Detachable And Retrievable Stent Assembly
A stent assembly comprises an expandable stent having a first stent backbone which extends from the proximal end of the stent to the distal end of the stent. The stent comprises a first stent back bone oriented in a direction which is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stent, and a plurality of interconnected first stent members and second stent members. Each of the first stent members is oriented in a substantially longitudinal direction in the unexpanded state and the expanded state. Each of the second stent members is oriented in a substantially longitudinal direction in the unexpanded state and oriented in a substantially circumferential direction in the expanded state. The first stent backbone has a greater column strength than that of the plurality of interconnected stent members.
1 . A detachable and retrievable stent assembly comprising:
an introducer sheath;
a self-expanding stent having a pre-deployed configuration, an initially deployed configuration, and a fully deployed configuration; the stent having a plurality of adjacent strut members being affixed to one another, the adjacent strut members having a plurality of curved portions; wherein, at least in the fully deployed configuration, at least six of the plurality of the adjacent strut members are directly affixed to one another along their curved portions at a plurality of joints and the curved portions of adjacent strut members are tangential to one another at the joints; and
a push wire having a severable junction; in the pre-deployed configuration, the push wire being connected to the stent at the severable junction; the push wire and stent being disposed within the introducer sheath when the stent is in the pre-deployed configuration;
the stent having a smaller diameter in the pre-deployed configuration than in the initially deployed and fully deployed configurations and the stent having substantially the same diameter in the initially deployed configuration as in the fully deployed configuration.
2 . The detachable and retrievable stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stent is a wire stent.
3 . The detachable and retrievable stent assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of adjacent strut members define a stent proximal portion, a stent distal portion, and an intermediate portion between the stent proximal and distal portions;
the adjacent strut members of the stent distal portion including six longitudinally directed strut members forming three pairs of distal strut members, wherein in an fully deployed configuration, the three pairs of distal strut members are circumferentially offset from one another.
4 . The detachable and retrievable stent assembly of claim 3 further comprising a retrieved configuration, wherein in a retrieved configuration, the stent has a smaller diameter than in the initially deployed and fully deployed configurations.
5 . The detachable and retrievable stent assembly of claim 4 , wherein, in the initially deployed configuration, the stent is disposed exteriorly to the introducer sheath and connected to the push wire, in the retrieved configuration the stent is disposed within the introducer sheath and connected to the push wire, and in the fully deployed configuration the stent is disposed exteriorly to the introducer sheath and disconnected from the push wire.
6 . The detachable and retrievable stent assembly of claim 5 further comprising a proximal marker, the proximal marker being distal and immediately adjacent to the severable junction, wherein the adjacent strut members of the stent proximal portion include at least three proximal strut members, the at least three proximal strut members engaged to one another and to the proximal marker.
7 . The detachable and retrievable stent assembly of claim 6 , wherein the at least three proximal strut members are parallel to one another in the pre-deployed configuration.
8 . A detachable and retrievable stent assembly comprising:
an introducer catheter;
a self-expanding wire stent having an unexpanded configuration and an expanded configuration, opposing proximal and distal portions, and an intermediate portion between the proximal and distal portions;
the proximal, distal, and intermediate portions comprising a plurality of adjacent strut members being affixed to one another, the adjacent strut members defining a plurality of closed cells;
the strut members of the stent distal portion comprising six longitudinally directed strut members being affixed one to another to form three pairs of distal strut members, wherein in an expanded configuration, the three pairs of distal strut members are circumferentially offset from one another; and
a push wire having a severable junction; the push wire being connected to the stent at the severable junction; the push wire and stent being disposed within the introducer catheter when the stent is in an unexpanded configuration.
9 . The stent assembly of claim 8 , wherein the wire stent further comprises a plurality of radiopaque markers attached thereto.
10 . The stent assembly of claim 8 , wherein at least two of the adjacent strut members that are affixed to one another extend longitudinally along the stent and undulate toward and away from one another, the at least two of the adjacent strut members that are affixed to one another being connected to one another at a plurality of joints.