Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a tubular stent of open weave construction having an axial length and a predetermined normal configuration and being radially compressible to a reduced-radius configuration to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a treatment site within the body lumen; and a continuous elastomeric film formed axially along the stent and having an axial length, said continuous film circumscribing the stent over substantially the entirety of said axial length to define a barrier region of the stent to substantially prevent growth of tissue through the stent along the barrier region, said axial length of said film being at least about one-third the axial length of the stent; and wherein a portion of the open weave construction of the stent is substantially free of the continuous film to provide a fixation region of the stent for positively fixing the stent within the body lumen at the treatment site, by radial expansion of the stent into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
181 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a tubular stent of open weave construction having an axial length and a predetermined normal configuration and being radially compressible to a reduced-radius configuration to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a treatment site within the body lumen; and a continuous elastomeric film formed axially along the stent and having an axial length, said continuous film circumscribing the stent over substantially the entirety of said axial length to define a barrier region of the stent to substantially prevent growth of tissue through the stent along the barrier region, said axial length of said film being at least about one-third the axial length of the stent; and wherein a portion of the open weave construction of the stent is substantially free of the continuous film to provide a fixation region of the stent for positively fixing the stent within the body lumen at the treatment site, by radial expansion of the stent into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The device of claim 1 wherein: the stent is elastic, tending to assume the reduced-radius configuration in response to the application of an external force, and tending to assume the normal configuration in the absence of the external force.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 2 wherein: the film reinforces the stent along the barrier region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The device of claim 3 wherein: the film is formed of silicone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device of claim 3 wherein: the fixation region of the stent tends to exert a lower restoring force in its return toward the normal configuration, as compared to the barrier region of the stent, upon removal of the external force.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The device of claim 5 wherein: the barrier region requires at least one hour to return toward the normal configuration when encountering a tumor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The device of claim 2 wherein: the stent comprises a mesh formed of braided helical strands.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The device of claim 7 wherein: a braid angle, defined as the angle between two intersecting helical strands and encompassing a longitudinal axis of the stent, is approximately 70 degrees.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device of claim 2 wherein: said fixation region is comprised of a proximal cuff and a distal cuff, and the barrier region is comprised of a medial sleeve of the stent between the proximal and distal cuffs.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 9 wherein: the stent is formed of braided helical strands, with opposite ends of the strands at proximal and distal ends of the stent bent radially inward.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device of claim 1 wherein: the barrier region has a diameter less than the diameter of the fixation region when the stent is in the normal configuration.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The device of claim 1 wherein: said continuous film reinforces the stent along the barrier region.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
190 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a flexible tubular stent having a predetermined normal configuration and being radially elastically compressible responsive to the application of an external force to a reduced-radius configuration to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a selected treatment site in the body lumen; said stent, following removal of said external force, tending to radially self-expand into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen, thereby to fix the stent within the body lumen; and an elastically deformable reinforcement sleeve means integral with the stent, disposed axially along the stent and substantially surrounding the stent over a reinforced region of the stent, said reinforced region requiring at least one hour to return to the normal configuration after removal of the external force; wherein a portion of the stent is substantially free the reinforcement sleeve means to provide a fixation region of the stent, and the fixation region, as compared to the reinforced and with less restoring force region, tends to radially self-expand with less restoring force upon removal of said external force.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
190 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a flexible tubular stent having a predetermined normal configuration and being radially elastically compressible responsive to the application of an external force to a reduced-radius configuration to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a selected treatment site in the body lumen; said stent, following removal of said external force, tending to radially self-expand into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen, thereby to fix the stent within the body lumen; and an elastically deformable reinforcement sleeve means integral with the stent, disposed axially along the stent and substantially surrounding the stent over a reinforced region of the stent, said reinforced region requiring at least one hour to return to the normal configuration after removal of the external force; wherein a portion of the stent is substantially free the reinforcement sleeve means to provide a fixation region of the stent, and the fixation region, as compared to the reinforced and with less restoring force region, tends to radially self-expand with less restoring force upon removal of said external force.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The device of claim 13 wherein: the elastic reinforcing means comprises a polymeric film.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device of claim 14 wherein: the polymeric film is a silicone film.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device of claim 13 wherein: the fixation region is comprised of proximal and distal cuffs, and the reinforced region is comprised of a medial region of the stent between the proximal and distal cuffs.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device of claim 16 wherein: the proximal and distal cuffs have diameters larger than the diameter of the medial region when the stent is in the normal configuration.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
