US6514281B1 — System for delivering bifurcation stents

Claim 1

Independent Claim 114 words

A stent deployment system, comprising: a tubular member having a first end and a second end and a generally longitudinal opening between the first and second ends, the tubular member having an inner periphery sized to receive a stent therein and further comprising a first branch portion, a second branch portion, and a trunk portion coupled to the first and second branch portions; a stent received within the inner periphery of the tubular member; a plurality of apertures disposed on the tubular member; and an elongate retainer removably receivable within the apertures to retain the stent in the tubular member and to release the stent from the tubular member when removed from the apertures.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 114 words

A stent deployment system, comprising: a tubular member having a first end and a second end and a generally longitudinal opening between the first and second ends, the tubular member having an inner periphery sized to receive a stent therein and further comprising a first branch portion, a second branch portion, and a trunk portion coupled to the first and second branch portions; a stent received within the inner periphery of the tubular member; a plurality of apertures disposed on the tubular member; and an elongate retainer removably receivable within the apertures to retain the stent in the tubular member and to release the stent from the tubular member when removed from the apertures.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 64 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 wherein the first and second branch portions each include a generally longitudinal opening with a plurality of apertures disposed on opposite sides thereof and wherein the retainer includes a first elongate portion removably receivable within the apertures on the first branch portion and a second elongate portion removably receivable within the apertures on the second branch portion.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

The stent deployment system of claim 2 wherein the first and second branch portions have distal ends and are biased in an expanded position in which the distal ends tend to separate from one another.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 37 words

The stent deployment system of claim 3 wherein the retainer is configured to selectively retain the first and second branch portions in a collapsed position in which the distal ends thereof are located closely proximate one another.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 39 words

The stent deployment system of claim 4 wherein the retainer includes a third elongate portion removably receivable within the apertures on the first and second branch portions to retain the first and second branch portions in the collapsed position.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 26 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 and further comprising: a plurality of rings fixedly connected to the tubular member and defining the plurality of apertures.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 47 words

The stent deployment system of claim 6 and further comprising: a plurality of support members having first and second ends and an elongate portion, the elongate portion extending around the tubular member and each of the ends being fixedly coupled to one of the plurality of rings.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 30 words

The stent deployment system of claim 7 wherein the tubular member includes a wall portion and wherein the support members are embedded in the wall portion of the tubular member.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 84 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 wherein the tubular member comprises: a first elongate tube having a first trunk portion and a first branch portion; and a second elongate tube having a second trunk portion and a second branch portion, the first and second trunk portions being connected to one another to form a single trunk, and the first and second branch portions being pre-formed in an expanded formation in which the first and second branch portions tend to diverge from one another.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 30 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 wherein the tubular member comprises: a coextruded, dual lumen tube having first and second separated branch portions and a single lumen trunk portion.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 33 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 wherein the tubular member comprises: a single sheet of material pre-formed into a bifurcated tubular member having a trunk portion and first and second branch portions.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 57 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 wherein the tubular member comprises: a trunk portion and first and second branch portions sized to receive a bifurcated stent therein, and wherein the retainer includes a single elongate member removable from the apertures to release the bifurcated stent from the first and second branch portions and the trunk portion.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 55 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 wherein the tubular member comprises: a single sheet of pliable material foldable into a stent receiving shape having a trunk portion and first and second branch portions, the longitudinal opening being disposed at least on the trunk portion when the sheet is folded into the stent receiving shape.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 28 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 and further comprising: an elongate delivery member configured for delivery of the tubular member through vasculature to a stent deployment site.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 36 words

The stent deployment system of claim 1 and further comprising: an elongate removal member, coupled to the tubular member, and actuable to remove the tubular member from a deployment site at which the stent is deployed.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 53 words

A stent deployment system, comprising: a sheet of pliable material foldable into a stent receiving shape having a trunk portion and first and second branch portions; and a retainer disposed relative to the sheet to selectively retain the sheet in the stent receiving shape and release the sheet from the stent receiving shape.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 53 words

A stent deployment system, comprising: a sheet of pliable material foldable into a stent receiving shape having a trunk portion and first and second branch portions; and a retainer disposed relative to the sheet to selectively retain the sheet in the stent receiving shape and release the sheet from the stent receiving shape.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 67 words

