Tracheal stent

US5480431A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• WILLY RUSCH GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Lutz Freitag · Hemer, DE
• Armin Singvogel · Waiblingen, DE
• Klaus Schmitt · Lörrach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 10, 1994
• Grant date: Jan 2, 1996
• Expiry date: Jan 10, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61F2002/046
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A tracheal stent 1 is comprised from a plastic shaft 2 and metal clasps 5 which grasp the plastic shaft 2 ventrolaterally. The plastic shaft 2 is, cranially, lengthwise oval in cross section and, caudally, squarish-oval. It is comprised from thin highly-elastic and stable sheet and from clasps 5, whereby the clasps 5 are bound to the sheet. The clasps 5 can, in a first manifestation, be sufficiently compressed together over their free ends 6, 7 that the plastic shaft 2 is given as small an outer circumference as possible. In a second manifestation, the clasps 5 can be spread out by, for example, being heat activated. A stably-shaped and, in section 7', highly-elastic lumen 8 is formed in plastic shaft 2 which largely corresponds to the size of a lumen of a natural trachea.