Claims
- 1. A stent delivery system comprising:
a catheter including a stent mounting region, the stent mounting region being inflatable from a first inflation state to a second inflation state; a stent disposed about the stent mounting region of the catheter, the stent having a distal end and a proximal end, the stent further having a first expanded state and a second expanded state, and at least one stent retaining sleeve, the at least one stent retaining sleeve having a first end and a second end, the first end overlying an end of the stent prior to the stent being placed in the second expanded state, the second end engaged to at least a portion of the catheter adjacent to the stent mounting region, the at least one stent retaining sleeve constructed and arranged to longitudinally foreshorten from a first predetermined length in the first inflation state to a second predetermined length in the second inflation state, the second predetermined length being more than 5 percent shorter than the first predetermined length, further wherein in the second inflation state the stent is in the second expanded state and the first end of the at least one stent retaining sleeve is retracted off of the stent thereby releasing the stent from the catheter.
- 2. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the second predetermined length is at least 10 percent shorter than the first predetermined length.
- 3. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the second predetermined length is at least 20 percent shorter than the first predetermined length.
- 4. The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sleeve is constructed from a combination of a matrix of a matrix material and at least one elongate stripe of a stripe material, the at least one elongate stripe being engaged to the matrix.
- 5. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the matrix material and the stripe material have different material characteristics.
- 6. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the at least one elongate stripe is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve in an unexpanded state.
- 7. The stent delivery system of claim 6 wherein the at least one elongate stripe has a length substantially equal to that of the matrix.
- 8. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the at least one elongate stripe is characterized as being oriented in a helical manner relative to the matrix.
- 9. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the at least one stripe extends back and forth in a repeating manner from the first end of the at least one sleeve to the second end of the at least one sleeve at a predetermined angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve.
- 10. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the at least one stripe comprises a first stripe and a second stripe,
the first stripe extending back and forth in a repeating manner from the first end of the at least one sleeve to a middle portion of the at least one sleeve at a predetermined angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve, the second stripe extending back and forth in a repeating manner from the second end of the at least one sleeve to the middle portion of the at least one sleeve at a second predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve.
- 11. The stent delivery system of claim 10 wherein the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are the same.
- 12. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the at least one elongate stripe of the stripe material is constructed of a plurality of fibers of the stripe material woven together to form an at least one braid.
- 13. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the at least one elongate stripe is a plurality of stripes.
- 14. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the plurality of elongate stripes is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve in an unexpanded state.
- 15. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the plurality of elongate stripes is oriented in a helical manner relative to the matrix.
- 16. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of elongate stripes extend back and forth from the first end of the at least one sleeve to the second end of the at least one sleeve, each of the plurality of elongate stripes being disposed at a predetermined angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve.
- 17. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of elongate stripes has a predetermined length different from one another.
- 18. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of elongate stripes are distributed throughout the matrix in a uniform manner.
- 19. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of elongate stripes have a uniform orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve.
- 20. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of elongate stripes are distributed throughout the matrix randomly.
- 21. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of elongate stripes have a uniform orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve.
- 22. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of elongate stripes are distributed randomly throughout the matrix.
- 23. The stent delivery system of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of elongate stripes have a randomly determined orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one sleeve.
- 24. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the at least one elongate stripe is substantially enclosed by the matrix.
- 25. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the matrix has an outside surface, the at least one elongate stripe being engaged to the outside surface of the matrix.
- 26. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the matrix has an inside surface, the at least one elongate stripe being engaged to the inside surface of the matrix.
- 27. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the matrix material further comprises a plurality of matrix layers, each of the plurality of matrix layers being a different material.
- 28. The stent delivery system of claim 27 wherein the plurality of matrix layers comprise an inner matrix layer and an outer matrix layer.
- 29. The stent delivery system of claim 28 wherein the at least one elongate stripe is positioned between at least a portion of the inner matrix layer and the outer matrix layer.
- 30. The stent delivery system of claim 28 wherein the plurality of matrix layers further comprise an intermediate matrix layer positioned between the inner matrix layer and the outer matrix layer, the at least one elongate stripe being substantially enclosed within the intermediate matrix material.
- 31. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the matrix material is selected from at least one member of the group consisting of: styrenic block copolymers, polyurethanes, silicone rubber, natural rubber, copolyesters, polyamides, EPDM rubber/polyolefin, nitril rubber/PVC, fluoroelastomers, butyl rubber, epichlorohydrin, and any combinations thereof.
- 32. The stent delivery system of claim 4 wherein the stripe material is selected from at least one member of the group consisting of: liquid crystal polymers, polyolefins, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers, polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylate, vinyl acetate polymer, cellulose plastics, polyurethanes, polyethylene terephthalate, polyacetal, polyethers, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyphenylene sulfide, polyarylethersulfones, polyaryletherketones, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethyleneterephthalate, nylon, metal, carbon, glass and any combinations thereof.
- 33. A stent retaining sleeve for retaining one or more stent ends on a balloon catheter comprising:
a tubular member composed of a matrix material and at least one elongate stripe of a stripe material, the tubular member having a first inflation state and a second inflation state; the tubular member having a first end and a second end, the first end constructed and arranged to overlay at least one end of a stent prior to being placed in the second inflation state, the second end constructed and arranged to be in contact with at least a portion of a catheter adjacent to the stent, the tubular member constructed and arranged to longitudinally foreshorten from a first predetermined length in the first inflation state to a second predetermined length in the second inflation state, the second predetermined length being more than 5 percent shorter than the first predetermined length.
- 34. A stent delivery system comprising:
a catheter including a balloon, the balloon having a stent mounting region, a first balloon cone and a second balloon, each of the balloon cones being continuous with and immediately adjacent to an end of the stent mounting region, the balloon being inflatable from a first inflation state to a second inflation state; a stent disposed about the stent mounting region of the catheter, the stent having a distal end and a proximal end, the stent further having a first expanded state and a second expanded state, and a pair of stent retaining sleeves, each of the stent retaining sleeves having a first end and a second end, the first end overlying an end of the stent prior to the stent being placed in the second expanded state, the second end engaged to at least a portion of the catheter adjacent to the respective balloon, each of the stent retaining sleeves constructed and arranged to longitudinally foreshorten from a first predetermined length in the first inflation state to a second predetermined length in the second inflation state, the second predetermined length being more than 5 percent shorter than the first predetermined length, further wherein in the second inflation state the stent is in the second expanded state and the first end of each of the sleeves is retracted off of the stent thereby releasing the stent from the catheter.
- 35. The stent delivery system of claim 34 wherein in the second inflation state at least a portion of each of the sleeves overlays at least a portion of the respective balloon cone.
- 36. The stent delivery system of claim 35 wherein in the second inflation state each of the sleeves is retracted completely off of the balloon.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application is a Continuation in part application claiming priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 09/750,934, filed Dec. 29, 2000, which in-turn claims priority from U.S. Ser. No. 09/668,496, filed Sep. 22, 2000. The entire contents of both applications being incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] Not Applicable
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09750934 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
09829295 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09668496 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Child |
09750934 |
Dec 2000 |
US |