EP0701800A1
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EP
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Method and apparatus for recapture of hooked endoprosthesis
Assignee: CR Bard Inc
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Filing: 1995-09-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-09-15
Abstract
Abstract An endoprosthesis assembly 10 adapted to be securely positioned within a body lumen is provided with one or more hooks 24 adapted to engage tissue that defines the body lumen. The endoprosthesis includes a resilient self-expanding anchor 14 attached to the tubular graft. The anchor hooks carried by the anchor are constructed to enable the endoprosthesis to be recaptured in a delivery device to enable repositioning or removal of the endoprosthesis and any time prior to complete deployment of the endoprosthesis in the patient.
Inventors
- 👤 Clifford J. Dwyer
- 👤 Timothy Robinson
- 👤 Michael Weiser
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 08:12
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/04; A61F2/06; A61F2/07; A61F2/95; A61F2/9522; A61F2/82; A61F2/848; A61F2/86; A61F2/89; A61F2002/075; A61F2002/825; A61F2002/8486; A61F2002/9528; A61F2/962; A61F2/966; A61F2002/9665; A61F2220/00; A61F2220/0008; A61F2220/0016; A61F2220/0025; A61F2220/0075
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
A vascular endoprosthesis adapted to be delivered into and deployed in a blood vessel by a delivery device that includes a tubular sheath at its distal end, the endoprosthesis comprising: a tubular elongate graft having proximal and distal ends; a resiliently expandable anchor assembly having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis, the anchor assembly being attached to the graft, the anchor assembly being radially expandable and contractible between an expanded position in which it supports the tubular graft in an open configuration and a radially contracted configuration in which the anchor assembly has a substantially reduced cross-sectionial profile to enable the endoprosthesis to be radially contracted and contained within the delivery sheath; at least one hook attached to the anchor assembly and arranged to project radially outwardly, the hooks being mounted to the anchor assembly so that when the anchor assembly is in its expanded position, the hooks will be disposed radially outwardly of the graft and when the anchor is in a contracted configuration, the hooks can be disposed radially inward of and be contained within the delivery sheath.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
20 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the hooks are movable between their radially outward and inward configurations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the hooks are movable between their configurations in response to relative movement in proximal and distal directions between the anchor assembly and the delivery sheath.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 3 further comprising: the anchor assembly including at least one hook support; a hook being formed on the distal end of each hook support; each hook support having a cam element thereon located to cooperatively engage with the sheath to move the hook support radially when the sheath is moved relative to the anchor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 4 wherein the cam element comprises at least one transverse extensions carried by the hook support proximally of the hook, each transverse extensions being oriented to engage the distal end of the sheath when the sheath is advanced distally toward the hooks, each transverse extension being configured to urge its associated hook support radially inwardly in response to engagement by the sheath.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 5 wherein the transverse extensions are defined by opposed portions of an S-shaped bend formed in the hook support.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the length of the transverse extensions is selected with respect to the radially extending length of the hook and the inner diameter of the sheath so that when the ends of the extensions are within the sheath and in engagement with the inner lumen of the sheath, the hooks will be disposed radially within the lumen of the sheath.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in any one of the preceding claims further comprising, in combination, said sheath.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
94 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 4 wherein the hook support comprises a wire-like member attached to the anchor and including a camming portion that diverges radially outwardly from the anchor in a distal direction, an offset portion connected to the distal end of the camming portion, the offset portion extending in a radially inward direction relative to the camming portion and an extension portion attached to the distal end of the offset portion, the hook being disposed at the distal end of the extension portion; the camming portion comprising said cam element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 7 wherein each of the camming, offset and extension portions of an individual hook support lies in substantially a single plane that, in turn, extends in a generally radial direction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 9 or claim 10 further comprising the hook support being constructed and arranged and attached to the anchor assembly so that its distal end and the hook carried thereby are disposed distally beyond the distal end of the anchor assembly.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 9 or claim 10 further comprising the hook support and anchor assembly being constructed and arranged so that the distal end of the extension portion and the hook carried thereby are disposed proximally of the distal end of the anchor assembly.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in any one of the preceding claims further comprising: the hook being mounted to the anchor assembly so that when the anchor assembly is in its contracted configuration, the hook will be offset radially inwardly of the anchor assembly whereby when the anchor assembly is contained within a sheath, the hooks will be disposed radially inwardly of the surface of the sheath lumen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
82 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 4 further comprising: the hook support having a distal end that is radially inwardly offset with respect to the anchor, the radially outwardly hook being formed at said distal end; the anchor assembly, when expanded, being oriented so that the hook at the end of the hook support is disposed radially outwardly of the other portions of the endoprosthesis to enable the hook to facilitate engagement of the blood vessel when the endoprosthesis is deployed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
75 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 4 further comprising: the anchor having a plurality of hook supports attached thereto and spaced circumferentially about the anchor; at least two of the hook supports having their cam elements disposed in longitudinally spaced relation relative to the anchor assembly whereby the camming elements can engage the sheath sequentially thereby to effect sequential radially inward movement of the hooks as the sheath is advanced over the anchor assembly.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 15 wherein the camming elements are arranged to cause the hooks to move radially inwardly in a circumferentially progressive sequence.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 15 wherein the camming elements are arranged to effect a sequence that is not circumferentially progressive.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
48 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined ink any one of the preceding claims wherein the hooks are mounted to the anchor assembly by means comprising: the hooks being pivotally mounted to the distal end of the anchor assembly; and means for biasing the hooks in a radially outward direction.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
