Process of making a stent-type device from a wire stent-type device process to install a stent-type device and process of heating a nitinol-stent-type device

摘要

A stent (20) is made from a wire by winding the wire on a mandrel (22), heating to form a coiled spring, and reversing the winding direction of the coiled spring to form the reversed coiled spring stent (20). The stent so formed may be reheated over a special mandrel so as to partly relax the outer portion of some or all of the stent coils. The stent may be made up of two or more sections, with adjoining sections wound in opposite senses. Such a stent may be deployed by winding the stent onto a catheter, immobilizing the two ends of the wire and one or more intermediate points, bringing the stent to the location where it is to be deployed, and releasing first the intermediate point or points and then the end points. The release of the wire may be accomplished by heating the thread immobilizing the wire so that the thread breaks and releases the wire. IMAGE