End sleeve coating for stent delivery

Claim 2

A stent delivery system comprising: a stent delivery catheter having an expandable portion and being equipped with at least one stent retaining sleeve, the at least one stent retaining sleeve being further characterized as having an inside diameter and an outside diameter, the inside diameter being at least partially coated with a lubricious gel which is a heat curing silicone based compound, a noncrosslinkable lubricant having at least one hydrophilic group, or a crosslinkable lubricant selected from esterified polymers, salts, amides, anhydrides, halides, ethers, hydrolyzates, acetals, formals, alkylols, quaternary polymers, diazos, hydrazides, sulfonates, nitrates, ion complexes, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 3

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the at least one stent retaining sleeve is formed of material which is first extruded and then cured, the material being at least partially coated with a lubricious substance after the material is extruded but before the material is heat cured.

Claim 4

The stent delivery system of claim 2 the at least one stent retaining sleeve further comprising a coating of dry lubricant material.

Claim 5

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the outside diameter is at least partially coated with lubricious gel.

Claim 6

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the lubricious gel includes a silicone.

Claim 7

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the lubricious gel includes a non-silicone based lubricant.

Claim 8

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the inside diameter is further characterized as having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being the portion of the inside diameter which overlays the stent on the expandable portion of the catheter, the second portion being the portion of the inside diameter which is attached to the catheter, at least the first portion being coated with a lubricious gel.

Claim 9

The stent delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the at least one sleeve is an extruded polymer.

Claim 10

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sleeve is further characterized as having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being the portion of the at least one sleeve which overlays the stent on the expandable portion of the catheter, the second portion being the portion of the at least one sleeve which is attached to the catheter, the first portion being composed of an extruded polymer in combination with the lubricious gel, there being no lubricious gel in the composition of the second portion.

Claim 11

The stent delivery system of claim 9 wherein the first portion and the second portion are bonded together.

Claim 12

The stent delivery system of claim 10 wherein the first portion and the second portion are laser bonded together.

Claim 13

The stent delivery system of claim 9 wherein the first portion and the second portion are welded together.

Claim 14

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said lubricious gel comprises a polydimethylsiloxane.

Claim 15

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said lubricious gel further comprises at least one non-crosslinkable silicone.

Claim 16

The stent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said lubricious gel comprises a blend of a non-crosslinkable polydimethylsiloxane and a crosslinkable amino-terminated polydimethylsiloxane.

Claim 17

A stent delivery system comprising: a catheter; a medical balloon mounted on the catheter, the medical balloon having a non-inflated state and being inflatable to an inflated state, the medical balloon characterized as including: a proximal end, a body portion, and a distal end; a stent disposed about at least the body portion of the medical balloon, the stent having a first end and a second end, and a pair of stent retaining sleeves, the stent retaining sleeves having an inside diameter and an outside diameter, at least a portion of the inside diameter of the sleeves being coated with a lubricious gel which is a heat curing silicone based compound, a noncrosslinkable lubricant having at least one hydrophilic group, or a crosslinkable lubricant selected from esterified polymers, salts, amides, anhydrides, halides, ethers, hydrolyzates, acetals, formals, alkylols, quaternary polymers, diazos, hydrazides, sulfonates, nitrates, ion complexes, and mixtures thereof, the sleeves being further characterized as a proximal sleeve and a distal sleeve, each sleeve having a balloon engagement end and a catheter attachment end, the balloon engagement end of the proximal sleeve overlying the proximal end of the medical balloon and the balloon engagement end of the distal sleeve overlying the distal end of the medical balloon when the balloon is in either the non-inflated or inflated states, the balloon engagement end of the proximal sleeve overlying the first end of the stent on the medical balloon when the medical balloon is in the non-inflated state and the balloon engagement end of the distal sleeve overlying the second end of the stent on the medical balloon when the medical balloon is in the non-inflated state, the balloon engagement end of the proximal sleeve and the balloon engagement end of the distal sleeve being withdrawn from the stent when the medical balloon is in the inflated state, the catheter attachment ends of the sleeves being attached to the catheter.

Claim 18

A stent delivery system comprising: a catheter; a medical balloon mounted on the catheter, the medical balloon having a non-inflated state and being inflatable to an inflated state, the medical balloon characterized as including: a proximal end, a body portion, and a distal end; a stent disposed about at least the body portion of the medical balloon, the stent having a first end and a second end, and a pair of stent retaining sleeves, the stent retaining sleeves having an inside diameter and an outside diameter, at least a portion of the inside diameter of the sleeves being coated with a lubricious gel which is a heat curing silicone based compound, a noncrosslinkable lubricant having at least one hydrophilic group, or a crosslinkable lubricant selected from esterified polymers, salts, amides, anhydrides, halides, ethers, hydrolyzates, acetals, formals, alkylols, quaternary polymers, diazos, hydrazides, sulfonates, nitrates, ion complexes, and mixtures thereof, the sleeves being further characterized as a proximal sleeve and a distal sleeve, each sleeve having a balloon engagement end and a catheter attachment end, the balloon engagement end of the proximal sleeve overlying the proximal end of the medical balloon and the balloon engagement end of the distal sleeve overlying the distal end of the medical balloon when the balloon is in either the non-inflated or inflated states, the balloon engagement end of the proximal sleeve overlying the first end of the stent on the medical balloon when the medical balloon is in the non-inflated state and the balloon engagement end of the distal sleeve overlying the second end of the stent on the medical balloon when the medical balloon is in the non-inflated state, the balloon engagement end of the proximal sleeve and the balloon engagement end of the distal sleeve being withdrawn from the stent when the medical balloon is in the inflated state, the catheter attachment ends of the sleeves being attached to the catheter.