61 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in claim 18 further comprising: the means for biasing the hooks comprising a helical spring wrapped about a portion of the anchor assembly, the spring having a tail at each end, one of the tails being attached securely to the anchor assembly, the other tail having a radially outwardly extending hook formed at its distal end.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the distal end of the anchor assembly is defined by a plurality of distal bends, the helical spring being wrapped about the distal bends.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
138 words
A vascular endoprosthesis and a delivery device therefor comprising, in combination: a delivery device including a sheath having a distal end adapted to receive the endoprosthesis; the endoprosthesis comprising a tubular graft having proximal and distal ends and an anchor assembly having proximal and distal ends, the anchor assembly having a plurality of radially outwardly projecting hooks at its distal end; the endoprosthesis being expandable and contractible between deployed and a delivery configurations; the distal end of the sheath having a radially extending flange adapted to engage and underlie the radially extending hooks, the radial width of the flange being no less than the radial dimension of the hooks whereby when the endoprosthesis is contained within the sheath the radially extending hooks will be in engagement with the flange and will not protrude radially outwardly from the flange.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
A device as defined in claim 21 wherein the surface of the flange is contoured to mate with the shape of the hooks.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
73 words
An endovascular prosthesis and delivery device as defined in claim 21 wherein the delivery device comprises an inner sheath and an outer sheath, the inner sheath being receivable within the outer sheath, the inner sheath having said flange formed thereon whereby when the anchor is contained within the inner sheath and its hooks are in engagement with the radial flange, the entire inner sheath and endoprosthesis can be withdrawn into the outer sheath.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
84 words
A vascular endoprosthesis comprising: a flexible tubular graft having proximal and distal ends; an anchor assembly attached to the graft, the anchor assembly having a proximal end, a distal end and an axial length at least equal to that of the graft, at least the proximal end and distal end of the anchor assembly being resiliently expandable and connected to each other by at least two longitudinal struts that are oriented askew to the axis of the anchor assembly when the assembly is expanded.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
72 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein the ends of the anchor assembly include anchors formed from wire arranged in a zigzag, generally tubular configuration of alternating anchor segments and bends, each of the anchor segments being arranged skewed to the longitudinal axis of the anchors when the anchors are expanded, the ends of each of the longitudinal struts being attached to and defining extensions of one of the anchor segments.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
An endoprosthesis as defined in claims 24 or 25 further comprising: the struts comprising a core wire and a wire helically wound about the core.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
An endoprosthesis as defined in claim 26 further comprising: a polymeric layer extending over the helical wire along the strut.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
53 words
An endoprosthesis as defined in claim 27 wherein the polymeric material is heat bondable; the polymeric layer being formed from a material that is heat bondable to the graft, the anchor assembly being attached to the graft by heat bonding at least portions of the polymeric layer of the struts to the graft.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
107 words
A vascular endoprosthesis as defined in, any one of the preceding claims wherein the hooks have a configuration comprising: a bight portion that extends from the hook support and terminates in a sharp tip, the tip being defined by three facets formed at the end of the bight, including a middle facet and a pair of side facets, the middle and side facets merging together to define the sharp tip of the hook, the middle facet being oriented such that, when the anchor assembly is contained within the sheath, the middle facet will lie in a plane that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sheath.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
An endoprosthesis as defined in claim 29 wherein the throat of the hook is of the order of 0.030 inches and the length of the middle facet is about 0.025 inches.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
116 words
A device for positioning a radially expandable endoprosthesis within a body lumen comprising: a tubular sheath for receiving the endoprosthesis in a low profile, radially contracted configuration; an elongate tubular member extending through the sheath and protruding distally beyond the distal end of the sheath, the sheath being movable longitudinally with respect to the elongate member; an endoprosthesis retainer carried by the inner member and constructed to engage and retain the proximal end of the endoprosthesis while the proximal end of the endoprosthesis is disposed within the sheath; the tubular member being formed from an alloy having superelastic characteristics throughout the range of body temperatures in which the device will be inserted into the body lumen.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
14 words
A device as defined in claim 31 wherein said alloy comprises a nickel-titanium alloy.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
38 words
A device as defined in claim 31 wherein the retainer includes a stay adapted to engage the proximal end of the endoprosthesis, the stay having a flow passage formed therethrough to facilitate flow of liquid through the sheath.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
80 words
A device for positioning a radially expandable endoprosthesis within a body lumen of a living human comprising: a carrier for receiving and maintaining the endoprosthesis in a low profile, radially contracted configuration; an elongate tubular member extending through the carrier member and protruding distally beyond the distal end of the carrier member; the tubular member being formed from an alloy having superelastic characteristics throughout the range of body temperatures in which the device will be inserted into the body lumen.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
14 words
A device as defined in claim 34 wherein the alloy comprises a nickel-titanium alloy.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
133 words
A device for positioning a radially expandable endoprosthesis within a body lumen of a living human comprising: a tubular sheath for receiving the endoprosthesis in a low profile, radially contracted configuration; an elongate tubular member extending through the sheath and protruding distally beyond the distal end of the sheath, the sheath being movable longitudinally with respect to the elongate member; the tubular member having sufficient longitudinal column strength to substantially enhance the ability of the device to be pushed through the body lumen while being longitudinally flexible to enable the tubular member to conform to the tortuous bends in the anatomy of the body lumen, the tubular member being formed from an alloy having superelastic characteristics throughout the range of body temperatures in which the device will be inserted into the body lumen.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
14 words
A device as defined in claim 36 wherein said alloy comprises a nickel-titanium alloy.
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