Method of forming medical devices; intravascular occlusion devices

Abstract

Abstract The present invention provides a method of forming a medical device and medical devices which can be formed in accordance with the method. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of: a) providing a metal fabric formed of a plurality of strands formed of a metal which can be heat treated to substantially set a desired shape; b) deforming the metal fabric to generally conform to a surface of a molding element; c) heat treating the metal fabric in contact with the surface of the molding element to substantially set the shape of the fabric in its deformed state; and d) removing the metal fabric from contact with the molding element. The resulting metal fabric will define a medical device which can be collapsed for passage through a catheter or the like for deployment in a channel of a patient's body. Medical devices made in accordance with this method can have varying structures. In one embodiment, the medical device (250) is carried by a guidewire (260) and has a metal fabric (270) extending between first and second ends (272, 274), one end (274) of the device (250) being adapted to slide along the guidewire (260). The metal fabric (270) has a collapsed configuration in which the ends (272, 274) of the metal fabric (270) are spaced from one another along the guidewire (260) and a preset expanded configuration in which the ends (272, 274) of the metal fabric (270) are positioned closer to one another. The metal fabric (270) will cause the device (250) to elastically substantially resume its preset expanded configuration when released from confinement within a channel in a patient's body.

Inventors

• 👤 Rudy Mazzocchi
• 👤 Timothy Claude
• 👤 James Segermark

Bibliographic Details