Medtronic, Inc.

Intratherapeutics, Inc.

Instent Inc.

Medtronic Instent, Inc.

Medtronic Ave, Inc.

Oren Globerman

Mordechay Beyar

Rafael Beyar

Amir David Loshakove

Daniel Yachia

Ofer Dor

An expandable stent and stent graft having a small initial diameter, flexibility along its longitudinal axis prior to expansion and a large expanded and rigid Local stain on the stent material is minimized, as and after the balloon is expanded. More particularly, the stent has rotation joints having minimal strain during stent expansion. The stent is substantially the same length before and after expansion and being flexible longitudinally when constrained, it is easy to locate. A method of manufacturing stents is described comprising rotation of a tube beneath a moving film, with light passing through the film onto the tube, at selected locations. A laser scanning system for stent manufacture is also disclosed.

Medical stents, apparatus and method for making same

A medical device comprising a catheter and a balloon-expandable stent having a small initial diameter, flexibility along its longitudinal axis prior to expansion, a large expanded diameter, and rigidity after expansion. Local strain on the stent material is minimized, as and after the balloon is inflated. More particularly, the sent has rotation joints having minimal strain during stent expansion. The stent is substantially the same length before and after expansion and, being flexible longitudinally when constrained, is easy to deliver.

Stents which are inserted into a body lumen preferably are made of materials which are not radiopaque enough, such as S.S. 316L. X-ray visualization of a stent enables an accurate positioning of the stent and also a follow-up of its functioning within the patient's body. The radiopaque markers described here are rivets made of a material which is more radiopaque than the stent substance so the location of the stent can be identified.

Radiopaque stent markers

This invention is directed to a stent delivery system for implanting a flexible, generally cylindrical, expandable, coiled stent. The system comprises a catheter defining at least one lumen and having at least two longitudinally displaced openings or sets of openings ,a flexible, self-expandable coiled stent having discrete proximal and distal end sections, said stent being wound circumferentially around said catheter and coils of the stent being more closely wound at the proximal and/or distal end sections, and one or two release wires cooperating with restraining means so that as the release wire or wires are with-drawn proximally, the proximal and distal end sections of the stent are released in such a manner that coils of the stent unwind and the length of the unwound stent is not substantially less than the length of the portion of the unreleased stent that is not more closely wound.

Stent delivery system

This application is directed to a stent delivery system for introducing a flexible, generally cylindrical, self-expandable stent. The system comprises a catheter having distal and proximal ends, the catheter defining at least one lumen extending therethrough and having at least three longitudinally displaced openings or sets of openings extending from a lumen to the surface of the catheter; a stent which comprises a generally cylindrical, expandable structure having proximal and distal ends and a flexible member extending proximally from the proximal end of the structure, the stent being wound circumferentially around the catheter, and having restraining means holding each of the proximal and distal ends of the stent to the catheter, and one or more restraining means holding at least a portion of the flexible member to the catheter surface; and one or two release wires positioned in and extending longitudinally through at least one lumen, the release wires cooperating with the restraining means so that as the release wire or wires are withdrawn proximally, the proximal and distal end sections of the stent are released in such a manner that coils of the stent unwind.

Temporary stent system

Stents which are inserted into a body lumen preferably are made of materials which are not radiopaque enough, such as stainless steel 316L. X-ray visualization of a stent enables an accurate positioning of the stent and also a follow-up of its functioning within the patient's body. The radiopaque markers described here are rivets made of a material which is more radiopaque than the stent substance so the location of the stent can be identified. Preferably the stents are heat treated so that atoms from the stent material migrate into the marker material and vice versa.

A stent (,) is provided for having variable flexibility and stiffness along its length. The stent (,) comprises portions (,) of the stent having different bending and durability characteristics, and may be fabricated, using any of a variety of methods out of any of a variety of materials.

Variable flexibility stent

This application is directed to a stent delivery system for introducing a flexible, generally cylindrical, self-expandable stent. The system comprises a catheter having distal and proximal ends, the catheter defining at least one lumen extending therethrough and having at least three longitudinally displaced openings or sets of openings extending from a lumen to the surface of the catheter; a stent which comprises a generally cylindrical, expandable structure having proximal and distal ends and a flexible member extending proximally from the proximal end of the structure, the stent being wound circumferentially around the catheter, and having restraining members holding each of the proximal and distal ends of the stent to the catheter, and one or more restraining members holding at least a portion of the flexible member to the catheter surface; and one or two release wires positioned in and extending longitudinally through at least one lumen, the release wires cooperating with the restraining members so that as the release wire or wires are withdrawn proximally, the proximal and distal end sections of the stent are released in such a manner that coils of the stent unwind.

This application is directed to a stent delivery system for introducing a flexible, generally cylindrical, self-expandable stent. The system comprises a catheter having distal and proximal ends, the catheter defining at least one lumen extending there-through and having at least three longitudinally displaced openings or sets of openings extending from a lumen to the surface of the catheter; a stent which comprises a generally cylindrical, expandable structure having proximal and distal ends and a flexible member extending proximally from the proximal end of the structure, the stent being wound circumferentially around the catheter, and having restraining member holding each of the proximal and distal ends of the stent to the catheter, and one or more restraining member holding at least a portion of the flexible member to the catheter surface; and one or two release wires positioned in and extending longitudinally through at least one lumen, the release wires cooperating with the restraining member so that as the release wire or wires are withdrawn proximally, the proximal and distal end sections of the stent are released in such a manner that coils of the stent unwind.

This invention concerns a cystoscope delivery system for implanting a flexible, generally cylindrical, expandable stent. The system comprises a rigid or flexible sheath having distal and proximal ends, the sheath defining a central lumen and at least one secondary lumen extending therethrough and having two longitudinally displaced openings extending from a secondary lumen radially to the surface of the sheath, a rigid cystoscope comprising a distal scope member and a proximal viewing head, the distal scope member extending distally through the central lumen, a flexible, expandable stent having discrete proximal and distal ends, the stent being positioned circumferentially around the sheath, at least one release wire positioned in and extending through the secondary lumen or lumens, and two or three restraining members, two of which are positioned at respective ends of the stent and each having a restraining member extending over a respective end of the stent, the release wire or wires extending through at least one of said openings to hold one or both ends of the stent and thus to hold the stent in position, such that when the release wire or wires are pulled proximally, one or both ends of the stent are released from the restraining members to permit the stent to expand.

Cytoscope delivery system

An expandable stent and stent graft having a small initial diameter, flexibility along its longitudinal axis prior to expansion and a large expanded and rigid Local strain on the stent material is minimized, as and after the balloon is expanded. More particularly, the stent has rotation joints having minimal strain during stent expansion. The stent is substantially the same length before and after expansion and being flexible longitudinally when constrained, it is easy to locate. A method of manufacturing stents is described comprising rotation of a tube beneath a moving film, with light passing through the film onto the tube, at selected locations. A laser scanning system for stent manufacture is also disclosed.

This invention is directed to stent delivery systems. In one embodiment an apparatus for implanting a flexible, generally cylindrical, expandable stent, comprises a catheter having distal and proximal ends, the catheter defining a central lumen and a second lumen extending therethrough and having two longitudinally displaced openings extending from the second lumen radially to the surface of the catheter; a flexible, expandable stent having discrete proximal and distal ends, the stent being positioned circumferentially around the catheter and the discrete ends extending into the openings to hold the stent in position; and at least one release wire positioned in and extending through the second lumen, the release wire or wires fixedly containing at least one conically shaped pushing member capable of causing a discrete end of the stent to move radially as the release wire is moved proximally.

Growing community of inventors

Holon, Israel

Oren Globerman