Claims
- 1. An implantable medical endoprosthesis bumper having a retainer configured to interdigitate with a cell of an implantable medical endoprosthesis to unidirectionally position the implantable medical endoprosthesis with respect to the bumper.
- 2. The implantable medical endoprosthesis bumper of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical endoprosthesis bumper includes a bumper body, and the retainer protrudes radially from the bumper body.
- 3. The implantable medical endoprosthesis bumper of claim 2, wherein the retainer comprises a flap that protrudes radially from the bumper body.
- 4. The implantable medical endoprosthesis of claim 2, wherein the retainer comprises a hook, a spike, or a barb.
- 5. The implantable medical endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises a wax.
- 6. The implantable medical endoprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the retainer is capable of flexing to interdigitate with the cell or to disengage from the cell.
- 7. A catheter having an implantable medical endoprosthesis bumper, the bumper including a retainer configured to interdigitate with a cell of an implantable medical endoprosthesis to unidirectionally position the implantable medical endoprosthesis with respect to the bumper.
- 8. An implantable medical endoprosthesis delivery system, comprising:
a catheter having an implantable medical endoprosthesis bumper, the bumper including a retainer configured to interdigitate with a cell of an implantable medical endoprosthesis to unidirectionally position the implantable medical endoprosthesis with respect to the bumper; and a sheath at least partially surrounding the catheter, wherein the catheter and the sheath are configured so that the implantable medical endoprosthesis can be disposed therebetween.
- 9. The endoprosthesis delivery system of claim 8, further comprising the implantable medical endoprosthesis between the catheter and the sheath.
- 10. A method of positioning an implantable medical endoprosthesis on a catheter, the method comprising:
unidirectionally positioning the implantable medical endoprosthesis with respect to the catheter without reducing a diameter of the implantable medical endoprosthesis.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the catheter comprises a bumper including a retainer configured to interdigitate with a cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis.
- 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the catheter comprises a catheter body including a retainer configured to interdigitate with a cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis.
- 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the implantable medical endoprosthesis has a partially open cell, and unidirectionally positioning the implantable medical endoprosthesis with respect to the catheter comprises flexing the partially open cell to interdigitate the partially open cell with the retainer.
- 14. A method of positioning an implantable medical endoprosthesis on a catheter, the method comprising:
interdigitating a cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with a retainer of the catheter without reducing a diameter of the implantable medical endoprosthesis.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the catheter comprises a bumper including the retainer.
- 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the bumper includes a bumper body, and the retainer protrudes radially from the bumper body.
- 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the catheter includes a catheter body comprising the retainer.
- 18. The method of claim 14, wherein interdigitating a cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with a retainer of the catheter comprises expanding the retainer from a first size to a second size.
- 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the retainer comprises a wax and interdigitating a cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with the retainer comprises molding the wax to extend into the cell.
- 20. A method of positioning an implantable medical endoprosthesis on a catheter, the method comprising:
moving the implantable medical endoprosthesis in a longitudinal direction of the catheter to interdigitate a cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with the catheter without reducing a diameter of the implantable medical endoprosthesis.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the catheter comprises a bumper including the retainer configure to interdigitate the cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the bumper includes a bumper body, and the retainer protrudes radially from the bumper body.
- 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the catheter comprises a catheter body including the retainer.
- 24. A method of positioning an implantable medical endoprosthesis on a catheter, the method comprising:
interdigitating a partially open cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with a retainer of the catheter.
- 25. The method of claim 24, wherein interdigitating a partially open cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with a retainer of the catheter comprises flexing the partially open cell.
- 26. The method of claim 24, wherein interdigitating a partially open cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with a retainer of the catheter comprises expanding the retainer.
- 27. The method of claim 24, wherein the retainer comprises a wax and interdigitating a cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with the retainer comprises molding the wax to extend into the cell.
- 28. A method of positioning an implantable medical endoprosthesis on catheter, the method comprising:
expanding a retainer of the catheter to interdigitate a cell of the implantable medical endoprosthesis with the catheter.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the retainer comprises a shape memory material.
- 30. The method of claim 28, wherein the retainer comprises a swellable material.
- 31. The method of claim 28, further comprising disposing the implantable medical endoprosthesis over the retainer prior to expanding the retainer.
- 32. The method of claim 28, wherein the catheter comprises an implantable medical endoprosthesis bumper comprising the retainer.
- 33. The method of claim 28, wherein the catheter comprises a catheter body comprising the retainer.
- 34. A catheter having a catheter body, the catheter body including a retainer configured to interdigitate with a cell of an implantable medical endoprosthesis to unidirectionally position the implantable medical endoprosthesis with respect to the catheter body.
- 35. The catheter of claim 34, wherein the retainer protrudes radially from the catheter body.
- 36. The catheter of claim 34, wherein the retainer is capable of flexing to interdigitate with the cell or to disengage from the cell.
- 37. An implantable medical endoprosthesis delivery system, comprising:
a catheter having a catheter body, the catheter body including a retainer configured to interdigitate with a cell of an implantable medical endoprosthesis to unidirectionally position the implantable medical endoprosthesis with respect to the catheter body; and a sheath at least partially surrounding the catheter, wherein the catheter and the sheath are configured so that the implantable medical endoprosthesis can be disposed therebetween.
- 38. An implantable medical endoprosthesis having first and second ends along a longitudinal direction, and a plurality of cells including a partially open cell located at the first end, wherein the partially open cell is capable of flexing in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction.
- 39. The implantable medical endoprosthesis of claim 38, wherein the partially open cell is capable of interdigitating with a retainer of a stent bumper.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, co-pending and commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/411,645, filed on Apr. 11, 2003, and entitled “Stent Delivery System With Securement and Deployment Accuracy Features”, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10411645 |
Apr 2003 |
US |
Child |
10822251 |
Apr 2004 |
US |