Claim 19

The stent delivery system of claim 16 wherein the inside diameter of the balloon engagement end of each sleeve is coated with a lubricious gel.

Claim 20

A stent delivery system comprising: a stent delivery catheter which is equipped with at least one stent retaining sleeve, the at least one stent retaining sleeve having an inside layer and an outside layer, at least a portion of the inside layer having a surface which is coated with a lubricous gel.

Claim 21

A stent delivery system comprising: a stent delivery catheter which is equipped with at least one stent retaining sleeve, the at least one stent retaining sleeve having an inside layer and an outside layer, at least a portion of the inside layer having a surface which is coated with a lubricous gel.

Claim 22

The stent delivery system of claim 18 wherein the at least a portion of the inside layer is at least partially composed of a lubricious gel.

Claim 23

The stent delivery system of claim 18 further including an intermediate layer, the intermediate layer having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface attached to the at least a portion of the inside layer having a surface which is lubricious, the second surface attached to the outside layer.

Claim 24

The stent delivery catheter of claim 20 wherein the intermediate layer is composed of anhydride modified linear low density polyethylene.

Claim 25

The stent delivery system of claim 18 wherein said lubricious gel comprises a polydimethylsiloxane.

Claim 26

The stent delivery system of claim 18 wherein said lubricious gel further comprises at least one non-crosslinkable silicone.

Claim 27

The stent delivery system of claim 18 wherein said lubricious gel comprises a blend of a non-crosslinkable polydimethylsiloxane and a crosslinkable amino-terminated polydimethylsiloxane.

Claim 28

A stent delivery system having a stent delivery catheter, the stent delivery catheter having an inflatable portion and a stent disposed thereabout, the stent delivery catheter being further equipped with a pair of stent retaining sleeves, the stent retaining sleeves each comprising: a stent retaining portion, the stent retaining portion overlying at least an end of the stent as well as an end of the inflatable portion when the inflatable portion is in a non-inflated state, the stent retaining portion having a surface which includes a lubricious gel which is a heat curing silicone based compound, a noncrosslinkable lubricant having at least one hydrophilic group, or a crosslinkable lubricant selected from esterified polymers, salts, amides, anhydrides, halides, ethers, hydrolyzates, acetals, formals, alkylols, quaternary polymers, diazos, hydrazides, sulfonates, nitrates, ion complexes, and mixtures thereof; a catheter attachment portion, the catheter attachment portion being attached to the catheter.

Claim 29

A stent delivery system having a stent delivery catheter, the stent delivery catheter having an inflatable portion and a stent disposed thereabout, the stent delivery catheter being further equipped with a pair of stent retaining sleeves, the stent retaining sleeves each comprising: a stent retaining portion, the stent retaining portion overlying at least an end of the stent as well as an end of the inflatable portion when the inflatable portion is in a non-inflated state, the stent retaining portion having a surface which includes a lubricious gel which is a heat curing silicone based compound, a noncrosslinkable lubricant having at least one hydrophilic group, or a crosslinkable lubricant selected from esterified polymers, salts, amides, anhydrides, halides, ethers, hydrolyzates, acetals, formals, alkylols, quaternary polymers, diazos, hydrazides, sulfonates, nitrates, ion complexes, and mixtures thereof; a catheter attachment portion, the catheter attachment portion being attached to the catheter.

Claim 30

The stent delivery system of claim 25 wherein the lubricious gel is a coating.

Claim 31

The stent delivery system of claim 25 wherein the catheter attachment portion is attached to the catheter by a chemical bond.

Claim 32

The stent delivery system of claim 25 wherein stent retaining portion and the catheter attachment portion are attached with a weld.

Claim 33

The stent delivery system of claim 25 wherein the stent retaining portion has an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer characterized as being lubricious.

Claim 34

The stent delivery system of claim 29 further comprising an intermediate layer, the intermediate layer having a first surface attached to the inner layer and a second surface attached to the outer layer.

Claim 35

The stent delivery system of claim 30 wherein the catheter attachment portion is attached to the catheter by a weld.

Claim 36

The stent delivery system of claim 31 wherein the weld is a thermal, chemical or laser weld.

Claim 39

The method of manufacturing a tube which is suitable for constructing stent retaining sleeves of claim 33 further comprising the step of: applying a layer of dry lubricant over the lubricious material after the tube has been heat cured.

Claim 40

The method of manufacturing a tube of claim 34 wherein the dry lubricant is parylene or modified tungsten disulfide.

Claim 43

The method of manufacturing a tube of claim 36 wherein the dry lubricant is parylene or modified tungsten disulfide.

Claim 44

The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of applying a lubricious gel coating prior to applying said dry lubricant to said sleeve material.