Patent ID: 6238431
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A stent assembly for insertion in the lumen of hollow organs and tubular parts of the body comprising:a resilient, cylindrical housing for supporting hollow organs or tubular parts, said housing including a longitudinal passageway for conveying fluids and solids through said organs or said parts;said housing having a variably controlled diameter and first and second arms forming first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, of said housing, said first and second longitudinal edges being biased radially inwardly toward a reduced diameter for said housing, one of said first and second longitudinal edges of said first and second arms overlapping the other of said longitudinal edges when said housing is in a reduced diameter state;means for expanding said variably controlled diameter;first locking means disposed on or adjacent to one of said first and second longitudinal edges and engageable with second locking means disposed on or adjacent to the other of said first and second longitudinal edges for releasably, lockingly holding said housing in at least one expanded diameter when said housing is expanded to a first predetermined housing diameter less than that required for separation of said overlapping longitudinal edges, and when said means for expanding said variably controlled diameter is deactivated, said arms actuating radially inwardly according to said bias to assume for said housing said at least one expanded diameter; andsaid first and second arms of said housing further comprising shaped profile means forming a part of said first and second locking means for positively causing said first and second locking means to slide over one another and for positively preventing reengagement thereof, for positively releasing said first locking means from said second locking means upon actuation of said means for expanding said variably controlled diameter to a second predetermined housing diameter effecting separation of said overlapping longitudinal edges and subsequent deactivation of said means for expanding said variably controlled diameter, said biased edges reducing said variably controlled diameter of said housing to a smaller diameter.