The stent deployment system of claim 16 wherein the sheet includes a plurality of apertures arranged to be generally aligned with one another when the sheet is in the stent receiving shape and wherein the retainer includes an elongate member receivable within the apertures to maintain the sheet in the stent receiving shape and removable from the apertures to release the sheet from the stent receiving shape.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 56 words

A stent deployment system, comprising: a first branch sheath sized to receive a stent; a second branch sheath sized to receive a stent; and an elongate deployment actuator, coupled to the first and second branch sheaths and actuable to move the first and second branch sheaths from a stent retaining position to a stent deploying position.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 56 words

A stent deployment system, comprising: a first branch sheath sized to receive a stent; a second branch sheath sized to receive a stent; and an elongate deployment actuator, coupled to the first and second branch sheaths and actuable to move the first and second branch sheaths from a stent retaining position to a stent deploying position.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 48 words

The stent deployment system of claim 18 and further comprising: a trunk sheath sized to receive a stent and coupled to the elongate stent deployment actuator, the elongate stent deployment actuator being actuable to move the trunk sheath from a stent retaining position to a stent deploying position.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 51 words

The stent deployment system of claim 19 and further comprising: a stent having a trunk portion disposed within the trunk sheath and first and second branch portions disposed within the first and second branch sheaths, respectively, the stent being movable between a low profile delivery position and an expanded deployed position.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 36 words

The stent deployment system of claim 20 wherein the elongate deployment actuator comprises: a first elongate member coupled to the trunk sheath; and an elongate branch deployment actuator coupled to the first and second branch sheaths.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 35 words

The stent deployment system of claim 21 wherein the elongate branch deployment actuator comprises: a second elongate member coupled to the first branch sheath; and a third elongate member coupled to the second branch sheath.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 49 words

The stent deployment system of claim 21 wherein the elongate branch deployment actuator comprises: a first elongate portion extending within the first branch sheath and coupled to a distal end thereof; and a second elongate portion extending within the second branch sheath and coupled to a distal end thereof.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 30 words

The stent deployment system of claim 23 wherein the first and second branch sheaths are sized to be withdrawn through the stent when the stent is in the deployed position.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 15 words

The stent deployment system of claim 20 wherein the stent comprises: a single bifurcated stent.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 22 words

The stent deployment system of claim 20 wherein the trunk portion and the first and second branch portions each comprise separate stents.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 19 words

The stent deployment system of claim 20 wherein the first and second branch portions comprise: a single articulated stent.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 97 words

A method of deploying a stent at a stent deployment site in a bifurcation within vasculature, the method comprising: providing a stent having first and second branch portions disposed within first and second branch sheaths; advancing the first and second branch sheaths, with the first and second branch portions of the stent disposed therein, within the bifurcation; advancing the first and second branch sheaths distally off of the first and second branch portions of the stent exposing the branch portions of the stent to the vasculature; and deploying the first and second branch portions in the bifurcation.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 97 words

A method of deploying a stent at a stent deployment site in a bifurcation within vasculature, the method comprising: providing a stent having first and second branch portions disposed within first and second branch sheaths; advancing the first and second branch sheaths, with the first and second branch portions of the stent disposed therein, within the bifurcation; advancing the first and second branch sheaths distally off of the first and second branch portions of the stent exposing the branch portions of the stent to the vasculature; and deploying the first and second branch portions in the bifurcation.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method of claim 28 wherein the stent includes a trunk portion coupled to the first and second branch portions of the stent and disposed within a trunk sheath, and further comprising: withdrawing the trunk sheath proximally of the trunk portion of the stent exposing the trunk portion of the stent to the vasculature; and deploying the trunk portion of the stent.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 39 and further comprising: withdrawing the first and second branch sheaths proximally through the deployed first and second branch portions of the stent.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 30 and further comprising: withdrawing the first and second branch sheaths proximally through the deployed trunk portion of the stent.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2006-02-03	2006-08-05	2007-02-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2010-02-03	2010-08-05	2011-02-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2014-02-03	2014-08-05	2015-02-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System for delivering bifurcation stents

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