162 results about "Stent deployment" patented technology

A device and method for treating pathological narrowing of fluid-carrying conduits of the human body (such as blood vessels) in an area of a bifurcation is disclosed. In particular, a stent system carries a self expandable noncylindrical stent, which is particularly suited for treating a widened portion of a blood vessel immediately proximal to a bifurcation. A stent delivery system is also disclosed, for delivering the stent such that a larger expanded diameter end of the stent faces the bifurcation, and a smaller expanded diameter end of the stent faces proximally in the main vessel.

A first stent delivery system provided with a sheath for covering the stent, the sheath including proximal sheath portion adapted to be movable in a proximal direction and a distal sheath portion adapted to be moveable in a distal direction. A second stent delivery system including an outer and intermediate tubular members covering a chamber with a preloaded stent, the outer tubular member being retractable prior to the retraction of the intermediate sheath and release of the stent. A third stent delivery system including with an inflatable balloon at a distal end of the system for fixing the system in place within the vessel prior to the release of the stent thereby insure accurate stent deployment.

A stent loading and deployment device includes an outer elongate tubular member having opposed proximal and distal ends and an inner elongate tubular member having opposed proximal and distal ends and slidably disposed within the outer tubular member. When the distal ends of the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member are axially aligned, a stent deployment region is defined there in between. The device further includes a stent loading member having opposed proximal and distal ends and slidably disposed between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member. The distal end of the stent loading member is slidable to a distal position past the distal end of the outer tubular member for receiving a stent and is further slidable toward the proximal end of the outer tubular member to a location past the stent deployment region for disengagement of a stent from the stent loading member.

A guidewire apparatus for use during percutaneous catheter interventions, such as angioplasty or stent deployment. A protection element comprising a filter or an occluder is mounted near the distal end of a steerable guidewire, which guides a therapeutic catheter. The guidewire apparatus comprises a hollow shaft movably disposed about a core wire and, optionally, a slippery liner interfitted there between. The shaft and core wire control relative displacement of the ends of the protection element, causing transformation of the protection element between a deployed configuration and a collapsed configuration.

The present invention comprises a securement member to improve securement of a stent upon an expandable balloon and delivery catheter, and to constrain portions of the stent before and during stent deployment. Generally, the securement member comprises a securement connector arranged to engage a catheter, at least one flexible connecting member coupled to the securement connector, and a locking member arranged to engage a portion of a stent.

The present invention relates to a medical device for placing an intravascular stent at a preselected location within a vessel of the human body, and more particularly, relates to a catheter having a distal tip for retaining the stent in order to transport the stent to a preselected position within the vessel and a control mechanism for releasing the stent at the preselected position.

The present invention is a temporary intraluminal filter guidewire for use during interventional procedures, such as angioplasty or stent deployment. A braided filter is mounted near the distal end of a steerable guidewire, which guides a therapeutic catheter. An actuator rod slides over the guidewire and is removably connected to the filter. The rod controls relative displacement of the filter ends, causing transformation of the filter between a deployed configuration and a collapsed configuration. Wire having enhanced radiopacity is included in the filter to provide visualization under fluoroscopy.

Metallic stents are treated with a gaseous species in a plasma state under conditions causing the species to polymerize and to be deposited in polymerized form on the metallic stent surface prior to the application of a drug-polymer mixture, which is done by conventional non-plasma deposition methods. The drug-polymer mixture once applied forms a coating on the stent surface that releases the drug in a time-release manner and gradually erodes, leaving only the underlying plasma-deposited polymer. In certain cases, the plasma-deposited polymer itself erodes or dissolves into the physiological medium over an extended period of time, leaving only the metallic stent. While the various polymers and drug remain on the stent, the plasma-deposited polymer enhances the adhesion of the drug-polymer anchor coating and maintains the coating intact upon exposure to the mechanical stresses encountered during stent deployment.

Apparatus and methods are described for effective removal of emboli or harmful fluids during vascular procedures, such as angiography, balloon angioplasty, stent deployment, laser angioplasty, atherectomy, intravascular ultrasonography and other therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. A catheter with an occluder mounted at its distal end creates an occlusion proximal to the lesion. The catheter provides a pathway for introducing a treatment catheter. Prior to, during or subsequent to the procedure, suction is activated to establish retrograde flow to remove emboli from the site. Additionally, a thin catheter with a distal fluid ejection nozzle maybe introduced distal to the treatment site to rinse emboli from the treatment site. The suction flow and / or ejected fluid flow may be varied in a pulsatile manner to simulate regular blood flow and / or perturb settled emboli into being captured that may otherwise not be collected. The method establishes a protective environment before any devices enter the site to be treated.

