Systems, devices and methods for delivery systems
Inventors
Wallace, Daniel T. • Gregg, Peter W. • Boyette, Jeremy J. • Haynes, Evelyn N. • Noe, Spencer C.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11246726-B1
Publication Date
2022-02-15
Expiration Date
Abstract
Delivery systems for expandable and stented implants include adjustable tensioning members that control the expansion of the implant along the length of the implant. The tensioning members are wound onto one or more rotors located on the distal segment of the delivery system, which are rotated to unwind the tensioning members and incrementally expand the implant. Positioning mechanisms are also provided to adjust the position and orientation of the implant during delivery.
Core Innovation
The disclosed invention relates to an expandable implant delivery system for delivering and controlling expansion of a self-expanding implant. The system includes a proximal handle with a first actuator and a catheter body having a distal section, a middle section, and a proximal section. A rotatable drive shaft is coupled to the first actuator and located in the catheter body, and a movable sheath is located over the catheter body.
Expansion control is implemented using tensioning members wound onto rotors in a distal deployment section. The catheter body supports spaced stator housings that each receive a rotor attached to the rotatable drive shaft, and each rotor includes at least one tension line attachment site. Tensioning members are unwound by rotating one or more rotors, enabling incremental implant expansion across multiple implant regions, including options for equal, rate-differentiated, or sequential expansion.
Positioning and steering are addressed with a multi-axis steering mechanism using segmented tubular or laser-cut unibody structures with living hinges and non-planar hyperbolic paraboloid segment interfaces. A catheter extension assembly is also provided that reversibly adjusts distal longitudinal spacing relative to the catheter body without moving the whole catheter. The overall delivery system further includes rotor lock and lock release actuation and an attachment interface for assembling proximal and distal components with keyed recess/projection interfits and locking collars.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim is directed to a modular expandable implant delivery system with multiple spaced stator/rotor modules driven by a rotatable drive shaft and combined with a movable sheath; the claim set includes additional inventive features that refine the implant type, add more rotor modules, constrain relative sizes, and add catheter extension, steering, and structural steering component features.
Proximal handle with rotatable drive shaft and movable sheath
A proximal handle comprising a handle housing and a first actuator, a rotatable drive shaft coupled to the first actuator and located in the catheter body, and a movable sheath located over the catheter body.
Spaced stator housings and rotors with tension line attachment sites
A first stator housing attached to the catheter body and a first rotor attached to the rotatable drive shaft and located in the first stator housing, where the first rotor comprises at least one tension line attachment site; and a second stator housing attached to the catheter body and spaced apart from the first stator housing, where a second rotor is attached to the rotatable drive shaft and located in the second stator housing and comprises at least one tension line attachment site.
The claims primarily cover a delivery platform that uses a rotatable drive shaft to drive multiple spaced stator housings and rotors, each having tension line attachment sites, together with a movable sheath. Dependent refinements described in the partial record add a self-expanding implant and tensioning members linked to rotor attachment sites, extend the stator/rotor architecture to additional spaced modules, set relative size comparisons between stator/rotor components, and add a catheter extension assembly for reversible longitudinal spacing adjustment; further dependent refinements specify steering component structures such as a laser-cut segmented tubular body.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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