IMPLANT DETACHMENT MECHANISM

Abstract

An implant holder (140) is disposed in a catheter delivery system (100). The implant holder (140) engages a portion of the implant to restrain its relative movement in axial and radial direction. The implant holder includes specific provisions in form of specifically designed thin strips (206, 306, 406, 506, 606, 706, 806) to assist in detachment of the implant from the implant holder. The thin strips are designed to utilize elastic properties of the material to store and release potential energy during the procedure.

Description

Claims

1. An implant detaching mechanism configured to detach an implant from an implant holder, comprising: a catheter having an inner shaft, a catheter shaft, a capsule, and a handle;the implant holder is attached to the inner shaft, the implant holder having at least one pin on its peripheral surface that is configured to engage an implant to the implant holder;wherein the catheter shaft is movable in the longitudinal direction and a capsule is attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the capsule is configured to cover and uncover, upon movement of the catheter shaft, the implant holder and, at least partially, the implant when the implant is engaged to the implant holder ; anda thin strip, elastic in nature, that is attached to the implant holder and located between the peripheral surface of the implant holder and the implant when the implant is engaged to the implant holder;wherein, on the capsule being moved to cover the implant holder, a force is applied on the thin strip and the implant when the implant is engaged to the implant holder;wherein, on the capsule being moved to uncover the implant holder, release of potential energy stored in the thin strip is configured to cause detachment of the implant, when the implant is engaged to the implant holder, from the pin.

2. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin strip in the implant holder is attached towards proximal side of the implant holder at a first end of the thin strip and a second, opposing, end of the thin strip is free.

3. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin strip in the implant holder is attached towards a proximal side of the implant holder at a first end of the thin strip and a second end of the thin strip is attached towards distal side of the implant holder, wherein a length of the thin strip is higher than a distance between the attached ends to the thin strip into a curved configuration.

4. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin strip in the implant holder has at least a length long enough: 1) to reach the closest peripheral surface of the pin, 2) to reach the center point of the pin, 3) to reach the farthest peripheral surface of the pin, or 4) to surpass the pin.

5. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin strip in the implant holder has an eyelet or an elongated slot on its peripheral surface that is configured to accommodate an overlapping portion of the pin on compression due to the movement of the capsule.

6. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the implant holder has a plurality of pins attached to the implant holder at equal distance in circumferential direction.

7. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the implant holder has a plurality of pins attached to the implant holder at unequal distance in circumferential direction.

8. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin strip in the implant holder has at least a step-change reduction in the thickness along its length or along its circumference.

9. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin strip in the implant holder has at least a step-change in the curvature along its length or along its circumference.

10. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin strip includes at least one second thin strip attached to the thin strip.

11. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the implant holder has a plurality of thin strips attached to the implant holder, wherein the plurality of thin strips are disposed parallel to each other.

12. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the implant holder is attached to the inner shaft, wherein the inner shaft has at least one slot extending longitudinally or circumferentially.

13. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 12, wherein the implant holder is attached to the inner shaft wherein shape of the slot is rectangular, circular, helical, oval, or irregularly shaped configuration.

14. The implant detaching mechanism as claimed in claim 12, wherein the implant holder is attached to the inner shaft wherein at least one edge of the thin strip is accommodated in the slot.

15. The implant detaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein the implant is selected from a stent, a valve, a mesh, a balloon, a patch, a drug-containing matrix, a shunt, a vena cava filter, a vascular graft, a stent graft, and/or a combination thereof.

16. The implant detaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein the pin on the implant holder has a cross-sectional shape selected from rectangular, circular, D-shaped, oval, hexagonal, pentagonal, octagonal, triangular configuration, and/or a combination thereof.

17. The implant detaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein the implant holder is made of a biocompatible material selected from a group of polymers, metals, alloys, non-metals, biodegradable materials, bioresorbable materials, and/or a combination of thereof.

18. The implant detaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein the implant holder is made of a biocompatible material selected from stainless steel, nitinol, cobalt-chromium, polyamide, polypropylene, Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and/or a combination thereof.

19. The implant detaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein the implant holder has at least one radiopaque marker on its peripheral surface.

20. A method of manufacturing the implant holder as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising the step of: setting-up a design of the implant holder in a designing instrument;carving the design on a work piece to fabricate the implant holder;finishing the implant holder by removing material from a surface of the implant holder and polishing the implant holder; andfixing the implant holder on the inner shaft.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the work piece is one of a hollow circular tube, or a solid cylinder, or a sheet, or prepared from a composition in powder form or prepared from a composition in liquid form.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the step of carving is selected from at least one of laser fabrication, chemical-etching, mechanical machining, chemical machining, metal injection molding, vacuum casting, milling, photochemical-etching, electro-discharge machining, 3D-printing technique, additive manufacturing technique or a combination thereof.