The present invention is a guide wire imaging device for vascular or non-vascular imaging utilizing optic acoustical methods, which device has a profile of less than 1 mm in diameter. The ultrasound imaging device of the invention comprises a single mode optical fiber with at least one Bragg grating, and a piezoelectric or piezo-ceramic jacket, which device may achieve omnidirectional (360°) imaging. The imaging guide wire of the invention can function as a guide wire for vascular interventions, can enable real time imaging during balloon inflation, and stent deployment, thus will provide clinical information that is not available when catheter-based imaging systems are used. The device of the invention may enable shortened total procedure times, including the fluoroscopy time, will also reduce radiation exposure to the patient and to the operator.

A catheter system has a balloon angioplasty device disposed about a common lumen near its distal end. The balloon catheter is pre-fitted with a stent which is deployed when the balloon is inflated. The common lumen is in communication with multiple lumens within a proximal region of the catheter body to allow for positioning of the catheter over a movable guide wire and convenient delivery of imaging or interventional devices to a desired region of a body passageway being treated. The procedure for stent deployment optionally includes steps of imaging a lumen by ultrasound before and after stent deployment to identify the site at which a stent is needed, to confirm that the stent is being and has been deployed at a longitudinal position which does not overlap a branched segment of the body passageway, and to ensure that the stent has been radially opened to an optimum diameter.

A method for guiding stent deployment during an endovascular procedure includes providing a virtual stent model of a real stent that specifies a length, diameter, shape, and placement of the real stent. The method further includes projecting the virtual stent model onto a 2-dimensional (2D) DSA image of a target lesion, manipulating a stent deployment mechanism to navigate the stent to the target lesion while simultaneously acquiring real-time 2D fluoroscopic images of the stent navigation, and overlaying each fluoroscopic image on the 2D DSA image having the projected virtual stent model image, where the 2D fluoroscopic images are acquired from a C-arm mounted X-ray apparatus, and updating the projection of the virtual stent model onto the fluoroscopic images whenever a new fluoroscopic image is acquired or whenever the C-arm is moved, where the stent is aligned with the virtual stent model by aligning stent end markers with virtual end markers.

The present invention is a temporary device for capturing and removing embolic material during interventional procedures, such as angioplasty or stent deployment. A self-closing, tubular capture element, which may be either a filter or an occluder, is mounted near the distal end of a guidewire. The guidewire is capable of guiding a therapeutic catheter. Relative displacement of the capture element ends causes transformation of the capture element between a closed configuration and a deployed configuration that spans the vessel to be treated. A latch fixed to the guidewire temporarily retains the capture element in the deployed configuration. A first hollow rod slides over the guidewire to deploy the capture element and engage the capture element proximal end with the latch. A second hollow rod slides over the guidewire to release the latch and close the capture element.

A stent delivery system includes an inner tubular member on which a stent is loaded, an outer jacket extending over said inner tubular member, the retraction of which causes deployment of the stent, and a handle adapted to move the jacket relative to the inner tubular member. The constructions of the inner tubular member and outer jacket and the handle provide increased control of the relative movement of the outer jacket relative to the inner tubular member, and prevention of premature release of the stent from the deployment instrument, and greater control over stent deployment among other advantages.

A stent delivery catheter includes at least an inner and outer body, and a specially shaped balloon affixed near one end of both of the inner and outer bodies. At least the outer body is tubular, and the space between the outer and inner bodies defines an inflation lumen for inflating and deflating the balloon. The balloon is designed to surround and hold a compressed self-expanding stent in a small initial size. An inner portion of the cylindrical balloon extends from where it is affixed to the inner body of the catheter shaft at a point proximal to the stent to a distal leading edge at a point distal to the stent. At this leading edge, the balloon is folded back upon itself, and an outer portion of the balloon extends proximally from the leading edge to a point proximal of the stent where it is affixed to the outer body of the catheter shaft. When the outer body is retracted in the proximal direction, the balloon progressively peels back or everts, to progressively release the stent. This peeling action minimizes any friction that may exist between the stent and balloon during stent deployment. The leading distal folded edge of the balloon, both inner and outer portions, are tapered inward. This inner and outer tapering of the balloon portions tends to protect the leading edge of the stent, provides for easier advancement of the catheter system along the desired body passageway for treatment, and minimizes friction as the balloon is retracted or peeled back upon itself.

A stent deployment system includes a catheter shaft, an expandable member mounted to the catheter shaft, and one or more stents or stent segments slidably positioned on the expandable member. The stent deployment system is adapted for deployment of stents or stent segments in very long lesions and in tapered and curved vessels. The stent deployment system facilitates slidable movement of a stent in a distal direction relative to the expandable member while inhibiting slidable movement in a proximal direction relative to the expandable member.

