US 12,465,509 B2
Self expanding stent and method of loading same into a catheter
Richard A. Swift, South Bend, IN (US); Sam C. Mullins, County Limerick (IE); and Stephen T. Clancy, County Clare (IE)
Assigned to Cook Medical Technologies LLC, Bloomington, IN (US)
Filed by Cook Medical Technologies LLC, Bloomington, IN (US)
Filed on Feb. 13, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/440,099.
Application 18/440,099 is a continuation of application No. 17/713,399, filed on Apr. 5, 2022, granted, now 11,896,507.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/190,906, filed on May 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0261120 A1, Aug. 8, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 2/88 (2006.01); A61F 2/844 (2013.01); A61F 2/91 (2013.01); A61F 2/915 (2013.01); A61F 2/966 (2013.01)
CPC A61F 2/88 (2013.01) [A61F 2/844 (2013.01); A61F 2/91 (2013.01); A61F 2/966 (2013.01); A61F 2002/91558 (2013.01); A61F 2002/91566 (2013.01); A61F 2210/0014 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0039 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0052 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of loading a self expanding stent into a catheter of a stent delivery system, comprising the steps of:
providing a self expanding stent including:
a framework having a hollow cylindrical shape with a length along a stent axis, and the framework including a sequence of cells that each occupy a discrete segment of the stent length, and each of the cells including a plurality of struts with ends connected at respective vertices;
an adjacent pair of the cells being attached to one another by a plurality of T-bars that each include a column defining a long axis extending parallel to the stent axis and a top bar attached to one end of the column, and an opposite end of the column being attached to a first cell of the adjacent pair of cells, and the top bar being attached at opposite ends to a second cell of the adjacent pair of cells;
the column having a minimum width perpendicular to the long axis that is wider than a maximum width of each of the struts; and
the top bar having a top bar edge on a side opposite from the column, the top bar edge having a concave edge portion that straddles the long axis of the column and wherein first and second convex edge portions flank the concave edge portion;
putting the self expanding stent in a loading configuration, which includes simultaneously compressing the self expanding stent circumferentially and longitudinally while sliding the stent into the catheter; and
moving adjacent cells of the self expanding stent from out of contact into contact responsive to the longitudinal compression.