EP0938880A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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A hand-held stent crimping device
Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc
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Filing: 1999-02-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2019-02-26
Abstract
Abstract A device for enabling substantially uniform and tight crimping ofan intravascular stent onto a balloon catheter assembly. The stent crimping device includes at least one compressible and resiliently expandable loop portion, that is expandable radially outwardly to enable supporting of the stent and catheter assembly thereon, and is compressible radially inwardly to substantially uniformly and tightly crimp the stent onto the balloon catheter assembly.
Inventors
- 👤 Gregg A. Jackson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 07:42
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/95; A61F2/958; A61F2/9522; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/53652; Y10T29/53657; Y10T29/53796; Y10T29/53896; Y10T29/539; Y10T29/53909; Y10T29/53987; Y10T29/53996
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A device (10) for crimping a stent (A) onto a balloon catheter (D) or other stent
delivery assembly, comprising: means for supporting (20) a portion (B) of the balloon catheter (D) on which
the stent (A) may be loaded, including a compressible portion (32) which is substantially
uniformly compressible radially inwardly upon the application of force thereto to substantially
uniformly and tightly crimp the stent (B) onto the balloon catheter portion, and is resiliently
expandable radially outwardly upon release of the applied force to support the stent (A) and
the balloon catheter portion (B) therein; and means for enabling force (22,26) to be applied to the supporting means (20),
adapted to be held in the hand of the user, so as to enable the user to apply compressive force
to the force-enabling means (22,26) to generate substantially uniform compression, radially
inwardly, of the compressive portion (32) of the supporting means (20), for substantially
uniformly and tightly crimping the stent (A) onto the balloon catheter portion (B).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as in claim 1, further comprising means for biasing (30) the force-applying
means (22,26) so as to bias the compressible portion (32) of the supporting means
(20) in a normally expanded condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A device as in claim 1, wherein the compressive portion (32) ofthe supporting
means (20) comprises a sleeve including at least one loop (36) for supporting the stent (A) and
the balloon catheter portion (B) and enabling substantially uniform and tight crimping of the
stent (A) onto the balloon catheter portion (B).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A device as in claim 1, wherein the supporting means (20) comprises a wire,
and the compressive portion (32) comprises at least one loop (36) for supporting the stent (A)
and the balloon catheter portion (B) and enabling substantially uniform and tight crimping of
the stent (A) onto the balloon catheter portion (B).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
118 words
A device (10) as in claim 1, wherein the force-application-enabling means
(22,26) comprises a pair of pivotally connected arms (22), each including a handle portion (24)
and an opposed jaw portion (26), means for pivotally connecting (28) the arms (22) together
such that upon expanding the handle portions (24) the jaw portions (26) compress, and upon
releasing compression ofthe handle portions (24) the jaw portions (26) expand, and means for
connecting (34) the supporting means (20) to the jaw portions (26) such that upon releasing
compression of the jaw portions (26) the compressible portion (32) of the supporting means
(20) compresses, and upon compressing the jaw portions (26) the compressible portion (32)
of the supporting means (20) expands.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A device as in claim 2, wherein the biasing means (30) comprises a compressed
spring.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
A device as in claim 3, further comprising means for enabling adjustment of
the size (41) of the sleeve dependent upon the size of the stent (A) and the balloon catheter
portion (B) to be supported therein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
A device as in claim 3, wherein the sleeve comprises a threaded-capstan-type
configuration.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
A device as in claim 4, wherein the wire comprises a guitar-string-type
configuration.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device as in claim 5, wherein the supporting means (20) further comprises
portions for connecting the supporting means (20) to the connecting means (34).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as in claim 5, further comprising means for biasing (30) the handle
portions (24) in a normally expanded condition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
A device as in claim 11, wherein the biasing means (30) comprises a
compressed spring.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
61 words
A device as in claim 1, wherein the means for supporting (20) a portion (B) of
the balloon catheter assembly (D) on which the stent (A) may be loaded includes a support
member (42), and wherein the means for enabling force to be applied to the supporting means
(20) includes a thumbscrew (41) which is supported by the support member (42).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
A device as in claim 13, wherein a plurality of wire loops (37) are attached to
the thumbscrew (41) and wherein the diameter of the wire loops (37) is reduced by the
application of force to the thumbscrew (41) which thereby crimps the stent (A) onto the
balloon catheter portion(B).
