Stent With Reduced Weld Profiles and a Closed-End Wire Configuration

Abstract

A method for making an implantable stent includes the steps of (i) providing a plurality of elongate stent wires; (ii) forming said wires into a hollow tubular structure having opposed first and second open ends; (iii) terminating said wires at the second end; (iv) aligning the wires at the second end into a plurality of mated adjacent wires to define a plurality of abutting regions; (v) welding the mated adjacent wires to one and the other at the abutting regions to define a plurality of welds; and optionally (vi) chemically or electro-chemically removing a portion of the welds. The method may further include the steps of (a) extending at least one of the mated stent wires to provide an extended stent wire; (b) looping the extended stent wire so the extended end abuts a proximal pair of stent wires; and (c) welding the extended and looped wire to the proximal pair of wires. The step of looping may include the forming of the wire into a equilaterally arched loop having an apex, but not having other sharp bends.

1 . A prosthesis, the prosthesis comprising a plurality of wires, each wire comprising at least one weld region and at least one non-weld region, each non-weld region having a first diameter, each weld region having a second diameter less than the first diameter; and
 a plurality of welds, each weld comprising a weld region of at least two of the plurality of wires.   
     
     
         2 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , the prosthesis being a tubular mesh, the tubular mesh comprising the plurality of wires. 
     
     
         3 . The prosthesis of  claim 2 , the tubular mesh being selected from the group consisting of a braid, a weave, or a knit. 
     
     
         4 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the weld regions forming a weld are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         5 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , the prosthesis comprising a first end region and a second end region, the at least one first weld located in the first end region of the prosthesis, the first end region having a reduced diameter relative to other regions of the prosthesis. 
     
     
         6 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , the prosthesis further comprising a band of biocompatible material, the band being attached to an outer surface of a portion of the first end region. 
     
     
         7 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , each weld comprising a weld region of only two of the plurality of wires. 
     
     
         8 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , the plurality of welds comprising a plurality of first welds and a plurality of second welds, each first weld comprising a weld region of two of the plurality of wires, each second weld comprising a weld region of three of the plurality of wires. 
     
     
         9 . The prosthesis of  claim 8 , wherein one of the three of the plurality of wires of a second weld also forms a part of a first weld. 
     
     
         10 . The prosthesis of  claim 9 , the one of the three of the plurality of wires forming a loop. 
     
     
         11 . The prosthesis of  claim 10 , the first welds and the second welds longitudinally aligned, each first weld being between two second welds and each second weld being between two first welds. 
     
     
         12 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , each wire having a first end region, the weld regions comprising first weld regions and second weld regions, each first weld region forming the first end region of a wire and each second weld region being a distance away from the first end region of a wire, the plurality of welds comprising a plurality of first welds, each first weld comprising one first weld region of a wire and one second weld region of a wire. 
     
     
         13 . The prosthesis of  claim 12 , each first weld located at a first longitudinal position of the prosthesis, the plurality of welds further comprising second welds, each second weld comprising one first weld region of a wire and one second weld region of a wire, and each second weld located at a second longitudinal position of the prosthesis, the second longitudinal position being different than the first longitudinal position. 
     
     
         14 . The prosthesis of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second welds have a wire in common. 
     
     
         15 . The prosthesis of  claim 13 , the prosthesis further comprising a plurality of coils, each coil longitudinally aligned and forming a first end of the prosthesis, the second welds longitudinally aligned and positioned a first distance from the coils, the first welds longitudinally aligned and positioned a second distance from the coils, the second distance being greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         16 . The prosthesis of  claim 12 , the prosthesis comprising a plurality of first welds, the first welds being a distance from a hook forming a first end of the prosthesis, the hook comprising wires with a second weld region forming a part of one of the plurality of first welds. 
     
     
         17 . A prosthesis, the prosthesis having a first end and a second end, the prosthesis being a tubular mesh comprising a plurality of wires, each wire having a first diameter,
 the plurality of wires comprising:
 a plurality of first wires, each first wire comprising a first weld region, the first weld region including an end of the first wire; 
 a plurality of second wires, each second wire comprising a first end and a first weld region, the first weld region positioned a first distance from the first end of the second wire; 
 a plurality of third wires, each third wire comprising a first end and a first weld region, the first weld region being located a first distance away from the first end of the third wire; 
 the prosthesis further comprising a plurality of first welds, each first weld positioned a first distance away from the first end of the prosthesis, each first weld comprising: 
 the first weld region of one first wire and 
 one of the first weld region of one second wire or the first weld region of one third wire. 
   
     
     
         18 . The prosthesis of  claim 17 , each third wire comprising a coil portion, the coil portions of the plurality of third wires forming the first end of the prosthesis. 
     
     
         19 . The prosthesis of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of second welds, each second weld positioned a second distance away from the first end of the prosthesis, where the second distance is less than the first distance. 
     
     
         20 . The prosthesis of  claim 19 , each second wire further comprising a second weld region, the second weld region including the first end of the second wire;
 each third wire further comprising a second weld region, the second weld region being located a second distance away from the first end of the third wire, where the second distance is less than the first distance;   each second weld comprising the second weld region of one second wire and the second weld region of one third wire.