Axial lock and release stent deployment system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to stents and methods of delivering and deploying the same. The stents include fasteners about their periphery and when the stent is radially compressed, the fasteners come into alignment such that a device may be placed through openings in the fasteners to hold the stent in the radially compressed configuration. When the device is removed from the openings, the stent may expand.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A self-expanding stent comprising a proximal portion, a mid-section, and a distal portion, wherein one or more of the proximal portion, mid-section, and distal portion comprises a plurality of fasteners, the plurality of fasteners being disposed about a periphery of the stent and woven through one or more open cells of the stent, wherein each fastener of the plurality of fasteners comprises an opening and a rod is disposed through the opening of each fastener, thereby holding the stent in a radially compressed configuration. 
     
     
         2 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein when the stent is in a radially compressed configuration, the openings of each fastener align or become concentric in a lumen of the stent. 
     
     
         3 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the rod comprises a plurality of release pins attached by sutures to a distal rod portion, wherein each release pin of the plurality of release pins is disposed through the openings of two or more of the fasteners. 
     
     
         4 . The stent of  claim 3 , wherein a length of at least one suture is longer than a length of the other sutures. 
     
     
         5 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion comprises a proximal plurality of fasteners, the distal portion comprises a distal plurality of fasteners, and the mid-section comprises a mid-plurality of fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . The stent of  claim 5 , wherein each fastener comprises an opening and when the stent is in a radially compressed configuration, the openings of each fastener of the proximal plurality are in alignment, the openings of each fastener of the mid-plurality are in alignment, and the openings of each fastener of the distal plurality are in alignment. 
     
     
         7 . The stent of  claim 6 , wherein a first release pin is disposed through the openings of the fasteners of the distal plurality, a second release pin is disposed through the openings of the fasteners of the mid-plurality, and a third release pin is disposed through the openings of the fasteners of the proximal plurality. 
     
     
         8 . The stent of  claim 7 , wherein the first release pin is attached to a distal portion of a rod by a first suture, the second release pin is attached to the distal portion of the rod by a second suture, and the third release pin is attached to the distal portion of the rod by a third suture. 
     
     
         9 . The stent of  claim 8 , wherein the first, second, and third sutures comprise different lengths. 
     
     
         10 . A method of deploying a stent at a target location comprising:
 providing a stent in a radially compressed configuration, the stent comprising a plurality of fasteners, each fastener of the plurality of fasteners comprising an opening, wherein the openings of each fastener are in alignment in a lumen of the radially compressed stent, and further wherein a rod is disposed through the openings of each fastener;   placing the stent at the target location;   withdrawing the rod from the openings of the fasteners;   allowing the stent to expand; and   deploying the stent at the target location.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a proximal portion of the stent, a mid-section of the stent, and a distal portion of the stent each comprise two or more fasteners. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the rod is proximally withdrawn a first distance, thereby allowing the distal portion of the stent to expand while the mid-section and proximal portion remain compressed. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the rod is proximally withdrawn a second distance, thereby allowing the mid-section of the stent to expand while the proximal portion remains compressed. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the rod is proximally withdrawn a third distance, thereby allowing the proximal portion of the stent to expand. 
     
     
         15 . A method of deploying a stent at a target location comprising:
 providing a stent in a radially compressed configuration, a distal portion of the stent comprising a first plurality of fasteners, a mid-section of the stent comprising a second plurality of fasteners, and a proximal portion of the stent comprising a third plurality of fasteners, each fastener comprising an opening, wherein the openings of each fastener of the first plurality of fasteners are in alignment, the openings of each fastener of the second plurality of fasteners are in alignment, and the openings of each fastener of the third plurality of fasteners are in alignment, and further wherein a first release pin is disposed through the openings of each fastener of at least the first plurality of fasteners and a second release pin is disposed through the openings of each fastener of at least the third plurality of fasteners, the first release pin being attached to a distal portion of a rod by a first suture and the second release pin being attached to the distal portion of the rod by a second suture;   placing the stent at the target location;   withdrawing the rod, thereby causing the first and second release pins to withdraw from the openings of the fasteners;   allowing the stent to expand; and   deploying the stent at the target location.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first suture comprises a first length and the second suture comprises a second length that is different than the first length. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the stent comprises a third release pin disposed through the openings of each fastener of the second plurality of fasteners, the first release pin being disposed only through the openings of each fastener of the first plurality of fasteners and the second release pin being disposed only through the openings of each fastener of the third plurality of fasteners, the third release pin being attached to the distal portion of the rod by a third suture, the third suture having a third length that is different than the first and second lengths, wherein proximally withdrawing the rod allows the distal portion, mid-section, and proximal portion of the stent to expand separately.