with a plurality of lumens, two lumens can be connected at a distal end of the structure so that the outlet and inlet are both together at one end. Other arrangements can be readily envisioned by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0015] The stent can be removed by reattaching the catheter allowing one to chill and shrink the stent (in the case of a memory alloy). Alternatively, the device can readily be used in its tethered form to remove memory alloy stents of the present invention or of prior art design. For this purpose a device of the present invention is inserted into the vasculature to rest within the stent to be removed. Warm fluid is then circulated causing the stent to expand into contact with the memory alloy stent that is already in position. At this point cryogenic (e.g., low temperature) fluid is circulated causing the attached stent and the contacted stent to shrink so that the combination can be readily withdrawn.

Problems solved by technology

Among the drawbacks of the prior art coiled balloons is that the balloon material is relatively weak so that expansion and contraction cause the balloon to fail.

Failure of a balloon containing radioactive or cryogenic fluids could be catastrophic.

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