Radially expanding stent
US6214037A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 18, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 18, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61M2210/1089
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A stent is provided for decompressing an obstructed passage within the body such as a ureter to facilitate stone passage through a ureter or duct. An exemplary stent includes a flexible, elongate body that defines an open channel along the body. At least a portion of the body is made of a resilient material, wherein the open channel defines a void volume. A retaining or compressive force applied to the resilient material causes the void volume to be reduced, or maintained in a reduced state, until the retaining or compressive force is removed. A sleeve, a wire, or an adhesive soluble in liquid or dissolvable by ultrasound can provide the retaining force. The stent can be configured as a flexible, elongate body having elements distributed along the body that are movable from a first state to a second state to increase the diameter of the ureteral stent from a first diameter to a second diameter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.