Implant delivery system with braid cup formation

Abstract

An implant system presented herein includes an engagement wire, a pull wire, and a braided implant having a distal ring thereon. The engagement wire has an elongated member with a radially extending engagement feature at its distal end. The braid can be moved from a delivery shape sized to traverse a catheter to an implanted shape sized to occlude an aneurysm neck. When the braid is in the delivery shape, the pull wire and the elongated member extend through the distal ring and the engagement feature is in a distal direction in relation to the distal ring. Once at least a portion of the braid is positioned in the aneurysm, the pull wire and the elongated member can be moved in a proximal direction to engage the engagement feature to the distal ring and move the distal ring proximally, thereby reshaping the braid within the aneurysm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for configuring an implant comprising a distal ring and a tubular braid for delivery, the method comprising:
 positioning the distal ring of approximate a distal end of the tubular braid;   positioning an engagement feature to extend radially from a distal end of an elongated member;   extending the elongated member though a lumen of the tubular braid and a lumen of the distal ring;   extending a pull wire through the lumen of the tubular braid and the lumen of the distal ring such that the pull wire inhibits the engagement feature from passing through the lumen of the distal ring;   retracting the engagement feature in a proximal direction to secure the implant within an aneurysm;   retracting the pull wire in a proximal direction from the implant;   retracting the engagement feature in a proximal direction from the implant such that the implant is disengaged from at least the pull wire and the engagement feature; and   disengaging the implant from a delivery tube.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 positioning the implant with the elongated member and the pull wire therethrough within a delivery catheter such that the engagement feature is positioned in a distal direction in relation to the distal ring.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 attaching a proximal ring to a proximal end of the tubular braid; and   extending the elongated member and the pull wire through a lumen of the proximal ring.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 attaching a detachment feature to the proximal ring; and   detachably attaching the detachment feature to a delivery tube.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 positioning the detachment feature in a notch at a distal end of the delivery tube.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , the method further comprising:
 attaching a loop wire to the delivery tube;   extending the loop wire through an opening of the detachment feature; and   extending at least the pull wire or an elongated member through an aperture of the loop wire.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 engaging a distal end of a hollow push rod to the proximal ring such that the hollow push rod is configured to disengage the proximal ring during treatment.   
     
     
         8 . A method for positioning an implant, the method comprising:
 positioning the implant comprising a distal ring thereon within a delivery catheter;   positioning a pull wire and an elongated member with an engagement feature thereon through a lumen of the distal ring such that the engagement feature is positioned in a distal direction in relation to the distal ring and such that the pull wire inhibits the engagement feature from passing through the lumen of the distal ring;   extending the implant through a neck of an aneurysm;   reshaping the implant within the aneurysm by retracting the elongated member while the pull wire is extended through the distal ring, causing the engagement feature to engage the distal ring and move the distal ring proximally;   retracting the pull wire in a proximal direction from the implant;   retracting the engagement feature in a proximal direction from the implant such that the implant is disengaged from at least the pull wire and the engagement feature; and   disengaging the implant from a delivery tube.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 securing the implant within the aneurysm.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 engaging the delivery tube to the implant;   positioning the delivery tube, the implant, the pull wire, and the elongated member within the delivery catheter; and   moving the implant distally through the delivery catheter by pushing the delivery tube distally.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 disengaging the delivery tube from the implant by first retracting the pull wire and then the elongated member from an opening in a loop wire attached to the delivery tube thereby allowing the loop wire to disengage the implant.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 positioning the delivery tube in a proximal direction in relation to a proximal ring, the proximal ring disposed approximate a proximal end of the implant, wherein the delivery tube is a hollow push rod;   positioning the pull wire and the elongated member within a lumen of the hollow push rod and within a lumen of the proximal ring;   pushing the hollow push rod in a distal direction against the proximal ring, thereby moving the implant distally through the delivery catheter;   maintaining the proximal ring within the delivery catheter while the implant is extended through the neck of the aneurysm and while the implant is reshaped by retracting the elongated member while the pull wire is extended through the distal ring;   engaging the hollow push rod to the proximal ring while the implant is reshaped by retracting the elongated member while the pull wire is extended through the distal ring;   retracting the pull wire in the proximal direction from the distal ring to remove the pull wire from the lumen of the distal ring;   retracting the engagement feature in the proximal direction through the distal ring while the pull wire is removed from the distal ring;   retracting the pull wire in the proximal direction through the proximal ring;   retracting the engagement feature in the proximal direction through the proximal ring; and   retracting the hollow push rod in the proximal direction, thereby disengaging the hollow push rod from the proximal ring.