IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,803,180

Granted Patent B2

US 7,803,180 · App. 11/397,987 · Granted Sep 28, 2010

Flexible stent

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 7,803,180
App. No.: 11/397,987
Granted: Sep 28, 2010
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A flexible stent structure includes a plurality of axially spaced strut portions defining generally tubular axial segments of the stent and constructed to be radially expandable. A helical portion is interposed axially between two strut portions and has a plurality of helical elements connected between circumferentially spaced locations on the two strut portions. The helical elements extend helically between those locations and the length of a helical element is sufficient so that, when the stent is in a radially expanded state, it can simultaneously withstand repeated axial compression or expansion and bending.

Claims (72)

1. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:

a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and

a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction of said helical strut member with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member;

wherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state;

wherein the distance between at least some adjacent helical elements in the compressed state varies along the length of said adjacent helical elements and is in a range from zero and about the maximum distance between adjacent helical elements in the deployed state; and

wherein said stent in the compressed state is longer than in the deployed state;

a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements, said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member, said strut portion is wound about said axis of said stent with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and

wherein in the deployed state the elongated elements are substantially parallel and said helical strut member and said helical strut elements define a cylinder having a substantially constant diameter.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein at least some of said helical elements extend helically about the axis of the stent between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member which are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is 10% of the circumference of said stent to less than 50% of the circumference of said stent in the deployed state.

3. The stent of claim 1 wherein at least some of said helical elements extend helically about the axis of the stent between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member which are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is 50% of the circumference of said stent to less than 100% of the circumference of said stent in the deployed state.

4. The stent of claim 1 wherein each of said helical strut elements are connected to a respective one of said helical elements.

5. The stent of claim 1 further comprising: a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member; said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements; said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion winding.

6. The stent of claim 1 wherein said stent can bend to a radius of 13 mm without buckling.

7. The stent of claim 1 wherein the length of said stent in said deployed state is 20% shorter than the length of said stent in the compressed state.

8. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:

a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements;

a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member; said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements, said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion winding; and

wherein said strut portion is wound about said axis of said stent having a number of windings less than about ¼ of the total number of windings of said helical strut member.

9. The stent of claim 8 wherein at least some of said helical elements extend helically about the axis of the stent between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member which are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is 10% of the circumference of said stent to less than 50% of the circumference of said stent in the deployed state.

10. The stent of claim 8 wherein at least some of said helical elements extend helically about the axis of the stent between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member which are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is 50% of the circumference of said stent to less than 100% of the circumference of said stent in the deployed state.

11. The stent of claim 8 wherein each of said helical strut elements are connected to a respective one of said helical elements.

12. The stent of claim 8 wherein said stent can bend to a radius of 13 mm without buckling.

13. The stent of claim 8 wherein the length of said stent in said deployed state is 20% shorter than the length of said stent in the compressed state.

14. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:

a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements;

wherein the number of said helical strut elements in one rotation of said strut portion winding is greater than the number of said helical strut elements in one rotation of said helical strut member winding.

15. The stent of claim 14 wherein at least some of said helical elements extend helically about the axis of the stent between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member which are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is 10% of the circumference of said stent to less than 50% of the circumference of said stent in the deployed state.

16. The stent of claim 14 wherein at least some of said helical elements extend helically about the axis of the stent between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member which are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is 50% of the circumference of said stent to less than 100% of the circumference of said stent in the deployed state.

17. The stent of claim 14 wherein each of said helical strut elements are connected to a respective one of said helical elements.

18. The stent of claim 14 wherein said stent can bend to a radius of 13 mm without buckling.

19. The stent of claim 14 wherein the length of said stent in said deployed state is 20% shorter than the length of said stent in the compressed state.

20. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:

a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and

a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member;

wherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state;

wherein in the compressed state the distance between at least some adjacent helical elements varies along the length of said adjacent helical elements and is in a range from zero and about the maximum distance between adjacent helical elements in the deployed state;

wherein in the deployed state the elongated elements are substantially parallel; and said helical strut member and said helical strut elements define a cylinder having a substantially constant diameter;

wherein said stent in the compressed state is longer than in the deployed state.

21. The stent of claim 20 wherein at least some of said helical elements extend helically about the axis of the stent between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member which are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is 10% of the circumference of said stent to less than 50% of the circumference of said stent in the deployed state.

22. The stent of claim 20 wherein at least some of said helical elements extend helically about the axis of the stent between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member which are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is 50% of the circumference of said stent to less than 100% of the circumference of said stent in the deployed state.

23. The stent of claim 20 wherein each of said helical strut elements are connected to a respective one of said helical elements.

24. The stent of claim 20 further comprising: a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member; wherein said strut portion is wound with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member; said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements;

said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion winding.

25. The stent of claim 20 wherein said stent can bend to a radius of 13 mm without buckling.

26. The stent of claim 20 wherein the length of said stent in said deployed state is 20% shorter than the length of said stent in the compressed state.

27. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:

a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements;

a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member; wherein said strut portion is wound with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member; said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements; said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion winding

wherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state;

wherein the minimum angle of said helical elements with the longitudinal axis of the stent in the compressed state is less than the minimum angle of helical elements with the longitudinal axis of the stent in the deployed state; and

wherein the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the compressed state is substantially the same as the spacing between the subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the deployed state.

28. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:

a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and

wherein said strut portion is wound with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member; said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements; said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion winding

wherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state;

wherein said stent in the compressed state is longer than in the deployed state;

wherein the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the compressed state is greater than the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the deployed state.

29. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:

a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and

wherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state;

wherein the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the compressed state is substantially the same to the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the deployed state.

Assignments (4)

RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2025

From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH

To: ACCESS CLOSURE, INC.; CORDIS US CORP.

Reel/Frame 073060/0346 →

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025

From: CARDINAL HEALTH SWITZERLAND 515 GMBH; CARDINAL HEALTH 529, LLC; CORDIS CORPORATION; FLEXIBLE STENTING SOLUTIONS, INC

To: CORDIS US CORP

Reel/Frame 072987/0675 →

SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025

From: CORDIS US CORP.; ACCESS CLOSURE, LLC

To: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC

Reel/Frame 072973/0157 →

SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2021

From: ACCESS CLOSURE, INC.; CORDIS US CORP.

To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT

Reel/Frame 057292/0001 →