NON-DEFORMABLE SELF-EXPANDING PARALLEL FLOW ENDOVASCULAR STENT AND DEPLOYMENT APPARATUS THEREFOR

摘要

This invention is a non-deformable, self-expanding stent device (10), and deployment catheter therefor. The stent device (10) comprises an elongate wire member (14) having a multiplicity of back and forth bends formed therein to define a series of side by side straight segments, the ends of said wire (14) being coupled to one another such that said straight segments are disposed in a cylindrical array about a longitudinal axis. The stent (14) is initially disposed in an operative configuration whereby the stent has a first internal diameter, and wherein the straight segments are generally parallel to one another. The stent (14) is foldable or compressible to a contract configuration wherein the stent has an outer diameter or outer cross-sectional dimension which is smaller than the first inner diameter of the operatively configured stent. The stent (14) is formed of resilient material such that the stent is biased to, and will automatically self-expand to, its operative configuration. The preferred deployment catheter (30) comprises an elongate catheter body (32) having a balloon (38) mounted thereon. The stent (14) is positioned on the deflated balloon (38) and folded or compacted to its compact configuration. One or more breakable retainer sheaths (40) are positioned about the stent (14), to hold the stent (14) in its compact configuration on the balloon (40).