Medical device including corrugated braid and associated method

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide medical devices for treating a target site within the body and associated methods for fabricating and delivering medical devices. According to one embodiment, a medical device includes a tubular structure having proximal and distal ends and a side wall extending therebetween. At least a portion of the side wall can have a corrugated surface. The side wall further includes at least one layer of a metallic fabric configured to be compressed and heat set to define the corrugated surface. The tubular structure may comprise an expanded shape, and may be configured to be constrained to a smaller diameter than the expanded shape for delivery within a catheter to a target site and to assume the expanded shape upon release from the catheter.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1) Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to medical devices and associated methods for treating various target sites within the body and, in particular, to medical devices and associated methods for fabricating and delivering medical devices that respectively include corrugated surfaces.[0003]2) Description of Related Art[0004]Vascular disease is common in the arterial system of humans. This disease often results in a build up of plaque or deposits on the vessel wall, which narrow the vessel carrying oxygenated blood and nutrients throughout the body. If narrowing should occur, for example, in an artery within the heart, blood flow may be restricted to the point of causing pain or ischemia upon body exertion due to the lack of oxygen delivery to the heart muscle. The flow disruption from a severe narrowing of the vessel or a plaque rupture may result in a blood clot formation and flow stoppage which, if occurring in the heart, wou...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]Embodiments of the present invention provide a medical device, such as, for example, a stent graft, an occluder, a shunt, or a flow restrictor, for treating a target site within the body. For example, one embodiment provides a medical device including a tubular structure having proximal and distal ends and a side wall extending therebetween. At least a portion of the side wall can have a corrugated surface, for example, comprising a plurality of ridges each extending about an entire circumference of the tubular structure. The side wall further includes at least one layer of a metallic fabric, and in some cases a plurality of layers, configured to be compressed and heat set to define the corrugated surface. For example, the metallic fabric can include a shape memory alloy. The ridges of the corrugated surface may extend annularly or helically about the tubular structure. The metallic fabric can additionally be configured to facilitate thrombosis. The tubular structure may comprise an expanded shape, and may be configured to be constrained to a smaller diameter than the expanded shape for delivery within a catheter to a target site and to assume the expanded shape upon release from the catheter. In some cases, the side wall is configured to be elongated such that at least a portion of the corrugated surface has a generally sinusoidal profile along a direction generally aligned with a central axis of the tubular structure.

Problems solved by technology

This disease often results in a build up of plaque or deposits on the vessel wall, which narrow the vessel carrying oxygenated blood and nutrients throughout the body.

If narrowing should occur, for example, in an artery within the heart, blood flow may be restricted to the point of causing pain or ischemia upon body exertion due to the lack of oxygen delivery to the heart muscle.

The flow disruption from a severe narrowing of the vessel or a plaque rupture may result in a blood clot formation and flow stoppage which, if occurring in the heart, would result in a heart attack.

One limiting aspect of conventional braided Nitinol stents, however, is the ability to achieve high radial support compared to self-expanding stents cut from Nitinol tubing.

This increases the length of the collapsed stent and increases the delivery force needed to push the stent through the delivery catheter since the filaments are under greater stress at a given collapsed diameter.

The weakened wall is of greater risk of rupture due to pulsing blood pressure.

Such leaks would subject the weakened aneurysm wall to blood pressure.

Most of these solutions increase the collapsed profile of the stent graft and increase the stiffness during delivery to the artery.

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