Actively controllable stent, stent graft, heart valve and method of controlling same
View Patent ↗Sealable and repositionable implant devices are provided to increase the ability of endovascular grafts and valves to be precisely deployed or re-deployed, with better in situ accommodation to the local anatomy of the targeted recipient anatomic site, and with the ability for post-deployment adjustment to accommodate anatomic changes that might compromise the efficacy of the implant. A surgical implant includes a self-expanding stent of a shape-memory material set to a given shape. The stent has a wall with a portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a thickness greater than the first. The second portion defines a key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifice. The implant includes a selectively adjustable assembly having adjustable elements and being operable to force a configuration change in at least a portion of the self-expanding stent. The adjustable elements have a part rotatably disposed within the longitudinal drive orifice.
1. A surgical implant, comprising:
a self-expanding stent of a shape-memory material set to a given shape, the self-expanding stent having a wall with at least one first portion having a first wall thickness and at least one second portion having a second wall thickness greater than the first wall thickness, the at least one second portion defining a plurality of key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices, wherein the key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices have openings facing radially outwards or radially inwards; and
a selectively adjustable assembly at the self-expanding stent, having adjustable elements, and being operable to force a configuration change in at least a portion of the self-expanding stent, the adjustable elements each having a part rotatably disposed within a respective key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifice.
2. The surgical implant according to claim 1 , wherein the openings of the key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices face radially outwards.
3. The surgical implant according to claim 2 , wherein the wall of the stent surrounding each the key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape taken in a plane perpendicular to longitudinal axes of the key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices.
4. The surgical implant according to claim 3 , wherein the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape comprises a radially outward facing surface and a radially inward facing surface, and the radially outward facing surface is larger than the radially inward facing surface.
5. The surgical implant according to claim 1 , wherein the openings of the key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices face radially inwards.
6. The surgical implant according to claim 1 , wherein the wall is shaped substantially as a hollow cylinder.
7. The surgical implant according to claim 6 , wherein the wall has alternating first and second portions, the first portions having a first radial wall thickness and the second portions having a second radial wall thickness greater than the first radial wall thickness.
8. The surgical implant according to claim 6 , wherein the alternating first and second portions run the longitudinal extent of the stent.
9. The surgical implant according to claim 1 , wherein the key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices are wire-EDM machined.
10. The surgical implant according to claim 1 , wherein the stent has an exterior smooth circumferential surface.
11. The surgical implant according to claim 10 , wherein the exterior smooth circumferential surface is created by extruding the stent.
12. The surgical implant according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustable elements each include a drive screw rotatably disposed in a respective key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifice.
13. A surgical implant, comprising:
a self-expanding stent of a shape-memory material set to a given shape, the self-expanding stent having a wall with a wall thickness defining a plurality of key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices, wherein the key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifices have openings facing radially outwards or radially inwards; and
a selectively adjustable assembly at the self-expanding stent, having adjustable elements, and being operable to force a configuration change in at least a portion of the self-expanding stent, the adjustable elements each having a part rotatably disposed within a respective key-hole shaped longitudinal drive orifice.