Vascular occlusion device with an embolic mesh ribbon

Abstract

A vascular occlusion device that includes a central support member that has at least one mesh embolic ribbon extending outwardly from the central support member in the generally radial direction is provided. The mesh embolic ribbon has a collapsed and an expanded configuration.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An occlusion device comprising:
 a central support member having a length and a cross-sectional width, the central support member is wound into a helically shaped coil; and   at least one embolic ribbon extending from the central support member in a generally radial direction, said at least one embolic ribbon also extending at least partially along the length of the central support member, wherein the at least one embolic ribbon is shaped into a spiral pattern around the central support member.   
     
     
       2. The occlusion device of  claim 1  wherein the central support member comprises a wire. 
     
     
       3. The occlusion device of  claim 1  wherein the central support member comprises a hollow tubular structure. 
     
     
       4. The occlusion device of  claim 1  wherein the central support member is integral with the at least one embolic ribbon. 
     
     
       5. The occlusion device of  claim 1  wherein the cross-sectional width of the central support member comprises a diameter. 
     
     
       6. The occlusion device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one embolic ribbon is comprised of a metal. 
     
     
       7. The occlusion device of  claim 6  wherein the metal is a shape memory alloy. 
     
     
       8. The occlusion device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one embolic ribbon comprises a mesh. 
     
     
       9. The occlusion device of  claim 8  wherein the at least one embolic ribbon comprises a substrate, and the mesh is formed by a plurality of apertures extending through the substrate. 
     
     
       10. The occlusion device of  claim 8  wherein the mesh is formed from a braided element. 
     
     
       11. The occlusion device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one embolic ribbon has a collapsed state and an expanded state. 
     
     
       12. The occlusion device of  claim 11  wherein a transformation between the collapsed state and the expanded state is temperature activated. 
     
     
       13. The occlusion device of  claim 12  wherein the transformation between the collapsed state and the expanded state is activated at approximately body temperature. 
     
     
       14. The occlusion device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one embolic ribbon comprises a pair of opposed embolic ribbons. 
     
     
       15. A vascular occlusion device, comprising:
 an embolic coil formed from a support wire of a selected length wound into a helical shape; and 
 a pair of opposed mesh embolic ribbons located on the support wire, said pair of mesh embolic ribbons extending along at least a portion of the length of the support wire and extending outwardly from the support wire such that each mesh embolic ribbon has an outer edge, wherein the mesh embolic ribbons are shaped into a spiral around the support wire; 
 wherein at least one of the opposed mesh embolic ribbons has a thickness greater than about 0.1 microns but less than about 5 microns. 
 
     
     
       16. The vascular occlusion device of  claim 15  wherein the pair of opposed mesh embolic ribbons comprise a metal. 
     
     
       17. The vascular occlusion device of  claim 16  wherein the metal is a shape memory metal. 
     
     
       18. The vascular occlusion device of  claim 15  wherein each of the opposed mesh embolic ribbons comprises a substrate with apertures extending therethrough. 
     
     
       19. The vascular occlusion device of  claim 15  wherein each of the opposed mesh embolic ribbons comprises a braided element. 
     
     
       20. The vascular occlusion device of  claim 15  wherein each of the opposed mesh embolic ribbons includes a collapsed state and an expanded state. 
     
     
       21. The vascular occlusion device of  claim 15  wherein at least one of the opposed mesh embolic ribbons has a thickness greater than about 0.1 microns but less than about 5 microns. 
     
     
       22. An occlusion device, comprising:
 an embolic mesh ribbon, said ribbon twisted about a longitudinal axis of said embolic mesh ribbon into a spiral-like pattern as a spiraled ribbon length; and 
 said spiraled ribbon length is helically coiled into the occlusion device. 
 
     
     
       23. The occlusion device of  claim 22  wherein the ribbon comprises a metal. 
     
     
       24. The occlusion device of  claim 23  wherein the metal is a shape memory alloy. 
     
     
       25. The occlusion device of  claim 23  wherein the shape memory alloy is a nitinol. 
     
     
       26. A method of making an occlusion device, comprising;
 winding a support wire around a mandrel in a helical fashion to form adjacent coils; 
 coating the support wire and the mandrel with a thin metal film; 
 cutting the thin metal film between the adjacent coils to create at least one embolic ribbon extending from the support wire; 
 perforating the pair of opposed embolic ribbons; 
 separating the support wire and thin metal film from the mandrel; 
 shaping the support wire and the pair of opposed embolic ribbons into a desired shape; 
 twisting the support wire relative to a longitudinal axis of the support wire to form the at least one embolic ribbon into a spiral shape; and 
 winding the support wire into a helical shape. 
 
     
     
       27. The method according to  claim 26  wherein the winding comprises winding the support wire around a copper mandrel and the separating comprises dissolving the copper mandrel in acid. 
     
     
       28. The method according to  claim 26  wherein the separating comprises dissolving the mandrel away. 
     
     
       29. The method according to  claim 26  wherein the shaping includes uncoiling the support wire by stretching the support wire along the longitudinal axis of the support wire. 
     
     
       30. The method according to  claim 26  wherein the coating comprises coating the mandrel and the support wire with a thin shape memory alloy film; and further including heat-treating the thin shape memory alloy film at said desired shape. 
     
     
       31. The method according to  claim 26  wherein the coating comprises sputtering and depositing a thin metal film. 
     
     
       32. The method according to  claim 26  wherein the cutting comprises cutting the thin metal film between the adjacent coils to create a pair of opposed embolic ribbons. 
     
     
       33. A vascular occlusion device, comprising:
 a central support member having a length and a diameter; and   an embolic braided mesh having a thickness and a width that is greater than the thickness, the width of the embolic braided mesh extending in a direction generally aligned with the diameter of the central support member;   wherein the embolic braided mesh is positioned on at least a portion of the length of the central support member.    
     
     
       34. The occlusion device of claim 33, further comprising an attachment head for releasably attaching to a deployment device.  
     
     
       35. The occlusion device of claim 34, wherein the attachment head is located at an end of the central support member.  
     
     
       36. The occlusion device of claim 33, wherein the device moves between a collapsed state in which the device is elongate for insertion into a vessel and an expanded state in which the device takes a shape that increases an amount of space the occlusion device occupies.  
     
     
       37. The occlusion device of claim 36, wherein the shape is spherical.