| CPC A61M 31/005 (2013.01) [A61F 2/04 (2013.01); A61F 2/82 (2013.01); A61F 2/962 (2013.01); A61M 39/0247 (2013.01); A61F 2002/041 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0069 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0091 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0067 (2013.01); A61M 2025/09183 (2013.01); A61M 2039/0255 (2013.01)] | 14 Claims |

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1. A biliary stent, comprising:
a tubular body having a proximal portion with a proximal end and a distal portion with a distal end;
wherein the tubular body is deformable between a tensioned linear delivery configuration and an expanded helical deployment configuration;
wherein the tubular body comprises a polymeric material having a Young's modulus that is effective to
(a) exert a frictional force on an antegrade delivery device in the tensioned linear delivery configuration to so retain the tubular body on the delivery device; and
(b) exert a radially expansive force on an inner wall of a bile duct in the expanded helical deployment configuration to radially expand the inner wall of the bile duct so retain the tubular body in the bile duct;
a plurality of fenestrations in the tubular body;
wherein a spring constant for radial expansion of the biliary stent is between 1,000 N/m and 10,000 N/m, and/or wherein a spring constant for radial expansion of the bile duct is between 15,000 N/m and 30,000 N/m; and
wherein the stent, in the helical deployment configuration, forms a composite fluid path comprising an intrahelical fluid path and an intratubular fluid path.
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