Device for splinting a cavity, organ duct and/or vessel

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for splinting and/or maintaining a cavity, an organ duct and/or a vessel in a human or animal body, said device comprising at least one compressible and self-expanding stent that is composed of at least three phases.

1 . A device for the splinting and/or holding open of a cavity, organ duct and/or vessel in the human or animal body, the device comprising at least one stent which is compressible in a tube and is self-expanding, wherein the stent comprises at least three phases, wherein at least two of these phases are functional phases and at least one of these phases is a transition phase. 
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the two or more functional phases have different degrees of expansion and wherein the cavity, organ duct and/or vessel is splinted and/or held open by those functional phases of the stent with the greater degree of expansion. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the stent has a distal phase and a proximal phase and the the distal phase of the stent has a greater degree of expansion than the proximal phase. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the distal phase of the stent has a length of 0.5 cm to 20 cm, the tube a length of 0.5 cm to 50 cm and the whole stent a length of 2 cm to 50 cm. 
     
     
         5 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the distal phase has a smaller degree of expansion than the proximal phase of the stent. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the stent has a net structure and/or a multiplicity of openings, wherein the openings of the transition phase are larger than those of the functional phases. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the functional phases ( 17 ,  19 ) and/or the transition phases are made of at least one braiding and/or woven fabric and/or interlaid scrim. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the transition phase in each case at least two wires, fibres or threads are twisted together. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein the wire, fibre or thread for the production of the stent has a diameter of preferably 0.001 mm to 2 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein the wire, fibre or thread for the production of the stent has a diameter of preferably 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein the wire, fibre or thread for the production of the stent has a diameter of preferably 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the tube is slotted over at least part of the length of the stent. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the stent is made of a shape memory material. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the stent is made of a bio-compatible shape memory material, comprising a metal, metal alloy, stainless steel, nitinol, plastic, monofile, multifile or composite glass fibres. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the proximal phase comprises an end that has exclusively closed ends. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein Stent at least one open end at the proximal end is firmly fixed in a closing element. 
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the distal end has 12, 18 or 24 closed ends. 
     
     
         23 .- 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the stent is further provides a coating selected from the group consisting of a bio-compatible surface coating, heparin, a carbonisation of nitinol, a nano-technological coating, x-ray-proof particles, a coating releasing an active substance, anr a microporous bio-technological coating. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method of producing a compressible, self-expanding braiding and/or woven fabric and/or interlaid scrim with round ends in the longitudinal direction, wherein in that in each case only one wire or one fibre or one thread is guided back directly round into the braiding and/or woven fabric and/or interlaid scrim or in such a way that two wires or fibres or threads always cross at the return point. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . Method of producing a compressible, self-expanding braiding and/or woven fabric and/or interlaid scrim with round ends in the longitudinal direction, characterised in that at least two wires or fibres or threads are guided back at least partly parallel. 
     
     
         30 .- 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method for the treatment of snoring and/or sleep apnea, the method comprising inserting the stent of  claim 3  into the nose up to the point of use, the tube is withdrawn from the nose to release the stent from the tube, and the stent expands and fits up against the inner walls of the air passages, at least in the area of the distal end. 
     
     
         33 .- 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the at least two functional phases have different degrees of expansion and wherein the air passages are splinted and/or held open by the distal functional phase of the stent with the greater degree of expansion. 
     
     
         38 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the distal phase ( 17 ) of the stent ( 10 ) has a length of 0.5 cm to 20 cm, the tube ( 14 ) a length of 0.5 cm to 50 cm and the whole stent ( 10 ) a length of 2 cm to 50 cm. 
     
     
         39 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the distal phase ( 17 ) of the stent ( 10 ) has a length of 1 cm to 10 cm, the tube ( 14 ) a length of 10 cm to 35 cm and the whole stent ( 10 ) a length of 10 cm to 35 cm.