Implantable stent delivery devices and methods

Abstract

Stent delivery devices include at least one implantable stent carrier and/or membrane for carrying multiple stents or stent segments over an expandable member. At least a portion of the implantable carrier is expandable by the expandable member to deploy the portion of the carrier and one or more stent segments disposed thereon. A sheath may be retracted to expose and expand a distal portion of the expandable member to expand and deploy a distal portion of the carrier and the stent segment(s) disposed thereon. Stent delivery devices and methods provide enhanced delivery of multiple stents or stent segments by delivering the segments while coupled with one or more implantable carriers and/or membranes that are typically flexible and dividable.

1 . A delivery system comprising: 
 a flexible catheter shaft;    a plurality of radially-expandable, tubular stent segments releasably coupled to the catheter shaft;    an implantable carrier extending across at least two adjacent stent segments; and    a dividing element coupled to the catheter shaft and adapted to divide the implantable carrier between the adjacent stent segments, wherein a first of the tubular stent segments may be expanded and released from the catheter shaft with a first portion of the implantable carrier while a second of the stent segments is retained unexpanded on the catheter shaft with a second portion of the implantable carrier.    
   
   
       2 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , further comprising an expandable member coupled near a distal end of the catheter shaft.  
   
   
       3 . A delivery system as in  claim 2 , wherein the implantable carrier is slidably disposed over the expandable member.  
   
   
       4 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier is slidably disposed over the catheter shaft.  
   
   
       5 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a carrier shaft coupled with the implantable carrier and disposed over the catheter shaft proximal to the implantable carrier for advancing the carrier distally.  
   
   
       6 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a sheath, the sheath slidably disposed over the implantable carrier to constrain expansion of a proximal portion of the expandable member while allowing expansion of a distal portion of the expandable member.  
   
   
       7 . A delivery system as in  claim 6 , wherein the dividing element is disposed near a distal end of the sheath.  
   
   
       8 . A delivery system as in  claim 6 , wherein the dividing element comprises a sharpened edge disposed circumferentially about an inner surface of the sheath at a distal end of the sheath.  
   
   
       9 . A delivery system as in  claim 8 , further including a protective member disposed between the sharpened edge and the catheter shaft expandable member to prevent damage to the catheter shaft by the sharpened edge.  
   
   
       10 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the dividing element acts as a valve member to provide control of a number of stents segments delivered by the device.  
   
   
       11 . A delivery system as in  claim 2 , wherein expanding the expanding member presses the implantable carrier against the dividing element to divide the distal portion of the carrier from a proximal portion of the carrier.  
   
   
       12 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises at least one dividable connection between at least the distal portion of the carrier and a proximal portion of the carrier.  
   
   
       13 . A delivery system as in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one dividable connection is preformed in the carrier.  
   
   
       14 . A delivery system as in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one dividable connection comprises multiple dividable connections between multiple carrier portions.  
   
   
       15 . A delivery system as in  claim 12 , wherein each of the at least one dividable connections comprises at least one of perforations, frangible connections and an area of material along the carrier that is thinner than immediately adjacent areas of material.  
   
   
       16 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a metal, a metal alloy, a woven polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene, a ceramic, human tissue and animal tissue.  
   
   
       17 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises at least one biodegradable or bioresorbable material.  
   
   
       18 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises at least one pharmacological or biological agent.  
   
   
       19 . A delivery system as in  claim 18 , wherein the pharmacological agent is selected from the group consisting of Rapamycin, Paclitaxel, Rapamycin or Paclitaxel analogs, Everolimus and derivatives thereof, prodrugs, or derivatives, antibiotics, thrombolytics, anti-thrombotics, anti-inflammatories, cytotoxic agents, anti-proliferative agents, vasodilators, gene therapy agents, radioactive agents, immunosuppressants, chemotherapeutics and stem cells.  
   
   
       20 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier is non-porous so as to act as a vascular graft.  
   
   
       21 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises a solid tubular wall.  
   
   
       22 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises a tubular mesh.  
   
   
       23 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises a tubular scaffold.  
   
   
       24 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises a helical coil.  
   
   
       25 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the implantable carrier comprises multiple axial beams.  
   
   
       26 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stent segments are fixedly disposed along the carrier.  
   
   
       27 . A delivery system as in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one membrane coupled with at least one of the plurality of stent segments.  
   
   
       28 . A delivery system as in  claim 27 , wherein the at least one membrane is permeable.  
   
   
       29 . A delivery system as in  claim 27 , wherein the at least one membrane is impermeable.  
   
   
       30 . A delivery system as in  claim 27 , wherein the at least one membrane comprises a continuous membrane coupled with the plurality of stent segments.  
   
   
       31 . A delivery system as in  claim 27 , wherein the at least one membrane comprises a plurality of membranes, each membrane coupled with at least one of the plurality of stent segments.  
   
   
       32 . A delivery system as in  claim 27 , wherein the at least one membrane comprises a plurality of membranes, each membrane coupled with two or more of the plurality of stent segments.  
   
   
       33 . A delivery system as in  claim 27 , wherein the at least one membrane comprises at least one biodegradable or bioresorbable material.  
   
   
       34 . A delivery system as in  claim 27 , wherein the at least one membrane comprises at least one pharmacological or biological agent.  
   
   
       35 . A delivery system as in  claim 34 , wherein the pharmacological agent is selected from the group consisting of Rapamycin, Paclitaxel, Rapamycin or Paclitaxel analogs, prodrugs, or derivatives, antibiotics, thrombolytics, anti-thrombotics, anti-inflammatories, cytotoxic agents, anti-proliferative agents, vasodilators, gene therapy agents, radioactive agents, immunosuppressants, chemotherapeutics and stem cells.