The invention provides a stent-graft system comprising a graft member and a stent having a connection end interconnected with the graft member and a free end opposed thereto. A belt retaining structure is provided at the stent free end. A belt is releasably retained in the belt retaining structure and is configured to constrain the stent free end independent of the stent connection end. A method of securing at least one end of a stent-graft within a vessel is also provided.

A steerable guidewire apparatus for use during percutaneous catheter interventions such as angioplasty or stent deployment. A protection element comprising a filter or an occluder is mounted near the distal end of the steerable guidewire, which guides a therapeutic catheter. The guidewire comprises a hollow shaft movably disposed about a core wire. The shaft and core wire control separation of the ends of the protection element, causing transformation of the protection element from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration. Farther separation of the ends of the protection element, after it has been collapsed, causes deflection in a distal region of the apparatus.

A catheter configured to carry one or more stents and having an inflatable balloon for expanding a stent surrounding the balloon. The catheter is characterized in having a positioner for moving the one or more stents relative to the balloon from a first position in which the stent does not surround the balloon to a second position in which the stent surround the balloon. Also disclosed is a method for deploying a stent at a desired location in the vascular system.

A removable stent system and method for extraction of a removable stent from a target site is disclosed. The removable stent includes a removable stent having a collapsible end and a collapsing element configured for coupling with a removal tool. The collapsing element can be configured as a lasso or can be movable between two positions when deployed at a target site in vivo. The removable stent overcomes disadvantages and limitations of previous types of stents as well as overcoming complications during or following stent deployment in vivo. The removable stent further includes features that increase its ease of use and reduce the maneuvering required of devices or tools used to remove the stent. This then decreases the amount of effort required by the physician, the procedure time, and the level of discomfort experienced by a patient during the procedure.

A stent deployment system, handle, and method of loading of a medical device are provided. The system includes an outer catheter having an inner liner extending past the end of the outer catheter and an inner catheter disposed within the outer catheter. The inner liner is inverted and attached to the inner catheter. Relative movement between the outer and the inner catheters can urge the inner liner to peel away from the medical device. A handle is disposed at the proximal end of the outer catheter, and may include a splitter configured to slice the wall of the tubular member. The handle may also include a rotatable mechanism that can be attached to the tubular member. Rotation of the rotatable mechanism retracts a portion of the tubular member into the handle and winds the sliced portion about the rotatable mechanism.

A predetermined arrangement of differentially lubricious areas on a balloon catheter for controlling against unexpected movement of a stent carried thereon when in situ in the body.

A deformable sheath is attached to a catheter and introduced intravascularly to be expanded against an arterial wall and entrap plaque therebetween. A stent is subsequently deployed within the expanded sheath and the sheath is then withdrawn from within the vasculature to leave the stent expanded against the arterial wall with the plaque entrapped therebetween.

The present invention is a guide wire imaging device for vascular or non-vascular imaging utilizing optic acoustical methods, which device has a profile of less than 1 mm in diameter. The ultrasound imaging device of the invention comprises a single mode optical fiber with at least one Bragg grating, and a piezoelectric or piezo-ceramic jacket, which device may achieve omnidirectional (360°) imaging. The imaging guide wire of the invention can function as a guide wire for vascular interventions, can enable real time imaging during balloon inflation, and stent deployment, thus will provide clinical information that is not available when catheter-based imaging systems are used. The device of the invention may enable shortened total procedure times, including the fluoroscopy time, will also reduce radiation exposure to the patient and to the operator.

A stent pattern includes an improved portal region for repairing a main vessel and a side branch vessel forming a bifurcation. More particularly, the stent has rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis that are connected by links, where the stent has a proximal section, a distal section, and a central section (portal region). The number of rings and the expanded diameter of the sections are varied to create a “trap door” capable of expanding to a slightly larger diameter than the proximal section and the distal section of the stent. The configuration of the stent pattern of the portal region prevents the occurrence of portal overlap of immediately adjacent rings into the portal region during stent deployment. The stent is implanted at a bifurcation so that the proximal section and the distal section are in the main vessel, and the central section contacts at least a portion of the opening to the side branch vessel. A second stent can be implanted in the side branch vessel and abut the expanded central section to provide full coverage of the bifurcated area in the main vessel and the side branch vessel.

A predetermined arrangement of differentially lubricious areas on a balloon catheter for controlling against unexpected movement of a stent carried thereon when in situ in the body.

This invention relates generally to an expandable intraluminal medical device for use within a body passageway or duct, and more particularly to an optimized stent having flexible links that minimize foreshortening during stent deployment. In one embodiment of the present invention the intraluminal prosthetic device includes a first hoop section, a second hoop section, and one or more flex members attached between the first and the second hoop section. Each flex member comprises two generally longitudinally extending curved segments connected by a circumferentially undulating segment.