209 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a tubular elastic stent of open weave construction having a predetermined normal configuration and being radially compressible to a reduced-radius configuration in response to the application of an external force to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a treatment site within the body lumen, and tending to assume the normal configuration in the absence of the external force; and a continuous elastic polymeric film formed axially along the stent and circumscribing the stent over a barrier region of the stent to substantially prevent growth of tissue through the stent along the barrier region, said film reinforcing the stent along the barrier region; and wherein a portion of the stent is substantially free of the continuation film to provide a fixation region of the stent for positively fixing the stent within the body lumen at the treatment site, by radial expansion of the stent into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen, with the fixation region of the stent tending to exert a lower restoring force in its return toward a normal configuration, as compared to the barrier region of the stent, upon removal of the external force.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
209 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a tubular elastic stent of open weave construction having a predetermined normal configuration and being radially compressible to a reduced-radius configuration in response to the application of an external force to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a treatment site within the body lumen, and tending to assume the normal configuration in the absence of the external force; and a continuous elastic polymeric film formed axially along the stent and circumscribing the stent over a barrier region of the stent to substantially prevent growth of tissue through the stent along the barrier region, said film reinforcing the stent along the barrier region; and wherein a portion of the stent is substantially free of the continuation film to provide a fixation region of the stent for positively fixing the stent within the body lumen at the treatment site, by radial expansion of the stent into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen, with the fixation region of the stent tending to exert a lower restoring force in its return toward a normal configuration, as compared to the barrier region of the stent, upon removal of the external force.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
173 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a tubular elastic stent of open weave construction tending to assume a predetermined normal configuration in the absence of an external force and being radially compressible to a reduced-radius configuration in response to an application of the external force to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a treatment site within the body lumen; and a continuous elastomeric film formed axially along the stent and having an axial length, said continuous film circumscribing the stent over substantially the entirety of said axial length to define a barrier region of the stent to substantially prevent growth of tissue through the stent along the barrier region; wherein a portion of the stent is substantially free of the continuous film to provide a fixation region of the stent for positively fixing the stent within the body lumen at the treatment site, by radial expansion of the stent into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
173 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a tubular elastic stent of open weave construction tending to assume a predetermined normal configuration in the absence of an external force and being radially compressible to a reduced-radius configuration in response to an application of the external force to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a treatment site within the body lumen; and a continuous elastomeric film formed axially along the stent and having an axial length, said continuous film circumscribing the stent over substantially the entirety of said axial length to define a barrier region of the stent to substantially prevent growth of tissue through the stent along the barrier region; wherein a portion of the stent is substantially free of the continuous film to provide a fixation region of the stent for positively fixing the stent within the body lumen at the treatment site, by radial expansion of the stent into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device of claim 19 wherein: said fixation region, as compared to the barrier region, tends to radially self-expand with less restoring force upon removal of the external force.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
The device of claim 19 wherein: said barrier region requires at least one hour to return to the predetermined normal configuration after removal of the external force.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
37 words
The device of claim 19 wherein: said tubular elastic stent has an axial length, and the axial length of the continuous elastomeric film is at least about one-third of the axial length of said tubular elastic stent.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
188 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a tubular stent of open weave construction having a predetermined normal configuration and being radially compressible to a reduced-radius configuration to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a treatment site within the body lumen; and a continuous elastomeric film formed axially along the stent and having an axial length, said continuous film circumscribing the stent over substantially the entirety of said axial length to define a barrier region of the stent to substantially prevent growth of tissue through the stent along the barrier region; wherein a portion of the stent is substantially free of the continuous film to provide a fixation region of the stent for positively fixing the stent within the body lumen at the treatment site, by radial expansion of the stent into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen; and wherein the barrier region and the fixation region have respective first and second diameters when the stent is in the predetermined normal configuration, with said first diameter being less than the second diameter.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
188 words
A device for fixation in a body lumen, including: a tubular stent of open weave construction having a predetermined normal configuration and being radially compressible to a reduced-radius configuration to facilitate an axial insertion of the stent into a body lumen for delivery to a treatment site within the body lumen; and a continuous elastomeric film formed axially along the stent and having an axial length, said continuous film circumscribing the stent over substantially the entirety of said axial length to define a barrier region of the stent to substantially prevent growth of tissue through the stent along the barrier region; wherein a portion of the stent is substantially free of the continuous film to provide a fixation region of the stent for positively fixing the stent within the body lumen at the treatment site, by radial expansion of the stent into a surface engagement with a tissue wall segment defining the body lumen; and wherein the barrier region and the fixation region have respective first and second diameters when the stent is in the predetermined normal configuration, with said first diameter being less than the second diameter.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device of claim 23 wherein: said tubular stent has an axial length, and the axial length of the continuous elastomeric film is at least about one-third of the axial length of said tubular stent.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
45 words
The device of claim 23 wherein: said tubular stent is radially elastically compressible under an external force, and fixation region, as compared to the barrier region, tends to radially self-expand toward the predetermined normal configuration with less restoring force upon removal of the external force.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
The device of claim 25 wherein: said barrier region requires at least one hour to return to the predetermined normal configuration after removal of the external force.