Claim 15
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of substantially uniformly and tightly crimping an intravascular stent
(A) onto a balloon catheter assembly (D), comprising: placing a portion (B) ofthe balloon catheter assembly (D), onto which the stent
(A) has been positioned, into a radially compressible device (10); applying a compressive force to compress the radially compressible device (10)
radially inwardly, to substantially uniformly and tightly crimp the stent (A) onto the balloon
catheter portion (B); and releasing the compressive force, to enable radially outward expansion of the
radially compressible device (10), so that the stent (A) and the balloon catheter portion (B) can
be removed therefrom.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
89 words
A method as in claim 15, wherein the step of placing the stent (A) and the
balloon catheter portion (B) in a radially compressible device (10) comprises placing the
balloon catheter portion (10) in a compressible portion (32) of a means for supporting (20)
a stent (A) and a balloon catheter portion (B), in a device that is adapted to be held in the hand
of the user, so as to enable the user to apply compressive force to the stent (A) positioned on
the balloon catheter portion (B).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 15, further comprising the step of repeatedly positioning
stents (A) and balloon catheter portions (B) into the radially compressible device (10).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 15, further comprising biasing the radially compressible
device (10) in a normally expanded condition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method as in claim 15, wherein the step of supporting the stent (A) and the
balloon catheter portion (B) in the radially compressible device (10) comprises supporting the
stent (A) and the balloon catheter portion in at least one loop (36) in a sleeve, and the step of
applying force to the radially compressible device comprises applying force to at least one
loop (36) in the sleeve.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method as in claim 15, wherein the step of supporting the stent (A) and the
balloon catheter portion (B) in the radially compressible device (10) comprises supporting the
stent (A) and the balloon catheter portion (B) in at least one loop (36) in a wire, and the step
of applying force to the radially compressible device (10) comprises applying force to at least
one loop (36) in the wire.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
94 words
A method as in claim 15, wherein the step of applying compressive force to the
radially compressible device (10) comprises applying force to a pair of handle portions (24)
pivotally connected (28) to a pair of jaw portions (26) to which are connected the supporting
means (20) for the stent (A) and the balloon catheter (B), thereby compressing the handle
portions (24) so as to expand the jaw portions (26) and to substantially uniformly compress
the supporting means (20), to substantially uniformly and tightly crimp the stent (A) onto the
balloon catheter assembly (D).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as in claim 18, wherein the step of biasing the supporting means (20)
comprises normally expanding the radially compressible device (10) by a compressed spring
(30).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as in claim 21, further comprising the step of biasing the handle
portions (24) in normally expanded condition.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as in claim 23, wherein the step of biasing the handle portions (24)
comprises maintaining the handle portions (24) in a normally expanded condition with a
compressed spring (30).
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
64 words
An intravascular stent (A) substantially uniformly and tightly crimped onto a
balloon catheter or other stent delivery assembly portion, comprising: a balloon catheter assembly portion (B); and a stent (A) substantially uniformly and tightly crimped onto the balloon catheter
portion (B) by substantially uniform compressive force applied thereto through a device (10)
that is adapted to be held in the hand of the user.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
98 words
A device (10) for crimping a stent (A) onto the expandable portion (B) of a
catheter (D), comprising: a pair of handles (24) pivotally connected (28) to a pair of opposed jaws (26); a wire having a least one loop (36) and disposed between and attached to the
opposed jaws (26); a spring (30) disposed between the pair of handles (24) for biasing the handles
(24) apart, whereby application of force to close the handles (24) causes the opposed jaws (26)
to pivotally move apart so that the at least one wire loop (36) becomes smaller in diameter.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device as in claim 26, wherein the wire is configured to include a plurality
of wire loops (37) disposed between and attached to the opposed jaws (26).
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
30 words
A device as in claim 26, wherein the diameter of the at least one wire loop (36)
is adjustable for receiving stents (A) and catheter assemblies (D) of various dimensions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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